湖南农业大学课程论文
学 院：外国语学院 班 级：07级英语商务班 姓 名：周 雯 学 号：[1**********]6
课程论文题目：A BRIEF ANALYSIS OF CHARACTERS OF
PETER PAN
课程名称：英美文学
评阅成绩：
评阅意见：
成绩评定教师签名：
日期： 年 月 日
A brief analysis of characters of Peter Pan
Author: Zhou Wen
(College of Foreign Languages, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128 )
Abstract: Peter Pan, by James Matthew Barrie, is a famous children literature. The whole story has seventeen chapters, which author divided into three parts. The first part is from the beginning to chapter 4 which tells us that Peter Pan breaks through Wendy‟s house and takes she and her two brothers to the Never land. The second one is the main body of the story from chapter 5 to chapter 15, which describes the amazing and adventurous life in the Never land. The last two chapters indicate that finally Wendy chooses to go back home and choose to grow up. This paper attempts to talk about those characters in the story and analyses what those characters really stand for. In this paper, author think James Barrie wanted to express the longing for the carefree and artless childhood through creating the characters. Meanwhile, author wants to help readers get deep into the story through the image analysis.
Key words: character; image; childhood; reality
《彼得·潘》人物简要分析
作 者：周 雯
指导老师：周 丽
(湖南农业大学外国语学院，长沙410128)
摘 要：《彼得·潘》是英国著名小说家剧作家詹姆斯·巴里的代表作。本书共17个章节，笔者按照故事内容将其分为三个部分。第一个部分是第一到第四章，讲述的是彼得潘闯进了温蒂的房子并把她和她的两个弟弟一起带到梦幻岛。第二个部分是故事的中心描述的是在梦幻岛上孩子们经历的奇妙的但又冒险的生活。最后一个部分温蒂最终离开了梦幻岛选择长大成人。本文着重分析故事主要人物以及他们所代表的含义，因为笔者相信巴里先生是通过这些人物的塑造来体现他一生追求童真对美好的无忧无虑的童年的回忆的主旨。并且，笔者也将通过人物的简要分析是读者们更深层次的理解故事的主旨。
关键词：人物性格；意象；童年；现实
Introduction
Peter Pan was the masterpiece of James Barrie who was a famous British novelist and playwright. Peter Pan is a piece of classic children literature. The beginning of the story “All children, except one, grow up.” [1] indicates the main theme connects to the growth of children. Peter Pan is a boy who never grow up, and he lives with fairies in the Never land- where an island contains every amazing things like mermaids, Indians with red skin, monsters. Together with Peter, there are a gang of Lost Boys “who fall out of their pram when the nurse is looking in other way. If they are not claimed in seven days they are sent far away to the Never land.” Meanwhile, the pirates‟ captain is James Hook with his left hand cut by Peter who is the biggest adversary to Peter Pan and always wants to kill him. One day, Peter broke through Wendy‟s house and invited her and her brothers to stay in the Never land. Then, Wendy became the mother to Peter as well as the Lost Boys. They played everyday carefreely, building the undergrounded house, playing with the mermaids, in alliance with the red-skinned Indians, and they had a great fight with the Pirates. Until one day, Wendy was tied of playing, deciding to go back, also she convinced all the Lost Boys back to the real world. Peter sent them back but he refused to say. Wendy, John, Michael and all the Lost Boys were having a family except Peter. “There could not have been a lovelier sight; but there was none to see it except a little boy who was staring in at the window. He had had ecstasies innumerable that other children can never know; but he was looking through the window at the one joy from which he must be forever barred.” [2]Few years later, Wendy became a beautiful lady and had a baby. Peter came to Wendy‟s house again and sadly to find that Wendy had grown up. Peter took Wendy‟s daughter Jane to the Never land to become his mother telling him stories. After Jane grew up, she had daughter, too. And Peter took her to the Neverland, either. “Thus, it will go on, so long as children are gay and innocent and heartless.” [3]
1. The background of Peter Pan
Barrie has a pure heart pursing the innocence all his life. He holds the view that children should have the carefree time, and many never-stopping dreams. Together with children was the only happy thing to Barrie in the real world. If his life time, he was seeking the spiritual realm which is as simple as children, having the most real laugh and taint from the crucial reality. He firmly believes that before children grow up, they are the most kind-hearted angel.
