Peter Pan

Since we finished Gwinna a few weeks ago, I've been reading Peter Pan aloud to the class. I love this book, and the children are really enjoying it. But it is startlingly different from the Disney movie! One of the first things the children noticed was that Peter himself is not always a kind or thoughtful character; while he is brave and fun and in some ways principled, some kids have already mentioned that he sounds like a bit of a bully. There are also all sorts of adventures in the book that never made it into the Disney film.

One question I've been asking the kids to consider as we go along is, "In what ways is this book different from a book that might be written today?" We began simply, noticing that the language is a bit different from ours, the people wear different clothes and have different routines (much earlier bedtimes for children!)... but gradually we are approaching some of the points that make this book slightly tricky for modern readers. Women and men are not treated equally. English people and Native Americans are not treated equally. And, as one child remarked today, a modern book might have characters who doubted or questioned themselves more, and had internal conflicts to address. We've begun writing journal entries and having class discussions on these topics, and it's possible that they may come up at home as well.

This is a wonderful book, despite its political incorrectness. Shakespeare also had standards and beliefs that don't align with our modern culture; all these works are worth enjoying with children, but they do need to be set in context and discussed. The children are bringing a good deal of perceptive attention to my questions about the time when this book was written, and it's a joy to see their focus deepen and their understanding broaden.