The Betwixt-and-Between : Peter Pan as Trickster Figure
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| Year of publication | 2016 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
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| Description | On 1st May 1912 a surprise waited for the visitors of Kensington Gardens. Overnight a statue of the beloved character of Peter Pan appeared in the park as if by magic. Since then the popularity of the boy who refused to grow up has not waned. On the contrary, it has spread beyond the borders of Britain, with the story turning into a myth. The aim of this paper is to explore the cultural significance of this iconic character, specifically, to show that Peter Pan is not just a mischievous character playing hide and seek with the stars, trying to blow them out when they are not looking, but a fully-fledged trickster figure. Tricksters, such as Hermes, Loki, Ananse and Coyote, are vital in their function as cultural catalysts, preventing stagnation by constantly breaking established rules, disregarding conventions, violating taboos and challenging even the basic assumptions which the cultures are based on. By showing what happens if these rules are broken, the trickster either confirms their importance or facilitates a change. Just like mythical tricksters, Peter Pan is a deft imitator, a creative bricoleur, and a boundary crosser with no respect for conventions. More importantly, with the story of Peter Pan, J. M. Barrie (1860-1937) managed to blur the boundary between literature for adults and for children, and the genre boundaries between drama and prose. Last but not least, he was able to challenge the established image of the child in Victorian England. |
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