Class Year
2015
Document Type
Student Research Paper
Date of Creation
Fall 2014
Department 1
English
Abstract
Using Aristotle's definition of the "tragic hero," this work will explore J.M. Barrie's novel, Peter and Wendy, and how Peter is a tragic figure. In this paper I argue that Peter Pan is not only a tragic hero whose human frailty— in Peter’s case, his fear of growing old— causes him to make the terrible mistake of rejecting his own development of humanity and the opportunity for redemption through maternal love, but that Barrie uses Peter to emphasize that, contrary to the Romantic conception of childhood, children need the guidance of parents in order to live a fulfilling life.
Copyright Note
This is the author's version of the work. This publication appears in Gettysburg College's institutional repository by permission of the copyright owner for personal use, not for redistribution.
Recommended Citation
Connelly, Sarah M., ""Think Happy Thoughts": Peter Pan as a Tragic Hero" (2014). Student Publications. 289.
https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/student_scholarship/289
Comments
This paper was written for Dr. Suzanne Flynn's course, ENG 230: Golden Age of Children's Literature, Fall 2014.