Last summer while I was reading some of the classics, Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie came on up the list and I decided to revisit it. Be assured folks, that the version I read as a kid in the '50s ain't nothin' like the original. I think kids were a lot tougher back in the day, and I also think that that tuning up the story to fit the times is all for the best.
Now let's pretend for a moment that you're trying to bridge some uncomfortable truths with your child like racism, particularly towards Native Americans, is so culturally ingrained that in the early part of the 20th century no one questioned depictions of Indians as "bloodthirsty savages." Or maybe that narcissistic sociopaths can be charming as all get out, and they'll smile the whole time they're cutting off your face. Or that young girls on the edge of adulthood are especially prone to being exploited by these nefarious types because of their desire to please, to be thought responsible and because they get a little "boy crazy." Well then, Peter Pan is like a case study. Check out this bit about population control in Neverland:
All wanted blood except the boys, who liked it as a rule, but to-night were out to greet their captain. The boys on the island vary, of course, in numbers, according as they get killed and so on; and when they seem to be growing up, which is against the rules, Peter thins them out; but at this time there were six of them, counting the twins as two.
That's right. Peter Pan killed kids - the ones he lived with and took care of - for rules infractions or "getting too old." Not in a metaphorical "you have to leave Neverland" way - just straight shanked 'em.
So here's the thing: in the original Peter Pan, Peter ain't exactly the hero. Captain Hook, the mermaids, the native tribe, Tinkerbell and the crocodile all try to kill some or all of the kids, but Peter Pan is the one who kidnapped them out of their beds and held them hostage. None of them would'a needed rescuing if they hadn't been put in harm's way to start with. Not that the Darling parents were so great either - most of the time the kids were just left with a large dog, and on the night that the children were abducted, the dog was tied up in the yard while the Darlings took off to go to a party up the road. Course I guess around that time, they were all just lucky not to be working in a coal mine or textile mill. Kids were tougher then...
Read it for yourself: Peter Pan
Side note: This movie version from 2003 ain't bad. Has a lot of the original in it, but without the cringey parts
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