Orphans

During the time Peter Pan was written, Orphans were known to be poor children that were a burden on society. Orphans were under the care of the Poor Law Guardians. Orphans had been put under the Poor Laws since 1834. "It offered the children better care and education" (Ross, 222). Most of the orphans had both or at least parent, even a home they could stay at but the Guardians gave children from poor families a greater chance of getting work. Living conditions for the orphans were not all too great.

photo- google images "orphans of late 19th century"

Ross, Ellen.Imagined Orphans: Poor Families, Child Welfare, and Contested Citizenship in London (review). Journal of Social History, Volume 42, Number 1, Fall 2008, pp. 221-222 (Review)DOI: 10.1353/jsh.0.0037

The Mythology of Pan

Barrie's character Peter Pan was influenced by the Greek/Roman fertility god, Pan. Pan was half man, half goat. He was fathered by Hermes to a nymph. In mythology, he protected fields, woods, shepherds and goatherds. Pan invented the flute, just like the one Peter Pan plays, which he made from reeds. Pan would run around playing music. Pan never had anyone fall in love with him despite his trying. Chaos was another pass time of Pan's. He loved to cause panic, which is were english derives this word. Pan was a fun loving, self god, who never grew up.

Cheers, Gordon. Mythology: Myths, Legends, and Fantasies. Global Book Publishing. 2003. Australia.

Opening Production

The first draft of Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wont Grow Up began in November of 1903, written by a man named Sir James M. Barrie. He finished the script in March of 1904. Although the play was viewed as mad by who read it, Charles Frohan supported Barrie. Frohan, being a highly acclaimed Broadway producer, gave Barrie free reign to have whatever he wanted for his show. Barrie built a flying system and a full lagoon with "real" mermaids into the theatre. The play was hard to finish builting a producing so the play, which was suppose to open on Christmas day of 1904, was post-poned. It opened two days later on December 27, 1904. The show was a success. When the prodution was put on in New York the following year, it had even better sales.

photo- jmbarrie.co.uk

Gillian Avery "Barrie, J. M." The Oxford Encyclopedia of Children's Literature. Edited by Jack Zipes. Oxford University Press 2006. Central Washington University. 9 June 2009 http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t204.e0213