by Leah Stone
This week I decided to explore the namesake of this weekly feature, as the title “Straight on Till Morning” is a quote from the play Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up, and Disney created an animated film in 1953, based on the play and subsequent novels. The film follows the adventures of Wendy and her two brothers, John and Michael. Wendy often told her brothers fantasy stories before bed, and the all find themselves dragged into a fantasy story of their own, accompanying Peter Pan, the boy who never grew up, and his fairy friend Tinker Bell, to Neverland, where they meet the lost boys, the island’s Indians, mermaids and the pirates, led by Captain Hook. Hook is Peter Pan’s worst enemy and seeks to kill him for feeding one of his hands to a crocodile, and giving him his name. At the end of the film, Hook and his crew are chased off by the crocodile and Peter returns Wendy and her two brothers home.
This week I decided to explore the namesake of this weekly feature, as the title “Straight on Till Morning” is a quote from the play Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up, and Disney created an animated film in 1953, based on the play and subsequent novels. The film follows the adventures of Wendy and her two brothers, John and Michael. Wendy often told her brothers fantasy stories before bed, and the all find themselves dragged into a fantasy story of their own, accompanying Peter Pan, the boy who never grew up, and his fairy friend Tinker Bell, to Neverland, where they meet the lost boys, the island’s Indians, mermaids and the pirates, led by Captain Hook. Hook is Peter Pan’s worst enemy and seeks to kill him for feeding one of his hands to a crocodile, and giving him his name. At the end of the film, Hook and his crew are chased off by the crocodile and Peter returns Wendy and her two brothers home.
Peter Pan is a film loved by many. Michael Jackson named it his most favourite film of all time (and named his home Neverland Ranch in Santa Barbara) and Ronald D. Moore, producer of Battlestar Galactica, stated that Peter Pan inspired some elements of the series. Peter Pan attracts a young audience as it inspires them to make the most of our childhood. We are not able to never grow up, and so therefore should take advantage of our youth whilst we still have it. And as adults, we can watch the film and revel in our childhood, bring back the memories. But it does more than that. It shows the importance of imagination, of living creatively, that we build the world around us through our own views and opinions and dreams, and although Wendy was able to bring fantasy to life and we can’t, we can do something similar by bringing it to life for others through films and books and other creative outputs. It teaches us to not be so serious; to revel in the impossible because sometimes it IS possible; to have fun and make the most of the good times; and that even though you do at some point reach adulthood, that doesn’t mean you have to grow up, not completely. Adulthood isn’t all work and no play, and it reminds us of that.
There have been many versions of the Peter Pan story. One play, three books, one book series, five main films and many children's films about the adventures of Tinker Bell, all retelling the story in a different way, with a different twist. The 1953 Disney version did receive some controversy for its representation of Native Americans, as their representation is viewed by some as offensive, especially due to its song What Made the Red Man Red? and them being called “savages” and “redskins” by some characters.
However, despite these controversies, Peter Pan sill has a massive impact on our younger selves and the children of today. It has a creative plot, it is exciting and engrossing, it highlights the positives of imagination and creativity and urges us to stop being so serious and enjoy ourselves a bit more. No matter what version of this story you watch, Peter Pan and its original author have contributed a lot to society.
However, despite these controversies, Peter Pan sill has a massive impact on our younger selves and the children of today. It has a creative plot, it is exciting and engrossing, it highlights the positives of imagination and creativity and urges us to stop being so serious and enjoy ourselves a bit more. No matter what version of this story you watch, Peter Pan and its original author have contributed a lot to society.
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