Whether you’ve read the book, seen the play, or watched the animated movie, we are all familiar with the classic tale of Peter Pan: the story of the boy that never wanted to grow-up. Since its debut as a stage play in 1904, Peter Pan garnered much fanfare and appreciation towards it’s creator, playwright and novelist J.M. Barrie.
James Matthew Barrie was born on May 9th 1860 in Scotland. He had an acute passion for storytelling and created several successful stories and plays alongside Peter Pan. Despite his success and critical acclaim, it is said that Barrie had a tumultuous past, some of which is reflected in the original 1911 novel of Peter Pan.
Pen & Sword’s The Dark Side of Peter Pan: J. M. Barrie, the Man Who Couldn’t Grow Up is a further examination of the life of Barrie, from his grief filled childhood to discussing the speculations and rumors surrounding him. This book aims to dissect Barrie’s personal life and how his experiences translated into his famed work.
Author Olivia Camozzi presents readers with knowledge about the writer that they never knew before, including the speculations of Barrie’s sexuality and accusations of perversion and manipulation. Camozzi also discusses Barrie’s Peter Pan syndrome, a psychological term associated with individuals who have a hard time adjusting to adult life and responsibilities.
We had the opportunity to speak with Olivia and ask her a few questions about the book.
How does the book separate Barrie’s personal life and relationships from the fictional elements in Peter Pan?
The fantasy element is what separates Barrie’s personal life from the story of Peter Pan. The characters themselves are the most realistic, but the world built around them – Neverland and the whimsy around dreams and shadows – is the fantasy that encompasses them.
How did Barrie’s personal experiences of grief and loss influence the dark themes in Peter Pan?
Primarily, Barrie lost his older brother David, who was killed in an ice-skating accident on the eve of his thirteenth birthday. Their mother was upset that he would ‘always be a boy, he would never be a man’, and Barrie seemed to expand on this for the character of Peter, who is thought to be on the same cusp between childhood and adolescence. He also came to grieve his mother, his sister, friends and two of his foster-sons throughout his life, but it was the loss of his brother and Barrie’s own inability to grow up that drove the story of Peter Pan into being.
Are there any other of Barrie’s literary works mentioned in this book that also mirror the darker events of his life?
Sentimental Tommy and Tommy and Grizel really highlight Barrie’s struggles with romantic love, and particularly the relationship with his wife. The relationship between the characters of Tommy and Grizel practically mirror Barrie and his wife Mary; she wanted things from him that he couldn’t give. Barrie didn’t seem to display any kind of sexual attraction and didn’t really engage with his wife because of it, which obviously took its toll on her.
Barrie’s life was full of accomplishments as a literary writer and a playwright. He was responsible for creating one of the most widely recognized and popular children stories of all time, so should we turn around and start viewing him as a bad man despite all that he has provided to the world?
The Dark Side of Peter Pan: J. M. Barrie, the Man Who Couldn’t Grow Up explores these dilemmas as well as the darker origins of the original Peter Pan story.
J. M. Barrie, the Man Who Couldn’t Grow Up
By: Olivia Camozzi
Explores the complex life of James Barrie, revealing the darker origins of Peter Pan while examining the misunderstandings surrounding his character and sexuality.
