We’re all suckers for classic stories. Fairytales and folktales hold a special place in our hearts, whether it has to do with nostalgia or just plain ol’ good storytelling. But have you ever gone back to read a story you loved as a child and thought, “Hmm…this isn’t quite as good as I remember”? For us writers and thinkers, this is when the gears start turning. If they turn enough, eventually, we might find ourselves with a whole new adaptation on our hands!

Today, we’re taking a look at a play that’s been adapted time and time again, one of the most timeless stories ever written: Peter Pan. Chances are you’ve seen at least one of the movies, but have you ever read the book, Peter and Wendy? I read it once when I was younger and I recently decided to read it again (partially because I stumbled upon a gorgeous new edition!).

But just because it’s a classic doesn’t mean it’s without its faults. Let’s take a look at some of the book’s issues—and how we can turn them into opportunities!

A “Reverse Sandwich” Story

“Reverse sandwich story” is a term I use for stories where the “meat” is at the beginning and end, while the fluffy “bread” is in the middle. In other words, the story structure is flip-flopped. The most important parts of the story happen at the beginning and end, with little in between.

Such is the case with the original Peter and Wendy. The very beginning and ending are captivating, but the middle is nothing more than Peter and the crew farting around with no clear plot or goal. It could certainly use some more adventuring!

A Product of Its Time

One thing I always keep in mind when reading an older book is context. We are a product of our culture, just as J.M. Barrie was a product of his. We shouldn’t expect Victorian values and ideals to align exactly with our own, but even still, it’s absolutely possible to enjoy something while still recognising the flaws within it! When a story has issues, we have the chance to see them as opportunities to do better.

One aspect of Peter and Wendy that always rubbed me the wrong way was the pervading mindset that girls could only grow up to be placid wives and mothers and boys could only grow up to be clueless fathers and serious businessmen. The exaggeration (which, of course, wasn’t so much an exaggeration as reality back then) fits nicely into the theme of the story, but is it really such a great idea to make kids so afraid of growing up? To make it seem like adults all fall into these cookie-cutter patterns and we’re all doomed to be boring for the rest of our lives? It’s not to say that being a wife and mother is “bad” because it’s absolutely the opposite, and being a serious businessman may be some man’s amazing dream. Rather, I always got the overall impression from the book that individuality ends with childhood, which we all know just isn’t true.

Even though I’m not a fan of this theme (as well as some other themes and stereotypes within the book), I don’t let it get to me while I’m reading. Instead, I make a mental or physical note that it’s something I want to touch on in a story and then get on with enjoying the book. Problems in one book become solutions for your future books!

A Bad Role Model

One thing I’ve always found interesting about Peter and Wendy is that Peter is seen as the coolest character, the one who everyone wants to emulate—but he’s a terrible role model. Who wants to be boring Wendy when you can be daring Peter Pan? Only, Peter Pan is arrogant, selfish, rude, unkind, unfeeling, and unemotional. In a story like this, it’s hard for kids to know who to follow. You definitely don’t want them to be like Peter, but there’s not really a great role model for them to turn to.

Turning Negatives to Positives

So, what do we do when these issues are a part of such an overall beautiful story? We recognise that it was written by a human, and humans are far from perfect! All we can do is learn from past mistakes and let that fuel our own stories.

And that’s why adaptations are so wonderful: We can keep the beautiful magic at the heart of Peter Pan while improving on some of its flaws (and probably adding a few of our own while we’re at it!). Many adaptations have done just that. My favourite has always been the Peter and the Starcatchers series by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. While it’s a prequel to Peter Pan, it still functions as an adaptation. It improves upon the characters by making them three-dimensional, adds new characters, and crafts a whole new story while remaining true to the heart of Peter Pan.

So when you stumble upon a story with some issues, it’s time to get those gears turning! Challenge yourself! And remember that deep inside, we’re all still children somewhere.

Have a story you want me to review or talk about? Drop a comment or contact me!

Happy writing!
—E.J.

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