Peter Pan Gender Analysis

On the surface, J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan is a classic tale that demonstrates the prominence of traditional gender roles. Within these confines Peter Pan comes across as a fearless leader and father figure to his lost boys. Even though he is objectively brave and presents as a strong male lead, Peter Pan is actually a very vulnerable character who is oblivious to his situation, and constantly sweeps the tough issue of growing up under the rug. Throughout the story, Peter uses various coping mechanisms to subvert the reality of growing up, and continue on being naive and trapped in boyhood. Being stuck in this childlike mindset, Peter has firm rules and beliefs that would not be practical in the real world: he has peculiar demands that his …show more content…
The firm rules Peter has in place for his lost boys could be indicative of some underlying anxiety about loosing control of his situation. The social climate of the lost boys is very delicate and seems easily upset by the boys growing up. Barrie also mentions that the lost boys are “forbidden by Peter to look in the least like him.” (47) and that “his band were not allowed to know anything he did not know…” (48). This points to Peter wanting to be clearly superior and set apart from the boys. Had Peter been a more confident, mature character these would probably not be issues that he would bother addressing, but because he is perpetually young, these seem like pressing …show more content…
While all of the female characters (Wendy, Tinkerbell and Tiger Lily) all have some implied romantic attraction to Peter, he not only does not reciprocate their feelings, but seems completely oblivious. When prodded by Wendy about his feelings he answers that he feels"those of a devoted son.” (98) He is puzzled by Wendy’s disappointment at this and notes that “Tiger Lily is just the same. There is something she wants to be to me, but she says it is not my mother.”(98) To be forever young means that Peter is stuck in the Freudian stage of latent sexuality, where any sexual thoughts or urges are buried until puberty; which Peter may never encounter. If Peter never coms to terms with his sexuality, he can never be a father. While playing house with Wendy, the two are caught in a situation that reveals that Wendy is on her way to growing up and wanting a family, juxtaposed against Peter who is more anxious and childlike than ever. It dawns on Peter that "it would make me seem so old to be their real father” (89) so he retreats from the role, even though it is only part of a game. Wendy points out that "they are ours, Peter, yours and mine” as she is playing the role of mother, and even though Peter is decidedly not their father, he is still the leader of the lost boys. By the end of this discussion, Peter seems to retreat as far away from this role as he can, leaving Wendy to be the