The story of Peter Pan is immensely popular among children. What's not to like? He's a boy who never grows up, making friends with fairies while fighting pirates and living with other kids and no grown-ups. Besides being a great book for kids, it has also inspired a stageplay and several films glorifying the innocent joys of childhood. One part that the films often leave out, however, is the story's true ending: Wendy grows up. In the final chapter of the book, just before Peter departs alone for Neverland, he promises that he will return once per year to take Wendy away for a week of spring-cleaning. Wendy eagerly awaits, but Peter's adventures keep him so busy that he often forgets. Finally, he is absent for so long that Wendy has become a woman, married, and had a child in the interim. Unaware that years have passed, he arrives to take her away, and she tells him that she cannot join him. When Peter begins to realise what has happened, he begs her not to turn up the light. She does so anyway, and Peter cries out in despair as he sees that Wendy broke her promise and grew up. It's not really surprising that most movies leave this part out. We see Peter Pan not as the adventurous young hero but rather as a little boy who exiled himself into eternal childhood while the girl that he loved became a woman and forgot how to fly. Although the book does end on a slightly more whimsical note as Peter takes Wendy's daughter away to Neverland for spring-cleaning, the tragedy of his existence cannot be unwritten.
Fiction buff and writer. If it's on Netflix, it's probably in my queue. I've bought DVDs for the special features and usually claim that the book is better than the movie or show (and can provide examples). I've never met a TV show that I won't marathon. Follow on Twitter @lah9891 .
