Category Archives: 2011

From “Donkey Skin” to Princess Kin: Representation of the Fairy Godmother

2011, Fairies, , , ,

© Copyright 2011, Andrew Held and Myles Berdock.

Perrault, Charles, “Donkey Skin.” Andrew Lang, ed. The Grey Fairy Book. Ill Ford, H.J. New York: Dover Publications, 1967. 1-15. Print.

“Donkey Skin” is one of the many pieces of children’s fantasy by Charles Perrault, a talented French author who had a different view on life than most. He spent much of his time studying and writing different types of literature, but it wasn’t until he retired from public life that he began writing children’s fantasy. The tale “Donkey Skin” describes a king who wishes to marry his step-daughter. Disinterested, she turns to a fairy godmother to help her escape. The godmother makes the princess look like a peasant with the skin of the king’s former pet donkey (hence the title). When she removes the skin one day, a prince sees her and is love-struck. The prince finds a ring in a cake and decides he will marry the girl whose finger it fits. The princess’s finger is a perfect fit, and the two get married and live happily ever after.

This is the first story that appears in The Grey Fairy Book, a compilation of tales edited by Andrew Lang in the early 20th century. Henry Justice Ford does all the illustrations for “Donkey Skin.” The pair has quite the history together, working on a dozen fairy books with a different colour on the cover and in the title. Throughout this exhibit, we will be looking at the importance of the fairy godmother’s role in the story, split into two sections: category and context. A common themewill be the fairy’s mother-like characteristics, helping the princess when she is in trouble. The fairy’s actions will be examined in relation to her role as caregiver and refuge.

The Use of Fairies in Donkey Skin

The fairy godmother’s role is of great significance in the tale, guiding and shaping the princess’s life. After the king demands her hand in marriage, the princess turns to her fairy godmother. After the fairy is unable to prevent it outright, she assists in the princess’s escape. The big turning point of the story, the wearing of the donkey skin, is by her advice. She also provides the princess with a magic chest containing her most precious dresses. As a result of the supernatural gift, a prince discovers the princess’s true beauty. Eventually both of them are able to live happily together. Although the fairy godmother is no longer seen or mentioned in the rest of the story, her actions result in the princess finding her true love, while also allowing the king to find his true love with a different woman.

The Importance of Fairies

The use of fairies to overcome personal trials is common. A famous example is “Cinderella.” The fairy godmother uses her magic so Cinderella can go to the ball, and thanks to her assistance the heroine ends up finding her prince. There are many similarities between the two tales, but when it comes to the fairy godmothers’ respective roles they are nearly identical: both protagonists are faced with an issue regarding their step-parent, and the fairy godmother appears to provide a solution. While this method of problem solving is creative for storytelling purposes, it also creates controversy among readers. It is argued that magic and other fantastical means for characters to overcome their dilemmas will complicate a reader’s ability to distinguish reality from fantasy. Contrary to that belief, there are psychologists, such as Bruno Bettelheim, who argue that people reading fairy tales can have a better understanding of problems people face than they could by reading other forms of literature (Hallett and Karasek, 312).

A fairy’s intervention in times of crisis benefits the character’s development in the story. The fairy is able to provide people alternatives to dealing with their problems, like the unwanted marriage in “Donkey Skin.” The importance of the fairy godmother’s role is emphasized by her representation as a maternal figure that comes to save the princess. Her biological mother is never mentioned in the story. In the absence of a real mother to guide the princess, the fairy godmother acts a maternal substitute. The fairy godmother is seen as a magical being that transforms her physically and emotionally. When the princess needs comfort, the fairy godmother comes to her aid, offering wisdom and a solution. In contrast to “Cinderella,” the plan causes the princess to lose her beauty as a way to save her. This intervention allows the princess to overcome her belief that she cannot be saved by presenting an opportunity to escape her unwanted reality. The decision to make the princess’s protector a female, especially one that has mother-like qualities, is not arbitrary. It stems from an ancient belief that if a female wishes to assert her independence from the restraints of paternal authority, she will only be able to do so within the roles of a wife and/or mother (Rowe, 212).

Visual Representation of Fairies in “Donkey Skin”

The Fairy Godmother offering aid to the Princess.

This illustration from “Donkey Skin“ in The Grey Fairy Book shows the fairy’s role as savior. She is depicted looking down on the princess while reaching her hand out as a sign of assurance. The princess is kneeling in front of the fairy godmother, with a tearful expression on her face. Here, the fairy is a symbol of relief and unconditional support. This is shown in the fairy godmother’s expression as well, which is both caring and sincere. In addition, a religious element is introduced that shows the fairy godmother as savior. The fairy’s stance (reaching out her hand) and clothing bear a striking resemblance to depictions of the holy mother. To further the idea of superhuman assistance, the image shows the fairy godmother in midair with an aura around her body. This aura could represent the godmother’s divine powers and presents her as a shining beacon of hope. The princess in this image appears as if she is praying to her godmother when she is faced with a problem she cannot escape alone.

The Princess finally reveals herself to the Prince.

The image at the end of the story shows the princess beautiful and happy. It should be noted that, while in the previous image she was kneeling and asking someone for help, now she is in the position of strength. The person kneeling is the prince. This could not have happened if the fairy godmother did not aid her in the first place. The actions of the fairy are what allowed the princess to become a person of both physical and spiritual beauty, clearly depicted in the image to the left.

 

 

History of Fairy Godmothers

Fairy godmothers are very common in the folk and fairy tale genre of fiction. But why? When asked to name a story with a fairy godmother in it, most people would say “Cinderella” or perhaps “Sleeping Beauty” because that is how we have been introduced to them. However, the fact is that the archetypal fairy godmother has appeared in religious literature for centuries, (Knapp, 70) dating back to characters such as the Virgin Mary, Innana (Sumerian Queen of Heaven), Demeter (Persephone’s mother), Kali (Hindu fertility goddess) and Kuan Yin (Chinese deity of compassion).

The reason that fairy tales are common to so many cultures is not simply because they are accessible or taught at a young age, but also because they have characters whom we are meant to relate to. In this exhibit, I’ll discuss the use of fairies in popular culture and how they are designed to be reflections of us in two distinctly different ways. In one way, the fairies act as a surrogate mother figure to characters, reflecting our own deep-seated need for maternal guidance. On the other hand, fairies (as mystical beings) can be given characteristics that we do not possess. In this way, we can project whatever we want onto them. In the case of “Donkey Skin,” it is entirely possible that the fairy is merely a construct of the main characters subconscious.

A Psychological Approach to “Donkey Skin”

In Charles Perrault’s “Donkey Skin,” we see a princess with a serious problem. Her step-father, the king, promises his wife on her deathbed that he will not marry again unless his new wife is smarter, prettier and wiser than she is. After the appropriate mourning period, the king comes to the conclusion that the only woman that meets these high standards is his own step-daughter. While admittedly jarring at first, the theme of incest is not unusual in historical literature: consider Adam and Eve, Osiris and Isis, and of course Oedipus (Knapp 67). As interesting a topic as this is, we will focus elsewhere.