When moved to London, Barrie lived near Kensington Park where he made most of his works. One day, Barrie brushed a new ideal when he saw there were four very cute little boys playing on the grass. They built the castle with branches, the springs and streams as rivers and lakes, waving tree branches and small props, playing the princes and demons in the fairy tales. Barrie impressed by their game and was invited to play with them. Endless inspiration as spring-like murmur, Barry described the four children into a life-like fairy tale characters, among them, the most active and most rebellious boy Peter becoming the main character Peter Pan. And the name”Wendy” ”John” ”Michael” were from others. Actually, another boy‟s encounter was the real reason why Barrie wanted to write this story. The boy‟s name was Peter, either, who was the only child of Barrie‟s neighbor Davis. “The death of his father in his thirteen was a huge strike to the little boy. He had to shoulder the hit and face the crucial reality quite early, also, the distrust to adults by his father‟s death ruined his childhood. Thus he unwillingly became an adult earlier than of the same age.”[4] Barrie witnessed the whole thing feeling sad about the little boy, which drove him to create Peter Pan, the never grow up boy.
2 Image analysis of main characters
2.1 Peter Pan—the symbol of “eternal childhood”
”All children, except one, grow up.” [1] The story begins with this sentence, and from this we can see it laid the value of classic fairy tales. Therefore, Peter Pan becomes the symbol of “eternal childhood”. This is not telling readers to resist the natural pattern of growth, on the contrary, is to praise the precious memories in childhood, which is the most beautiful music of life. Children are the angels to bring happiness and hope to the world.
At end of the story, after Wendy brought his brothers and the Lost Boys back to the Darling‟s family, “It is sad to have to say that the power to fly gradually left them.”[5] “Want of practice, they called it; but what it really meant was that they no longer believed Peter Pan.”[6] “When people grow up they forget the way to fly. Because they are no longer gay and innocent and heartless. It is only the gay and innocent and heartless who can fly.”[7] “Flying is a symbol. Believing in fairy tales, believing in Peter Pan, you will able to fly.”[8] Like the story says that when people grow up they do not believe fairy tales, they become realistic. So, Peter Pan only exists in people‟s mind where they do believe fairy tales, do trust his existence.
The facts that must grow up and the Peter Pan complex—do not want grow up can be unified in the reading. That is to say, when we grow up, we can still believe in fairy tales in Peter Pan, we should still have innocent souls. “Great people are still children no matter how old they are.” “Peter Pan was not an image of refusing to grow up in negative voice; however, he is the symbol of the amazing childhood.”[9] Even though we are out of the carefree times, the pure heart and boundless imagination enable us to fly in Peter Pan‟s world.
2.2 Wendy—the image of “motherly love and nature”
Wendy is a girl who befriended Peter, and whom he took with him to the Never land to be a mother for himself and the Lost Boys. Also, she actually believes the existence of Peter Pan, so when the first time they met, Wendy knew the little boy was Peter. The only reason Peter wanted to take her to the Never land is Wendy can tell many storied to him and the Lost Boys. The explanation why they called Lost boys and “„Don't have a mother,‟ he said. Not only had he no mother, but he had not the slightest desire to have one. He thought them very over-rated persons.”[10] can reflect the miserable of losing the motherly love and eagerness of having a mother. Wendy is the function. From the introduction, we knew the background of creating the work. It can get the conclusion that losing the love of parents; children have to face the real world early and unwillingly, meanwhile, ending the artless time in advance. That is really crucial to children!
At the end of story, Wendy chose to go back and chose to grow up, to some extent, Wendy represents the nature. We must obey natural regulation. That‟s why
when Peter unbelieves Wendy became a lady.
“You promised not to grow up!”
”Peter, I couldn‟t help it!”[11]
2.3 Captain Hook—the image of “reality”
Captain James Hook is a pirate, and Peter Pan‟s greatest adversary. He swears revenge on Peter for cutting off his hand and feeding it to a giant crocodile. As the description says Hook was a cold-blooded and ruthless man. “In the midst of them, the blackest and largest in that dark setting, reclined James Hook, or as he wrote himself, Jas. Hook. In person he was cadaverous [dead looking] and blackavized
[dark faced], and his hair was dressed in long curls, which at a little distance looked like black candles, and gave a singularly threatening expression to his handsome countenance. His eyes were of the blue of the forget-me-not, and of a profound melancholy, save when he was plunging his hook into you, at which time two red spots appeared in them and lit them up horribly. In manner, something of the grand seigneur still clung to him, so that he even ripped you up with an air, and I have been told that he was a RACONTEUR [storyteller] of repute.”[12] To a certain degree, Hook represents the reality. He had a cruel reality of the soul, which against Peter Pan‟s pure world, so they kept fighting, because those two worlds were opposite.
Hook finally ended in the food of crocodile. “and he staggered about the deck striking up at them impotently, his mind was no longer with them; it was slouching in the playing fields of long ago, or being sent up [to the headmaster] for good, or watching the wall-game from a famous wall. And his shoes were right, and his
waistcoat was right, and his tie was right, and his socks were right.”[13] Hook was an astray boy after he grew up and faces the crucial reality. He became ruthless, and wanted to destroy the sweet dreams of Peter. That shows once you grow up, entering the real world, which you thought was beautiful is not real, and it only exists in your mind. After exercising the crucial reality, the pure place in your mind is gone. Even though Peter Pan won the battle, the reality won‟t change.
