Peter Pan’s Wendy as a standardized model of a woman in the Victorian era

Abstract

Considered one of the most famous stories ever written among children’s literature, Peter Pan (1904) reflects some experiences James Matthew Barrie had in his life. The aim of this dissertation is to provide an analysis of the story by paying special attention to one of the main characters: Wendy Darling. To achieve this goal, this paper will analyse different aspects of the book. Beginning with the author’s life and how his biography is reflected on the novel itself. Then, the paper will examine both children’s literature and children’s fantasy literature. Next section will focus on the role of women in the Victorian era. On the basis of this background, our analysis will focus on how women are presented in Peter Pan’s story and special attention will be given to the feminine character of Wendy. Lastly, to finish with the paper, I will explain the different conclusions that could be drawn from this dissertation.