In such cases, whether real or fictitious, the absence of a mother often causes adolescents to search out a supplemental maternal figure. With no intention of marrying her father, the princess seeks guidance from her fairy godmother. In this way, the fairy godmother provides a source of maternal advice and guidance to the young princess. It could be said of all of us that at some point or another we feel lost or directionless. With alienation in society seen as commonplace, the idea of being nurtured by a maternal figure can be greatly comforting.

The Use of Setting in “Donkey Skin”

If we read a little deeper into the story, another layer to the fairy’s characteristics begin to appear. The area that the godmother lives in could be called a grotto or underground cave, decorated with warm soothing colours and smooth surfaces. These features are meant to inspire feelings of comfort in the young girl, acting as a sort of emotional sedative. This soothing effect can be seen as part and parcel with the maternal guidance.

Another interesting sub-textual reference is in Perrault’s use of a grotto. Since prehistoric times, caves and grottos have been symbolic of a womb (Knapp, 70). They are often portrayed as sheltering, and sometimes as a source of spiritual guidance. If we conceive of the grotto as a symbolic womb, then we can interpret the princess entering the womb as a case of regressus ad uterum; that is to say, “to inhabit one’s consciousness where latent energies can be stirred up.”(Knapp, 70). In the case of the princess, this return to a symbol of maternal solace might allow for new ideas on how to deal with her incestuous father. The cave itself is a symbol for personal growth and perspective, allowing the princess to focus on how to deal with the task at hand.

Fairy Godmothers as Alternative Maternal Figures

We often see fairy godmothers as a staple amongst the folk and fairy tale genres. It is easy to see why we find such solace in a mystical being that can give us advice in our most desperate times of need. The idea of a godparent is already prevalent in society as someone who acts as a mentor or confidant. Writers like Perrault and the Grimm Brothers simply added a mystical element to it. A fairy godmother is a strong pillar of order for a downtrodden character to find solace in. In “Donkey Skin” the fairy godmother acts as a conduit to personal growth. Through her advice the princess finds the strength to rise up against her father’s wishes (which was almost unheard of when Perrault was writing). Without the presence of a mystical being offering maternal guidance, she would have been condemned to a life of unhappiness with her step-father. It should not be surprising that when deconstruct the fairy godmother as a character, we see a reflection of what we desire ourselves: the strong hand of a mother figure, guiding us through life’s problems.

Selected Works Cited

“Charles Perrault biography.” Biography.com. A E Television Networks, LLC, n.d. 19                 Nov 2011. <http://www.biography.com/people/charles-perrault-9438047>. Web.

Goldberg, Christine. “The Donkey Skin Folktale Cycle (AT 510B).” Journal of American            Folklore. 110.435 (1997): 28-46. Web. 5 Oct. 2011. <http://www.jstor.org/stable             /541584>. Web.

Hallett, Martin and Barbara Karasek. eds. Folk and Fairy Tales. 4th ed. Canada:                      Broadview Press, 2009. Print.

Knapp, Bettina L. French Fairy Tales: A Jungian Approach. Albany: State University of             New York Press, 2003. Print.

Perrault, Charles. “Cinderella.” The Blue Fairy Book. Ed. Andrew Lang. New York:              Dover Publications, 1965. 64-71. Print.

Rowe, Karen E. “Feminism and Fairy Tales.” Don’t Bet on the Prince: Contemporary            Feminist Fairy Tales in North America and England. Ed. Jack Zipes. New York:             Routledge, 1989. 209-226. Print.

Sale, Roger. Fairy Tales and After: From Snow White to E.B. White. Cambridge, Mass.:           Harvard University Press, 1978. Print.

The Transformation of The Little Mermaid

2011, Mermaids

© Copyright 2011, Emilia Turano and Larissa Fitzsimons

Andersen, Christian Hans. “The Little Mermaid.” Fourteen Classic Tales. Ed. Stephan Corrin, Illus. Edward Ardizzone. London: Andre Deutsch, 1978. Pages 23-53. Print.

The story of “The Little Mermaid” was written by Hans Christian Andersen, and illustrated by Edward Ardizzone. This story was written in 1836 and remains a common fairy tale heard today. The mermaid is mainly a feminine character made of both fish and human. Mermaids have fish bodies below the waist and human bodies above, forcing them to live under the sea. The introduction Andersen gave to mermaids in 1836 is extremely different then how we view them to be now. Through pictures and content the reader learns that Andersen’s ideology about mermaids is very grave. The main mermaid is represented poorly and has to endure great pain for love. In current pop culture however the mermaid is depicted as a beautiful, seductive figure that always gets what she wants. The differences from Andersen’s views of the mermaid versus popular culture will be explored in greater detail.

In the story of “The Little Mermaid”, Hans Andersen uses an antifeminist approach when depicting the little mermaid. He does this by making her seem like a weak, unfortunate and pathetic character. After saving a prince the little mermaid falls in love with him. Andersen uses the mermaid’s vulnerable love for the prince to humiliate her throughout the story. Before the little mermaid can be reunited with the prince she has to go through a series of events in hopes of achieving an immortal soul. First, the sorcerer tells the mermaid that pure rejection will break her heart and she will die. This suggests that women are weak on there own and require a man’s love to survive. The little mermaid accepts the risk of having her heart broken and therefore puts herself in a vulnerable position for a man. The witch continues by cutting out the mermaids tongue, thus muting the little mermaid for the rest of her life. This suggests that women do not have the right to free speech and shouldn’t be heard. The little mermaid was also subjected to endure great physical pain with her new human legs. Andersen notes that the feeling of sharp knives cutting through her is something she will experience with every step she takes. During all the pain and hardship the mermaid remains hopeful that she will win the prince’s heart. This makes it seem normal for women to grave these circumstances in means of finding love. This suggests that women in this time period were viewed with the same antifeminist approach.

Rejection is a common theme in the story and the little mermaid is faced with it multiple times.  After her transformation into a human she is finally put in the prince’s presence. Unfortunately the little mermaid finds herself unable to express how she is feeling because she has lost her tongue. The reader empathizes with the frustration of the little mermaid falling within a hands reach of the prince’s love only to have lost it to another girl who becomes his mistress. The mermaid however never turns her back on the prince even when he makes plans to wed to someone thus leaving the little mermaid for dead. In the end the little mermaid’s sisters sacrifice their hair to the witch in hopes of saving their sisters life which will end on the king’s wedding night. The only way for the mermaid to live is by killing the prince. Although the little mermaid takes the knife she does not have the courage to kill him when she finds the new couple happily asleep in each other’s arms. This action makes her seem pathetic and stupid. The little mermaid saved the prince from drowning and endured great physical and emotional pain to be with him. Even after this he still does not decide to be with her. This could cause the mermaid to be angry and upset yet she does not seek revenge on the prince. When presented with a second chance to be a mermaid she lacks the strength to follow through. However the little mermaid’s selfless decision grants her a chance at life in another world otherwise known as heaven. Andersen’s mention of this Godly world suggests that he as well as the mermaid maintains religious views and outlooks. Not only does it reflect Andersen’s values but it poses the idea that religion, mainly Christianity, was popular in the early eighteen hundreds.

