Pan, who and what art thou?

Abstract

The purpose of this dissertation is to analyse the image of childhood in the work Peter and Wendy (1906), by J.M Barrie. The main aim is to create a relation with the conception of children in Victorian society as well as to establish some opposition to this convention. The study is supported by the precedent works The Little White Bird (1902) and Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens (1904). The first stage of the study is focused on the personal life and influential events of the author. In addition, a depiction of the role of children in the Victorian period will be exposed, along with a correspondence with the different characters in the works. Finally, some imaginary spaces in the stories, likewise childhood itself will be compared with a recurrent motif in literature, the Arcady. As a final stage, some conclusions will be drawn.