The Inspiration Behind The Story of Peter Pan

A boy who defies all the rules including never growing up; a land created from the imaginations of children and filled with all sorts of fanciful creatures and people that are specifically connected to childhood. These are the markings of the story of Peter Pan, the story of a boy who led a group of children who shared in his desire to never grow up and to live forever in the land of their imaginations. To truly appreciate this story as an important part of children’s literature and as to why it has earned its rightful place in folklore one must look at its creator.

James Barrie was from Scotland and the youngest of ten children. The eldest child, David, was the hope of their parents. It was David that was going to make them proud, he was going to go to the prestigious university and make something of himself. However, David’s life was cut short in a skating accident when James was six years old. Their mother never recovered from the incident sinking into a deep depression. It was at this young age that James decided that he was going to fulfill the dreams of his parents for David. James did everything that he had set out to do; he became a journalist and a well-known playwright. A short man by many accounts and a childlike demeanor attracted children to him. James was able to entertain the children of many of his friends who were quite fond of him. It was from these games that he played that the story of Peter Pan was born.