In the photo presented below the mermaid is admiring the prince. When doing an analysis it appears evident that the mermaid is held to a lower standard then the prince simply because of her placement below him in the photo. The little mermaid is looking up to the prince as if to put him on a pedestal. The mermaid is also painted in the buff and lacks clothing. Perhaps Ardizzone did this to depict the mermaid as maintaining a lower class or peasant status. When viewing this illustration from a feminist approach one could argue that the nudity of the mermaid is a major form of disrespect. The nude illustrations also devalue the worth of the mermaid and force her to be vulnerable to men.

The little mermaid admiring the prince.

The story of “The Little Mermaid” has a very antifeminist approach to women in the early eighteen hundreds. The way the mermaid is depicted in Andersen’s story is far from how a mermaid is depicted in the modern world. Through the acts of Disney and other pop culture, the mermaid has taken an extremely valued position in modern day society.

Pop Culture’s Contemporary Mermaid

For thousands of years the mermaid has been a permanent symbol in mythologies and in many different cultures.  They continue to play an evident role in pop culture and contemporary society though advertisements, movies, music videos and the mass media in general.  The fascination with mermaid’s dates back to Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid.  What is this attraction to mermaids that is so compelling and lingers from the past to present pop culture?  The mermaid is seen as a supernatural creature that is half human and half fish and coexists in the same body.  There was always something beautiful, mysterious and intriguing about them dating back to Andersen’s little mermaid.  How have they evolved and how has their representation varied from the original classic tale to existing pop culture?

Unquestionably the most popular mermaid in contemporary pop culture is Ariel in Disney’s The Little Mermaid.  Ariel plays the lead mermaid in Walt Disney’s movie inspired by Andersen’s story and possess’ similar qualities as the protagonist in the original tale.  Andersen’s mermaid in comparison to Disney’s endures more painful and real life drama but both are depicted as beautiful, independent young ladies filled with curiosity and drive.  In today’s pop culture most media images of mermaids ascribe a sexual motive or activity (Mortensen 439).  Disney adapted the story of The Little Mermaid and submerged it with its popular children’s brand.  Although Ariel posses the same strong feminine, alluring features as Andersen’s mermaid her character differs in a major way. As we see in the original story love slips away from the hands of the mermaid, her true love is no longer attainable and her story ends more tragically then Disney’s character.  Ariel’s fascination with the outside world leads her to make many trips to the sea shore where she admires the human world from a distance.  One night while watching a party that was happening on a ship, Ariel instantly fell in love with the Prince who she gazed at from afar.  Upon the drowning of the ship Ariel rescues the prince and brings him but vanishes before he has a chance to see who she is.  In the end, love prevails over all obstacles and evil in true Disney fashion and Ariel has her happy ending with the Prince.  The way women are represented through Ariel’s character can be viewed positively and negatively.  It is arguable that her adolescent curiosity as well as her attitude towards her father’s beliefs can be represented in a rebellious way, but this can be interpreted as her way of showing independence and drive.  The mermaid in this movie shows that women who are beautiful, driven and independent will capture the attention of the handsome man who will then ask for her hand in marriage.  This may send out a message that women can only be complete through marriage and need to conform to certain norms within society to achieve it.  We can see that Ariel transforms herself to be with the prince, this is demonstrated by her transition of fins to legs, in hopes of adapting to the human norms.

The transformation of the little mermaid into Disney’s Ariel.

In the 1984 film Splash, actress Daryl Hannah plays a mermaid who comes in contact with humans on land.   Her character also rescues a man but when he meets her she is naked with human legs that only transforms to fins when she comes in contact with water.  She is curious, beautiful and has a seductive mysterious demeanour.  This film is another example that the beautiful and alluring mermaid conquers true love and in the end we see both characters swim in the sea but we don’t know exactly what becomes of their relationship. It is far fair for the reader to conclude that the mermaid finds her mate.  Within the music industry the image of the mermaid has also been used as a form of art. British singer Sade plays a mermaid in her 90’s music video No Ordinary Love that depicts a love story between a women and a man. Again we can see that the mermaid devoted through pop culture is tied to the image of sexualized beautiful women who find love.  The CEO of the largest coffee house in the world, Starbucks also shares a fascination with mermaids.  Howard Schultz chose the image of a two tailed mermaid to be the face of one of the most famous logos in the western world.  Starbucks connects the mermaid to strength and power, they believe they have the power to seduce and enchant, and felt that this was a message they wanted to convey to their consumers (Phillips and Ann 489).  Starbucks original logo has a topless mermaid holding two fins, but, since then has been changed to showing less of her body and her breast’s have been covered with her hair.  Howard believed that the mermaid encompassed a female who seduced and pulled people one away from their normal duties in life. He wanted his coffee house to be just as seductive and therefore encouraging people to escape from their everyday lives when entering a Starbucks (Phillips and Ann 485).  What is different about the Starbucks mermaid is that she has successfully used her power to seduce coffee lovers around the world where as Andersen’s mermaid fell short and couldn’t win over the Prince.

Ariel finds true love and marries the prince.

We have come a long way since the first story of The Little Mermaid by Christian Andersen. The mermaid has been immortalized in many forms of pop culture.  From Disney’s movie The Little Mermaid to other Hollywood blockbusters, music videos and magazine advertisement, the mermaid continues to capture the attention of contemporary society.  Her seductive body language, mystery and beauty have become a masculine idealization of women in our society.  Unlike Andersen’s mermaid, the contemporary mermaid without question can grasp any man within her reach.  The representation of women through the image of a mermaid can be both positive and negative.  Some may argue that the mermaid represents powerful women, where as others can view this representation as demeaning and sexist. Whether one associate’s mermaids with either of these views, it is undeniable that they have connected with audiences throughout history.  From Andersen’s classic fairy tale to pop cultures most lovable mermaid Ariel, mermaids are here to stay.

Select Bibliography

Andersen, Christian Hans. “The Little Mermaid.” Fourteen Classic Tales. Ed. Stephan Corrin, Illus. Edward Ardizzone. London: Andre Deutsch, 1978. Pages 23-53. Print.

Dahlerup, Pil. “Splash! Six Views of Little Mermaid.” Scandinavian Studies 62.4 (1990): 403-429. Web. 11 Nov. 2011.

Jilly Paver. “Ardizzone, Edward.” The Oxford Encyclopedia of Children’s Literature. Edited by Jack Zipes. OxfordUniversity Press 2006: 1-3. RyersonUniversity. 8 November 2011

Maria Nikolajeva. “Andersen, Hans Christian.” The Oxford Encyclopedia of Children’s Literature. Edited by Jack Zipes. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2006: 4-6. RyersonUniversity. Web. 8 November 2011

Mortensen, Finn Hauberg.  “The Little Mermaid: Icon and Disneyfication.” Scandinavian Studies 80.4 (2008): 437-454. Web. 13 Oct. 2011

Philips, Mary, and Ann Rippin.  “Howard and the mermaid: abjection and the Starbucks’ Foundation memoir.” Organization 17 (2010): 481-499. Web. 15 Oct. 2011. 

Splash.  Dir. Ron Howard. Touchstone Pictures, 1984. Film.

The Little Mermaid.  Dir. Ron Clements and John Musker. Walt Disney Pictures, 1989. Film.

Harrison, Juliette.  “Pop Classics.”  The Little Mermaid.  June 2011.  Web. 11 November 2011.

Miller, Donald. “Pirate Pup.”  The Little Mermaid.  January 2010.  Web.  11 November 2011.