To sum up, no matter the conflict between captain Hook or the other part of the story are telling how wonderful carefree life in the childhood as well as telling the conflict of reality and growth. We are unable to avoid this conflict. Only we remain
the pure thought and fight with “Captain Hook”, can we find the innocent place in our minds.
2.4 Tinker bell—“I do believe in fairies. I do, I do.”[14]
“When the first baby laughed for the first time, its laugh broke into a thousand pieces, and they all went skipping about, and that was the beginning of fairies. “ “‟And so‟, he went on good-naturedly, „there ought to be one fairy for every boy and girl.‟ „Ought to be? Isn't there?‟ „No. You see children know such a lot now, they soon don't believe in fairies, and every time a child says, `I don't believe in fairies,' there is a fairy somewhere that falls down dead.‟”[15] “The unbelief of fairies is expressing, unconsciously, we say goodbye to the innocence of a child, but also the end of childhood.”[16] In children‟s eyes, the new world is full of curiosity and
unrealistic dreams. Before they can differentiate between the right and wrong, they are innocent and artless. Once grow up, knowing how to distinguish what to believe and should not believe and the world is not as beautiful as they thought, they are wary of the world and have a guard in their mind.
The trust in fairies is a powerful for children. There is a chapter in the story discussing how vital the trust. When Tinker bell drank the toxic medicine and would dies soon. Peter asked other boys to help. “Do you believe? He cried. Tink sat up in bed almost briskly to listen to her fate. She fancied she heard answers in the
affirmative, and then again she wasn't sure. "What do you think?" she asked Peter. "If you believe," he shouted to them, "clap your hands; don't let Tink die." Many clapped. Some didn't. A few beasts hissed.”[17] With the powerful trust, Tinker bell alive. In other words, the fairy tales, fairies are all live in our trust. We trust them, they alive. However, we distrust them; they die, with all the beautiful dreams disappearing. That reminds us do not stop believing and you will retain the artless part.
Lastly, I want to mention where Peter Pan and fairies live—the Never land. It is a world will never have to grow up or grow old. As to me, the reason why the story won all age groups reader's heart is that Barrie has created a very attractive, fantastic, fairy realm that we are longing to. Barrie exaggerated the fun of children in the Never
land, aiming to praise the beautiful of pure innocence. In the Never land, there existed what children has long been known from the fairy tale- fairies, pirates, Indians in red skin, little mermaids, and the underground house . What a happy carefree life! Never land is like our carefree childhood, meanwhile from its name tells us once grow up; we cannot go back to youth. Those artless and innocent times become our precious memories. “We too have been there; we can still hear the sound of the surf, though we shall land no more.”[18]
Conclusion
Over the years, cold and ruthless have become a barrier between people. Although becoming adults represents mature and rational. No matter children are urgently desire to become, or are afraid of to become adults, we have to face the
reality. Barrie wanted to tell people that childhood is the most beautiful music of life. Please treasure the precious time and let children the only carefree time belong to them. Don‟t destroy the innocent time instead of pushing them to grow up.
Peter Pan is a popular and classic work, attributing the implication in the eternal tragic meaning. So it not only attracted children but also numerous adults. Children are concerning the adventurous life happened to Peter and Wendy and
cannot understand the longing for the Never land. However, adults‟ attentions are on the other side. The happiness in childhood appeals a lot of people who have to grow up, like Wendy. But, the bitter of cannot be back touched many people who passed by the time.
The world needs more hope more laughter. The pure heart is always the driving force when you are low in frustration. Like Ye gongchao said:” The only and most vital driving force in your life is the spirit of carefree playing in your childhood. Once Human loses this impetus, this universe would not have the status of human beings."[19] That makes us more clear that when we try to hide yourself in our own Never land, you‟ll fine Peter Pan is always there.
Notes
[1] [2] [3] [5] [6] [7] James Matthew Barrie, Peter Pan, 1904
[16][19]Lili, Peter Pan and the Never land, Journal of Education Studies.Vol.2. No.2
[9] Juvenile Literature, 1994-2010 China Academic Journals Electronic Publishing House.
[4] [8] 干国祥. 《要不要长大——小飞侠彼得·潘导读》，新教育研究中心.
[10][11][12][13][14][15][17][18] James Matthew Barrie, Peter Pan, 1904
Bibliography
[1] James Matthew Barrie, Peter Pan, 1904
[2] Lili, Peter Pan and the Never land, Journal of Education Studies.
[3] Juvenile Literature, 1994-2010 China Academic Journals Electronic Publishing House.
[4] 干国祥. 《要不要长大——小飞侠彼得·潘导读》，新教育研究中心.