Children's Book Analysis:
Walt Disney's Story of Peter Pan
Walt Disney's Story Of Peter Pan was adapted from the motion picture "Peter Pan" based off of the story "Peter Pan, or the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up" written by Sir James Matthew Barrie. The original story was released in 1902. Walt Disney released the movie and the adapted books in 1953 (Wikipedia, Peter Pan). The version that I read was from 1977.
The story is about three siblings who are facing the inevitable departure of the oldest sister. Wendy is growing too old to be staying in the nursery any longer. Peter Pan, a boy who never grows up, whisks Wendy and her brothers off to Never Land where they, too, can be children forever. In Never Land, there are three main groups, Peter and the Lost Boys (his gang), the Indians (Native Americans, not East Indians), and the pirates. When Peter and the siblings go to visit the Indians, they discover that the chief's daughter, Tiger Lily has been kidnapped by the pirates. Peter rescues Tiger Lily and the leader of the pirates, Captain Hook, is so angry that he kidnaps Wendy and her brothers. He tells them that they must either become pirates or walk the plank. Wendy, convinced that Peter will save her, walks the plank. Peter does save her and defeats Hook and the pirates. At the end of the story, Wendy asks Peter to take her family home. Peter flies them home in the pirate ship and Wendy has her last night in the nursery, deciding that it is now time for her to grow up (Walt Disney Productions, 1953).
The "mainstream culture" in this story is decidedly European, more specifically, English. Characters outside of this culture are definitely depicted as caricatures. The Native American characters in the book wear headbands and feathers. They have long hair, are partially unclothed and carrying small axes. In this illustration to the right, it shows the dance that the "Indians," Peter, Wendy and her brothers perform. It is obvious from the illustration what sound these characters are making.
There is no historical or even accurate information about Native American culture provided in this story. It is all based on stereotypes and the Hollywood construction of Native America culture.
The artistic elements were created by Disney artists and contributed to the stereotypical presentation of the Native Americans. I cannot say with one hundred percent certainty that there were no Native American artists employed by Disney at this time, but I feel that the majority of people who worked on this movie (and then the adapted books) were probably outside of the group that they were presenting, at least, they were outside of the Native American group. This is obvious through the blatant disregard for any factual, historical or accurate cultural information being presented.
The power in this story belongs almost completely to Peter Pan. Though Hook, as the antagonist of the story, manages to wrestle power away from Peter every now and then, Peter always seems to outwit the pirates and keep control of Never Land. Peter doesn't seem to want to responsibility of growing up, yet he is certainly in charge of everything. He is the leader of the Lost Boys, and the "Indians" depend on him to solve all of their problems. When Tiger Lily is captured, it's up to Peter to rescue her.Although there are adults in Never Land, Peter Pan is the oldest male white character, and really, he has more power than anyone.
Looking at the behavior of the characters, it would seem that Peter's egocentric, refusal to grow up is certainly rewarded. He is in charge of Never Land, despite the fact that he is a child. Everyone else looks to him for guidance, including Wendy and her brothers. Loyalty to Peter is also rewarded. Both Wendy and Tiger Lily are encouraged by Hook to betray Peter. He offers both of them freedom in exchange for their cooperation. Both girls willingly choose Peter over their freedom. And they are rewarded by being rescued.
The relationship between Peter Pan and the female characters in this story also needs some analysis. Aside from having a racist component, Peter Pan also has some issues with sexism. In the article, Feminism and Peter Pan, written by Allison McCarthy, she states that the female characters are all locked in battle for Peter's affections. "All the women share unrequited attractions to Peter," she writes, "their emotions trapped in a limited range between jealousy of one another and mute longing for Peter." Peter's motivation for bringing Wendy to Never Land is so that she can be a "mother" to the Lost Boys (McCarthy, 2009).
I would not recommend this book for classroom use. It continues to perpetuate the idea that white men hold the power, the wisdom, and the control for everyone else, no matter what their age. It does a disservice to Native American people by misrepresenting their culture and playing into stereotypes. It also presents female characters in a stereotypical anti-feminism light.
References Cited:
McCarthy, Allison (2009). Feminism and Peter Pan. Retrieved from: http://www.thefword.org.uk/reviews/2009/04/feminism_and_pe
Walt Disney Productions. (1977). Walt Disney's Story of Peter Pan. London, England: Buena Vista Distribution CO. INC.
Wikipedia. Peter Pan. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Pan