Sindbad as an Anti-Pirate?

2011, Pirates, , , ,

© Copyright 2011, Michael Drimba and Matthew Haddad (CLA website licensed with Creative Commons License, authors retain copyright)

Ludmila Zeman. Sindbad in the Land of Giants. Toronto: Tundra, 2001. Print.

Sindbad in the Land of Giants is a story adapted and retold by Ludmila Zeman From the Tales of the Thousand and One Nights. Ludmila Zeman was born in Gottwadlov, Czechoslovakia. With a famous filmmaker for a father, her talents in painting, puppet making and filmmaking were nurtured, and by age 10 she was contributing to prize winning films. She eventually started making her own films after she went to university, and emigrated to Canada to teach at a university in British Columbia. Since then she has published a number of prize winning books and has produced award winning television programs, (Library and Archives Canada 2002). The book was beautifully illustrated by the same author and published in the year 2001. The intended audience of this book is the modern day twenty-first century child, since it is a twenty-first century retold version of the old tale intended for children. The story’s main character, Sindbad the Sailor, will be compared to the category of Pirates in children’s literature. Sindbad will also be compared in relation to the cultural context of Pirates in popular contemporary movies such as Jack Sparrow in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies.

In this literary tale Sindbad the Sailor is represented as a morally decent yet greedy character in contrast to the representation of morally indecent pirate characters who commit ethically questionable actions in search for some form of wealth or treasure. Culturally Sindbad has been portrayed as a less than morally sound character yet Zeman’s representation of Sindbad is that of an anti-pirate similar to the contemporary representation of the pirate character Jack Sparrow in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies. Jack Sparrow is a figure that is morally ambiguous, since he is a Pirate who commits ethical and morally questionable actions. Yet he is portrayed as a friendly and loveable character even by the civilized figures. Sindbad is ultimately portrayed as revered heroic figure while pirates in children’s literature are portrayed as the anarchical figures even though they strive for the same goal.

Pirates Within Children’s Literature in Relation to Sindbad

Pirates have been represented in a great portion of fairy tales within children’s literature; however pirates did not originally derive from children’s literature. Rather a pirate was always characterized as a thief of commodities, ships and other material wealth which travelled the seas. The stealing and plundering of ships for material goods is a part of the ultimate goal, which is to attain large amounts of wealth. Not until the emergence of Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island did the way of attaining it change. Pirate stories prior to Stevenson’s version were characterized by the stealing of and from ships where as Treasure Island was the first to introduce the search for buried treasure, (Phillips 2011, 38). This provided a notable change in the view of pirates within children’s literature. Pirates were seen with a sense of purpose since they have the ability to embark on a quest with the new concept of buried treasure. This change made pirates more appropriate for children since pirates were now going on a quest rather than stealing something that is not there’s to begin with. This characterization of pirates is still present in children’s literature today and really has not changed their representation.

In Zeman’s book, Sindbad the Sailor traversed the seas in search for wealth similar to that of a pirate. Sindbad’s story is essentially a tale about a quest that he embarked on for treasure and splendour even though it was highly dangerous. This shows the similarity between Sindbad and pirates, both were in search for attaining wealth. Sindbad and pirates, have similar goals to attain that wealth but Sindbad is represented much differently than a pirate in Zeman’s book.

Sindbad has been represented differently throughout literature, from folklore to children’s literary tales. Shahrazad, the Queen of Persia, was apparently the original story teller of the One Thousand and One Nights tales which she told to the King of Persia. The tales were intended for an adult audience and told within the Islamic ideology held during that time in the Arab peninsula. In all those stories Sindbad is always on an adventure for wealth, characterized by lots of violence and always ends with Sindbad attaining more wealth. Essentially Sindbad was represented as a romanticized heroic and immortal figure within the old tales. Yet Sindbad’s ultimate reason for attaining that wealth was through greed, even if it meant committing acts of violence, (Molan 1978, 244). His greed is his downfall but he is not truly represented as a greedy character even though that vice could weigh heavily upon his representation. Rather he is represented as a wealthy heroic merchant sailor and his adventures are filled with experiences of valour, honour and bravery. However, there are original stories where he reacts with violence for a revengeful purpose and for the overall attainment of wealth. Even in Zeman’s story, Sindbad stabs the eyes out of the ape monster which captured him and his crew earlier on their voyage within the story. Of course he had reasons to do so since he was captured by the monster, but at the end of the story his whole crew dies and he goes back home with more wealth. The point is that Sindbad commits acts of violence based on his initial emotion of greed for material wealth. He embarks on adventures for personal attainment of wealth but he is not represented as similar to ethically questionable pirates.

This act of violence was for self defence, but overall it occured based on the fact that he set out to sea in search for wealth.

Even though Sindbad and pirates both have the overall same objective to attain wealth they are both represented much differently. Pirates are represented as anarchical adult figures acting rebelliously, similar to children acting out against authoritative figures such as parents, (Phillips 2011, 54). Pirates were represented as lawbreakers, unruly citizens and thieves. Even if they shift to seeking buried treasure they are still represented as such. The reason why they are represented that way is because most pirate characters are contrasted with a protagonist figure.

Sindbad in Zeman’s story is the protagonist yet he has some traits that are very similar to that of a pirate. He has a lust for attaining wealth and treasure plus he uses any means necessary including violence to achieve that goal. But he is represented as a heroic figure rather than an unruly and lawbreaking figure. Sindbad is a character that is represented differently as ideologies change, depending on the time, place and medium which it is presented in. But one thing is for certain; Sindbad is not represented in a negative way rather he is seen as a figure with much knowledge, experience and reverence, (Ouyang 2004, 145). Sindbad’s adventures all involve bravery and courage yet the experience gives him a lot of knowledge. This knowledge is passed on in the book from Sindbad the Sailor to Sindbad the Porter. Sindbad the Sailor’s adventures enlighten Sindbad the Porter and all of his experience make him a better person.

Essentially with Sindbad the Sailor sea adventures are represented as the greatest goal even if it may involve danger, violence and greed. The point is that the pirates seek buried treasure much differently than Sindbad. Pirates seek wealth for fulfilling greed but it ends there because that is all they seek. They seek wealth but have no care for anyone or anything else. Sindbad has a love for adventure, he seeks wealth from buried treasure to fulfill his greed but his adventure is an experience which he shares with Sindbad the Porter and then consequently with the reader. His experiences from traversing the seas are representative of adult knowledge. Essentially, Sindbad’s experience on the sea is similar to adult experience, it is dangerous but in the end those who persevere will attain success and knowledge. Wealth in Zeman’s book represents success and Sindbad’s experience represents knowledge. Therefore he is not represented as a pirate like figure in search of just wealth. Rather Sindbad is an anti-pirate figure in search of wealth, success and adventurous experience that helps the character and ultimately the reader gain more knowledge.

