The Gothic Ghost Story of Peter Pan

Abstract

The story of Peter Pan, the boy who would not grow up, is considered a classic in children's literature. However, as children we do not imagine that such a picturesque and alluring story about pirates, mermaids and fairies in reality disguises a much darker truth. The creator of Peter Pan, J.M. Barrie, encountered a great deal of tragic events in his life and as much as this could have influenced his writing, there is also a subdiscussion of whether the Victorians' perception of death has a say in it.

Scholars argue that the story of Peter Pan can be read as a gothic ghost story due to the prevalence of themes like fear, death and grief and the ambiguity and liminality of Peter Pan's character. The gothic ghost story introduced ghosts with a purpose other than to frighten and horrify and this proves the story of Peter Pan as more elaborate than just a simple children's story.

By exploring the 1911 novel, Peter and Wendy, this thesis delves into the ghostly character of Peter Pan and investigates how the gothic ghost story could tell us something about human premises and how the Victorian context it submerged from could have influenced the creation of the story.

The story of Peter Pan, the boy who would not grow up, is considered a classic in children's literature. However, as children we do not imagine that such a picturesque and alluring story about pirates, mermaids and fairies in reality disguises a much darker truth. The creator of Peter Pan, J.M. Barrie, encountered a great deal of tragic events in his life and as much as this could have influenced his writing, there is also a subdiscussion of whether the Victorians' perception of death has a say in it.

Scholars argue that the story of Peter Pan can be read as a gothic ghost story due to the prevalence of themes like fear, death and grief and the ambiguity and liminality of Peter Pan's character. The gothic ghost story introduced ghosts with a purpose other than to frighten and horrify and this proves the story of Peter Pan as more elaborate than just a simple children's story.

By exploring the 1911 novel, Peter and Wendy, this thesis delves into the ghostly character of Peter Pan and investigates how the gothic ghost story could tell us something about human premises and how the Victorian context it submerged from could have influenced the creation of the story.