Peter Pan

Peter Pan represents eternal youth. Not only does he never want to grow up, but he does everything in his power to remain young. However, his youth does not come with the innocence one might expect. He is cynical about mothers and does not shy away from heinous acts such as killing. He is, by all accounts, youthful and carefree, but he is also callous and ignorant. Throughout the novel, he insists that mothers are bad people, but he also takes Wendy in as a “mother” figure that he, at times, respects. After Wendy is gone, he continues to bring new “mother” figures to the Neverland, as if searching for something he never had.

The end of the novel asserts that Peter will continue taking in new mothers “so long as children are gay and innocent and heartless” (159). Peter is heartless, certainly. He is gay in that he thrives on adventure, but he is also sinister, dark, and cynical. His innocence is washed away when he kills and witnesses tragedy. However, the narrator notes on several occasions that Peter forgets the acts that he commits. Perhaps, his memory loss restores Peter’s innocence.