Sindbad in Relation to Real-Life Pirates and Captain Jack Sparrow

In the short story, Zeman depicts Sindbad very differently than he was originally depicted in the 1001 nights stories. In those stories, he often returned to who and where he was captured and killed his captors, (Molan 1978, 237). This sort of behavior is much more ruthless and pirate-like than the Sindbad in Zeman’s version, where he only uses violence when necessary and never goes back for revenge. Zeman’s Sindbad is a much more respectable person, and is depicted as a sailor rather than pirate. However, the entire premise of his adventure was to collect riches and fame, which is exactly what pirates do. Within the context of both children’s literature, the role of pirates has historically changed from commandeering ships to attaining large amounts of wealth. Historically, pirates have typically been more focused on attacking ships rather than searching for buried or hidden treasure.

There are many instances in the story where Sindbad shows anti-pirate tendencies. When the monkeys from the island are ransacking his ship, his crew and himself surrender to the monkeys and let them plunder as they please. This is backwards to how a pirate would act, and it seems as if the monkeys are the pirates and Sindbad and his crew just helpless merchants.

Conversely, Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies is portrayed as a pirate, but does not act like one in the conventional sense. He does not kill anybody unless they are attacking him, and shows mercy when he can. He also has an emotional side, portrayed through his love affair with Elizabeth, (Verbinski 2003). However, the pirate that Jack Sparrow was based on was supremely barbaric in comparison. His real name was Bartholomew Roberts, and he was known as one of the most dangerous pirates of his day. It was said that he captured approximately 470 vessels in his lifetime and earned astonishing amounts of money, (Hudson 2007).

He was also completely ruthless in how he treated his prisoners, and it was not uncommon for him to hang prisoners on the bow of his ship and lash them with whips until they became unconscious. Jack Sparrow never did anything of the sort, and it seemed as though he was captured by other pirates in the movies much more often than he had ever captured anybody else, (Hudson 2007).

A real life pirate like Bartholomew Roberts looks nothing like what pirates do in children's books.

The similarities between Sindbad and Jack Sparrow are striking. They both never acted as ruthlessly as the people they were based on, they were usually the ones falling victim to other pirates, yet they are both known as pirates. The mere fact that they sailed on ships and looked for treasure doesn’t seem to be enough to justify pirate status.

The pictures and illustrations also play a large role in how the story portrays Sindbad. The way that all the pages are framed with such beautiful, Arabian tapestry-like borders mimic the wealth that Sindbad has created for himself through his adventures. In the book, when Sindbad is approaching the island, the illustration of lightning against a deep red sky indicates a sense of danger. Usually the danger in this sort of situation would come from pirates themselves, not the place they are going to. Therefore Sindbad is essentially portrayed as the victim of the dangers he encounters on his voyage, something a pirate would most likely embrace.

Sindbad encounters dangerous situations, as illustrated through the colour scheme and intense details. There is a strong sense of forboding.

Additionally, the illustrations, especially the borders, have an Arabian-Persian theme, which contributes to the overall feeling of the story, (Yarshater 1962, 61). The general style of the illustrations exudes the feeling of wealth and status. They also do not convey Sindbad as a pirate like figure, but rather as a wealthy man.

In conclusion, Sindbad is portrayed not as a pirate, but rather as a sort of anti-pirate, who falls victim to creatures and dangerous situations at sea. He has many similarities to Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, especially the fact that he is usually the one who falls victim to other pirate-like characters. If you compare Sindbad to pirates in other children’s literature, he is seen as a heroic figure, while most pirates are viewed as anarchical figures. Both pirates in other children’s literature and Sindbad share the same goals, but they differ greatly in how they act, as well as how they are represented morally. With this in mind, why does the audience generally assume that Sindbad is a pirate? The mere fact that he is looking for treasure is not enough justification to call him a pirate. Pirates are characterized by other specific traits, such as acting unethically and being morally indecent.

Select Bibliography

Hudson, Christopher. “The Real Jack Sparrow: He Would Have Eaten Johnny Depp for Breakfast | Mail Online.” Mail Online. Mail Online, 26 May 2007. Web. 14 Nov. 2011. <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-457724/The-Real-Jack-Sparrow-He-eaten-Johnny-Depp-breakfast.html>.

“LUDMILA ZEMAN.” Welcome to the LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA Website | Bienvenue Au Site Web BIBLIOTHÈQUE ET ARCHIVES CANADA. Library and Archives Canada, 25 Sept. 2002. Web. 14 Nov. 2011. <http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/read-up-on-it/015020-6061-e.html>.

Molan, Peter D. “Sinbad the Sailor, a Commentary on the Ethics of Violence.” Journal of the American Oriental Society 98.3 (1978): 237-247. Jstor. Web. 9 Oct. 2011.

Ouyang, Wen-chin. “Whose story is it? Sindbad the sailor in literature and film.” Middle Eastern Literatures 7.2 (2004): 133-147. Academic Search Premier. Web. 11 Oct. 2011.

Phillips, Alexandra. “The Changing Portrayal of Pirates in Children’s Literature.” New Review of Children’s Literature and Librarianship 17.1 (2011): 36-56. Taylor and Francis Journals. Web. 11 Oct. 2011.

Pirates of the Caribbean–the Curse of the Black Pearl. Dir. Gore Verbinski. Perf. Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom. Disney, 2003. DVD.

Yarshater, E. “Some Common Characteristics of Persian Poetry and Art.” Studia Islamica 16 (1962): 61-71. JSTOR. Web. 14 Nov. 2011. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/1595119>.

Mermaids: Exploring Gender Inequality in “Hans, the Mermaid’s Son”

2011, Fairy Tales, Mermaids, , , , , , ,


The cover page of The Pink Fairy Book, edited and compiled by Andrew Lang

©Copyright 2011, Katherine Smyk, Mark Moliterni

Andrew Lang, ed. Hans, the Mermaid’s Son. The Pink Fairy Book. Ill. Ford, H. J. New York: Dover, 1967. 112-125. Print.

Andrew Lang as a Patriarchal Storyteller

Andrew Lang’s The Pink Fairy Book, originally published in 1897, was part of a lucrative series of ‘coloured’ fairy tale anthologies.  With 41 stories in this volume alone, Lang covered a vast array of folk and fairy tales over the course of his career. The series was enormously popular and a new book was released each Christmas to much fan fervour (“Andrew Lang”). Lang, who was considered conservative even in his time, championed fairy tales as a storytelling medium mainly for children (“Andrew Lang”). Accordingly, he used his stories to reinforce the patriarchal beliefs of his time, rather than subverting them. H.J. Ford, his long time partner, illustrated the text with sixty-nine classically drawn, black and white images, further emphasizing the book’s conservatism. Tucked away in this version of the Fairy Books is a little known Danish story called “Hans, the Mermaid’s Son” which demonstrates the masculine bias in Lang’s work and its place in the greater historical trend of patriarchal folk and fairy tales. In this story, the mermaid takes a role behind the scenes of the narrative, obscuring her as a subject.

Mark Moliterni will be analyzing the myth of the mermaid by contrasting Lang’s characterization of the mermaid with the characterization of her son. Historically, mermaids have been used in literature and folk tales as a representation of femininity in a condescending manner, depicting them as little more than objects of sex and beauty. In her study of the story’s context Katherine Smyk will be focusing on the origins of “Hans” by analyzing it in the context of Greek mythological figures Hercules and the Sirens. Essentially, this exhibit will explore the inherent gender inequality of the mermaid myth, as has been seen throughout folk and fairy tale history.

The Mermaid as an Object of Sexuality and Beauty

“Hans, the Mermaid’s Son” follows the life of the titular half-merman on his journey of maturation. The plot begins with a human blacksmith named Basmus who goes missing at sea. Three days after his disappearance, Basmus mysteriously returns back to town with a boat full of fish and a life’s supply of treasures. Six years later, when Hans arrives at Basmus’s home, it is revealed that the blacksmith was rescued by a mermaid during his three days at sea and together they conceived a son. Though only six, Hans has the physique and stature of an eighteen year old man and his mother can no longer handle him, thus bringing him to his father’s house.

The story deemphasizes the significance of the mermaid, never going beyond her role as a mythical wish-fulfilling creature and mother. She receives no name, no dialogue, and little agency over the plot. Her main purpose is to serve as a tool for Basmus’ survival and to facilitate a sort of mythical sexual fantasy, sleeping with him during their time together and conceiving his son. Although she receives no descriptive characterization in the text, there is an illustration devoted to her, which further accentuates her position as an object of desire and sex. In a rather beautiful image, the naked mermaid with long, luscious hair guides the fully clothed Basmus by the hand through her magical world under the sea.

H.J. Ford illustrates the mermaid's and Basmus' first meeting

Besides providing Basmus with sexual fulfilment, there is little else that can be concluded about the mermaid other than her inadequacy as a mother. She takes on a subordinate role as a woman who cannot manage her own son, sending him off to his father because he is much too strong for her. This strength manifests itself physically but, in actuality, works as a metaphor for man’s overall power over woman. The mermaid’s lack of characterization, especially in contrast to her son and Basmus, says more than anything else. By deciding not to focus on the mermaid, Lang implicitly suggests that her story is not worth telling and her character lacks significance, despite her importance as a plot-device.

Hans as the Idealized Masculine Figure

In contrast, Hans is characterized as being unstoppably powerful, with no apparent qualities from his mother’s “race,” other than super strength. With the body of a human man, Hans is unrecognizable as a mer-person and little is said of his physical appearance (as opposed to the emphasis placed upon his mother’s beauty). The attribution of supernatural strength for Hans is not particularly inspired; a cliché ability for a male character to be endowed with. Perceived as a metaphorical extension of man’s mental and intellectual power, super strength has defined many male characters throughout literary history from Hercules to the Hulk.

Old Eric attacks Hans, as illustrated by H.J. Ford

Hans is also characterized as intellectually superior to everyone he encounters. Many of the characters Hans meets on his journey attempt to outsmart him by assigning him with seemingly impossible tasks, which he always completes in the end. The story’s only other illustration depicts the sea creature, Old Eric, attempting to drown Hans by sneakily attacking from behind. Hans, of course, lives; he is, after all, the almighty hero of the story.

Instead of carving a new archetype for the mermaid in his story, Lang only perpetuates the myth of the mermaid and many of the misogynistic beliefs which helped define it. In fact, nearly all of the classic tropes of the mermaid myth are played upon here: her elusiveness as a character, her role as a sex symbol and seductress, and the mysteriousness of the mermaid child rearing and birthing process (Banse; Jewitt). After all, she seduces Basmus, a father of many young children (and so, presumably, married), symbolizing sexual temptation and “deviations from the righteous path” (Banse 150). The reader never gets to know the mermaid; she vanishes from the plot after the second page and even then, everything we know of her comes second hand. Due to Lang’s conservatism and his decision to direct his fairy tales at children, there is no explanation as to how she gave birth to Hans (or how, anatomically, she and Basmus were even able to conceive). Furthermore, there is no detail into her relationship with her son or how she raised him to be so out of control that she had to send him away in the end.

The portrayal of the mermaid in Lang’s text only perpetuates the patriarchal views of gender in society and the inherent misogyny in the myth of the mermaid. Where the mermaid could have been more than just an object of affection and an actual character with definitive personality traits, she amounts to little more than a plot device.

Mermaids in Greek Mythology

By analyzing the mermaid from the contextual perspective of Greek Mythology, the earlier qualities conceived of the female archetype as a seductive mythological creature can be examined. By looking at the Sirens as well as the elusive quality of the ocean itself, the influence that the Greeks had upon Andrew Lang’s depiction of the mermaid become apparent. The inequality inherent to the power relations of the male and female can be seen as the female resorts to manipulation and abduction. The development of the mermaid within the lore of the British Isles as well as Denmark drew inspiration from the Sirens of Greek Mythology. Most notably appearing within Homer’s Odyssey, the Sirens assailed Odysseus and his crew. The half-woman, half-eagle creatures accosted these men with their enticing singing, both vicious and mysterious in their beauty (Vredeveld 846). The Greeks, a seafaring people, viewed the sea as a world of its own, parallel to that of earth. The unexpected appearance of the Sirens is a testament to the mystery that the sea possesses (Greene 427-428).

Odysseus is assailed by the Sirens in this Greek vase painting.

Aesthetically, mermaids have been characterized in similar ways to the Sirens. Each feminine creature embodies notions of sexuality, violence, and intrigue. Both the Sirens and the mermaids belong to a single element – air in the case of the Siren, and water in the case of the mermaid (Aggard). The tale of “Hans, the Mermaid’s Son,” offers a story that is also focused upon the luring of a male to sea, as well as the consequences of the man’s vulnerability to the mermaid’s temptation. The intention of the mermaid is similar to that of the Sirens within The Odyssey. Both The Odyssey and “Hans, the Mermaid’s Son” acknowledge the seductive influence of an archetypical female figure, as well as the naivety of man. The mermaid’s son represents the unification between the mermaid’s power and human mortality. The son is sent to live with his father among mortals, where he encounters hostility as a result of this unification. This echoes the trials and tribulations faced by Hercules within Greek Mythology. Hercules, a demigod, cannot truly be comfortable within the company of mortals (Aggard). He is constantly being challenged, mocked, and questioned. The same is true of Hans, who is resented and opposed by the mortals that he comes to live among. Andrew Lang, a Scottish folklorist, historian, and editor, depicted the son of the mermaid as a Herculean figure who overcomes his obstacles, ultimately departing from the land of the mortals for the sea. Once again, the juxtaposition of water and air can be identified as Hercules departs for Olympus, a kingdom elevated above the mortal world.

Perpetuating Patriarchy through the Mermaid Myth 

In summation, Hans, the Mermaid’s Son depicts a literary female archetype that is manipulative and seductive while being mysterious and elusive. During her brief appearance at the beginning of the narrative, she lures a naïve man into her clutches and conceives his child who grows up to be a problem for them both. Later returned to land, the man has been dumbfounded by the mermaid and cannot recall being ensnared by her overt display of feminine power (Greene 430). The man must then deal with the consequences of his naivety when eventually faced with his son. The son, who unites characteristics of his influential mother with those of his credulous father, is a representational bond of the analogous genders as well as that of two races – the mermaid and the mortal. This outcome is a demonstration of female persuasion and coercion. From the contextual perspective of Greek Mythology, this characterization of the mermaid was used as a literary tool, converting femininity into an archetype. This, initially done with the Sirens of Homer’s Odyssey, first offered a female archetype utilizing her sexual appeal as a leveraging tool. Later drawn upon by “Hans, the Mermaid’s Son”, the female harnesses the water as an elemental power within a new narrative. The power struggle displayed between the male and the female ultimately leaves the woman as the antagonist of the story. This depiction is a testament to the gender inequality within literary characterizations. With only a brief appearance within the narrative, the story largely omits the importance of the mermaid for anything other than her use to man, perpetuating a patriarchal ideal.

Works Cited

Aggard, Walter R. “Greek Prototypes of American Myths.” Classical Journal of the Middle           West and South. 54.8 (1959): 338-343. Print. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/3294970>.

“Andrew Lang.” Contemporary Authors Online. Detroit: Gale, 2000. Literature Resource               Center. Web. 17 Oct. 2011.

Banse, Karl. “Mermaids- Their Biology, Culture, and Demise.” Limnology and                               Oceanography 35.1 (1990): 148-53. Jstor. Web. 14 Oct. 2011.

Greene, William Chase. “The Sea in the Greek Poets.” North American Review. 199.700             (1914): 427-443. Print. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/25120207>.

Jewitt, Llewellynn. “The Mermaid of Legend and of Art.” The Art Journal 6 (1880): 117-               20. Jstor. Web. 14 Oct. 2011.

Rosenstein, Roy. “Andrew Lang.” Nineteenth-Century British Book Collectors and                       Bibliographers. Ed. William Baker and Kenneth Womack. Detroit: Gale Research,              1997. Dictionary of Literary Biography Vol. 184. Literature Resource Center. Web. 4            Oct. 2011.

Vredeveld, Harry. “”Deaf as Ulysses to the Siren’s Song”: The Story of a Forgotten Topos.”        Renaissance Quarterly. 54. The University of Chicago Press, 2001. Print.                              <http://www.jstor.org/stable/1261926>.

Pirates in Peter Pan: Examining the Categorization of Adults as the ‘Other’

2011, Peter Pan, Pirates, ,

Authors: © Copyright 2011, Rebecca Freedman and Denielle Jackson

Daniel O’Connor. The Story of Peter Pan. Illustrated by Alice Woodward. London: G. Bell and Sons, 1907
Pirates in Peter Pan: Examining the Categorization of Adults as the ‘Other’

Curated by: Rebecca Freedman and Denielle Jackson

 “Literature entertains, stretches imagination, elicits a wealth of emotions, and develops compassion. It generates questions and new knowledge, affords vicarious experiences of other worlds, and provides encounters with different beliefs and values” (Pantaleo 221).

           J.M. Barrie’s play, Peter Pan,is retold by Daniel O’Connor. In Daniel O’Connor’s, The Story of Peter Pan, illustrated by Alice Woodward, the reader’s thoughts are stimulated through the imaginary world of Neverland. In Neverland, we are introduced to the unforgettable characters of Peter Pan, the Lost Boys and the pirates. Throughout the story, Peter Pan’s adventures are fearful, dangerous and exciting.  Peter Pan and his young friends are faced with many barriers that they overcome. The most important barrier to overcome is the battle with the pirates. The evil pirates represent the ‘other’ as they are opposite of Peter Pan and the Lost Boys. The ideologies of childhood in the twentieth century are evident throughout the story. The focus of our exhibit is to examine the ideological values of childhood represented in Daniel O’Connor’s The Story of Peter Pan. Rebecca will explore the representations of pirates as adult, male figures, and the relationship between the pirates and the Lost Boys. Denielle will dive into the the social and cultural realities of 1907 in order to place this book at a particular moment in time.

The Relationship between Adults and Children in The Story of Peter Pan

In O’Connor’s The Story of Peter Pan, is it important to recognize the contradictory relationship between the adult and the child. Though the story mostly describes the adventures of the children, it is crucial to understand the relationship between the pirates and Peter Pan and the Lost Boys. As O’Connor’s story is a retelling of J.M. Barrie’s play, similar ideologies of childhood are presented. These ideologies are the opposing relationship between the imaginative child and the realistic adult. “What Barrie is mapping in his Neverland are fluid relationships between the real world of the Edwardian adults – overinscribed with imperial, impositional determinations – and the barrier-less world of the imaginary” (Fox 255). The notion of childhood is known as imaginary and unrealistic. These notions oppose the view of adults as colonial and superior. In The Story of Peter Pan, the adults are portrayed as pirates and are seen as superior to the children. The pirates represent the ‘other’ as they oppose the view of the imaginary and joyful children. Thus, the contrasting relationship between the pirates and the children in O’Connor’s story reinforce the ideologies of childhood.

 The Representation of Pirates in The Story of Peter Pan

The pirate ship is depicted in black and white, which is not only stylistic, but also economical. Printing in colour was very expensive.

Pirates in The Story of Peter Pan are important characters. The representation of pirates serves of great purpose when examining the ideologies of childhood. Historically, pirates were conniving, male adults who participate in illegal acts such as stealing. In the text, the historical identities of pirates are expected and portrayed through their behaviour (Fox 262). In The Story of Peter Pan, Captain Hook, the antagonist, represents Peter Pan’s arch-nemesis. Through a coloured illustration, by Alice Woodward, Captain Hook’s features are evil and scary. His face is angular and boney, and is shadowed to accentuate his dreadful features. His long black hair also represents wickedness, immorality and darkness. The all male cast of pirates are corrupted and “simply act as pirates do” (Fox 262). The pirates are deceitful in The Story of Peter Pan as it is expected of them through historical identity. Furthermore, the pirates have captured innocent children, the Lost Boys. Consequently, the pirates represent adult figures who are over exaggeratedly opposite of the innocent Peter Pan and the Lost Boys. This emphasis on child-adult conflict in The Story of Peter Pan reinforces the notion of childhood.

Eternal Youth: Peter Pan and the Lost Boys

In order to judge the pirates as evil, we must compare them to other characters. In opposing the representation of pirates as the ‘other’, we can examine the representation of children in The Story of Peter Pan. Eternal youth is a main theme in the story and overpowers the strong pirates. The children in the text are innocent and joyful. Their innocence seems to be more powerful than the pirates’ evilness. The Lost Boys are five young boys who were captured by Captain Hook and his crew. The five young and innocent boys were chained as prisoners on their ship. Neverland puts an emphasis on eternal youth as the children do not want to grow up (Springer 97). Shockingly, in the text, childhood innocence overpowers adulthood realism. When battling the pirates, Peter Pan and the Lost Boys ultimately outsmart them. Even thought the pirates were armed with swords, daggers, and blunderbusses, “youth and the values it protects come out victorious” (Springer 97).

 Fate of the Pirates

The outcome of the pirates proves that the ideologies of childhood are misleading. Childhood innocence is deemed to be superior to the pirates’ wickedness. The Story of Peter Pan portrays a deserving fate for the pirates. During the battle on the pirate ship, Peter Pan and the Lost Boys defeates the pirates. Peter Pan pushes Captain Hook into the jaws of a crocodile. The rest of the pirates drown except for two particular pirates, Smee and Starkey. “Starkey never shed blood but was guilty of evil deeds” (O’Connor 58). Starkey was captured by the Redskins and was made a nurse. This was a bad outcome for him as it was a step down from pirating. Smee, on the other hand, was the least evil of the pirates. He was not as wicked as the rest and therefore became a reformed character and a sailor (O’Connor 58). The outcome for Smee and Starkey was not fatal as they portrayed glimpses of innocence and were not purely evil, like the rest. Therefore, it can be said that the pirates that portrayed characteristics of childhood received a better fate than those who resembled adulthood.

Peter Pan: a timeless classic or a product of its era?

This picture illustrates the moment of victory for Peter Pan where Captain Hook is about to be eaten by a crocodile.

       Fairy tales are often seen as being timeless and placeless, conveying universal truths. Daniel O’Connor’s The Story of Peter Pan is no exception to this commonly held belief. If we have a closer look, we can see that fairy tales are actually time and place specific. They express conditions, attitudes and values pertaining to specific socio-cultural moments.This story is one of many children’s books that are used to socialize children in helping them understand the culture of the time as it emphasizes the differing relationship between the adult and the child (Pantaleo 226). In order to better understand the context of The Story of Peter Pan, we need to take a closer look at the period in which the story was written. At the time of the writing of The Story of Peter Pan, Britain had transformed from the Victorian era to the Edwardian period.

 

The Victorian-era: Children as Superior Beings

During the Victorian period, there was a large amount of industrialization and urbanization. Childhood was idealized because it was seen as pure, closer to nature, and closer to God. Children were largely regarded as superior beings in some regards. In Jacqueline Rose’s The Case of Peter Pan, or, the Impossibility of Children’s Fiction, she makes the argument that The Story of Peter Pan is not for or about children, but rather illustrates adults’ desire for the fantasy of childhood; innocence is not a distinctive quality of childhood, but rather adult desire (Rose 128). Victoria’s England was a child-dominated society, with one of every three of her subjects under the age of fifteen. For the first time, books were aimed at entertaining children instead of instructing them how to behave. This period was what many consider “The Golden Age” of children’s literature (White). In children’s fiction, it is common to put children in opposition with adults. This creates a binary that highlights the differences between adult and child. In Donna White’s, Child-Hating: Peter Pan in the Context of Victorian Hatred, she argues that “fantasy spaces of childhood almost always include beings that hate both the state of childhood and childhood itself” and that in Peter Pan, there is a “deliberately antagonistic relationship between adulthood and childhood…grounded in an irrational hatred” (White 44). Artists during the Victorian period portrayed children as innocent, simple and playful. Peter Pan is depicted as a complex character; he is full of joy, vitality and fearlessness but also selfish, cocky and ill-mannered. This can be attributed to the beginning of the Edwardian period. “The Victorian child is a symbol of innocence, the Edwardian child of hedonism. In fiction, the former is good, the latter has a good time” (White 122).

The Edwardian-era: the age of rebellion

The death of Queen Victoria in 1901 and the succession by her son Edward marked the end of the Victorian era and the beginning of the Edwardian period. Edward, the Prince of Wales, had the reputation of being an irresponsible pleasure-seeking playboy. This, compounded with Victorian social and moral repression created an appetite for rebellion (Norris). Following the example of the fun-loving Prince of Wales sounded more appealing than growing up into the inadequate Victorian male. The Edwardian era is perceived as a romantic period with long endless summer afternoons. As Lyn Gardner said in her article Confronting Peter Pan’s ‘awfully big adventure’ in the Guardian, “it is easy to explain the appeal of Peter Pan to the Edwardians and post-WWI generation, who could see in the play an elegiac spectacle of endless summer days spent playing pirates and Indians”. The Story of Peter Pan continues to hold a place in our popular culture as a result of many ideas that the Edwardian period gave rise to. These include the rising importance of childhood, the influence of the imagined space, and the engagement of the hero archetype (Norris).

Alice B. Woodward: The Illustrator

This is a pivotal moment in the text and is the final battle between Peter Pan and the Lost Boys versus Captain Hook and the pirates

 

Alice Bolingbroke Woodward (1862-1951) was a famous English illustrator. She created 28 coloured plates for The Story of Peter Pan, and it has been continuously in print from 1907 to the present day (Springer). It is considered to be the most popular illustrated Peter Pan book of all time. Alice illustrates pivotal plot points and emotional moments, such as the battle between Peter and the pirates and the fate of the pirates when Peter pushes captain hook off of the ship. She also illustrates establishing pictures that place the reader in Neverland, such as the pirate ship.

 

 

Like many children’s books, the conflict in Peter Pan is derived from the pitting of child against adult, creating a binary opposite with the adult as ‘other’. By analyzing the representation of pirates in Daniel O’Connor’s The Story of Peter Pan, we are able to understand the significance of the relationship between the pirates and the Lost Boys as they represent adulthood and childhood. By delving into the historical moment in which the book was written, we are able to challenge the notion that children’s books are timeless and placeless and see that this is a book that could not have come out of any other time period.

“Torn between the opposing demands of innocence and experience, the author who resorts to the wishful magical thinking of the child nonetheless feels compelled, in varying degrees, to hold on to the grown-up’s circumscribed notions about reality. In the better works of fantasy of the [Victorian] period, this dramatic tension between the outlooks of adult and childhood selves becomes rich and elastic: conflict and harmony, friction and reconciliation, realism and wonder, are allowed to interpenetrate and co-exist.” (White 245)

 

Works Cited

Birkin, Andrew. J.M. Barrie and the Lost Boys. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2003.             Print.

Carpenter, Humphrey. Secret Gardens: The Golden Age of Children’s Literature. London:          George Allen & Unwin, 1985. Print.

Fox, Paul. “Other Maps Showing through: The Liminal Identities of Neverland.”                            Children’s Literature Association Quarterly 32.3 (2007): 252-68. ProQuest Research          Library. Web. 1 Nov. 2011.

Gardner, Lyn. “Confronting Peter Pan’s ‘awfully big adventure.'” The Guardian. Dec.                  30 2002. Web. 1 Nov. 2011.

Kavey, Allison. Second Star to the Right: Peter Pan in the popular imagination.                             New Brunswick, N.J: Rutgers University Press, 2009. Print.

Nodelman, Perry. The Hidden Adult: Defining Children’s Literature. Baltimore: JHU Press,           2008. Print.

Norris, Nanette. A Child’s View of Edwardian London. Academia. Web. 1 Nov. 2011.

O’Connor, Daniel. The Story of Peter Pan. Illustrated by Alice Woodward. London: G. Bell

and Sons, 1907. Print.

Pantaleo, Sylvia. “Children’s Literature across the Curriculum: An Ontario Survey.”

       Canadian Journal of Education 27.2 (2002): 211-230. JSTOR. Web 10 Oct. 2011.

Rose, Jacqueline. The Case of Peter Pan, or, the Impossibility of Children’s

       Fiction. University of Pennsylvania Press, 1993. Print.

Springer, Heather. “Barrie’s Peter Pan.” The Explicator 65.2 (2007): 96. ProQuest. Web

10 Oct. 2011.

Steedman, Carolyn, Cathy Urwin, and Valerie Walkerdine. Language, gender                               and childhood. London: Routledge, 1986. Print.

White, Donna. “Child Hating: Peter Pan in the Context of Victorian Hatred.” J.M.                            Barrie’s Peter Pan in and out of time. Lanham, MD. Scarecrow Press, 2006.                       Web. 1 Nov. 2011.