e. 400-Level: "Peter Pan" by Michael Cotter

Rough-Outline

Michael Cotter

Dr. Workman

Peter Pan Rough Outline

October 10th, 2015

 

Working Thesis: Peter Pan establishes through female characters the expectations of women in society; but by introducing women characters from the fictitious Neverland, Barrie is able to speak to the full spectrum of what women can be.

 

  1. Introduce queer theory and subsequently feminist theory
    1. Wendy: "Are none of the others girls?" Peter: "Oh, no; girls, you know, are much too clever to fall out of their prams." (44)
  2. Establish gender normative characters – Mr. & Mrs. Darling
    1. New historicism approach to gender norms met by the Darlings

                                               i.     Mr. Darling tends to making the money for the family – primary focus is money making/saving

                                             ii.     Mrs. Darling tends to the home – primary focus is making the house manageable for everyone

  1. Social and gender norms are learned concepts from adults in society

                                               i.     Nana understands her role in the home as a nurse for the children even though she’s a dog – learned behavior

                                             ii.     Wendy – learns her role from watching her mother (fetching fathers medicines, reading to her brothers, teaching them in Neverland)

  1. Wendy also has some queer tendencies speaking to the face that she is a more modern girl than Mrs. Darling, she is impressionable, and takes a bit more charge (perhaps demonstrating the progression of women?) –transition to queer theory
  2. Establish gender queer characters
    1. Wendy’s queer characteristics

                                               i.     “Peter, give me a kiss”

                                             ii.     Wendy’s influence on Peter

  1. Peter Pan (does Peter need his own section? Is he truly a queer character?)

                                               i.     Learned a lot from women

  1. Wendy: “surely you know what a kiss is?” she asked, aghast. “I shall know when you give it to me,” [Peter] replied stiffly. (41)
  2. “He had taught the children something of the forest lore that the had himself learned from Tiger Lily and Tinker Bell.” (146)
  3. Tinker Bell

                                               i.     Contrast of external verse internal traits

  1. Established as a womanly being throughout narrative - “It was a girl called Tinker Bell exquisitely gowned in a skeleton lead, cut low and square, through which her figure could be seen to the best advantage. She was slightly inclined to embonpoint.” (36)
  2. Defines gender normative behavior - Peter: “she is not very polite. She says you are a great ugly girl, and that she is my fairy.” He tried to argue with Tink. “You know you cant be my fairy, TInk, because I am a gentleman and you are a lady.” To this Tink replied in these words, “you silly ass.” (43)

                                             ii.     Tink is a more active than passive character – shoot the Wendy scene, pulling Wendy’s hair, exploring the nursery

  1. Tiger Lily

                                               i.     Similar to Tinker Bell, contrasting exterior and interior

  1. Name alone demonstrates binary of character
  2. “Bringing up the rear, the place of greatest danger, comes Tiger Lily, proudly erect, a princess in her own right. She is the most beautiful of dusky Dianas and the belle of the Piccaninnies, coquettish, cold and amorous by the turns; there is not a brave who would not have the wayward thing for a wife, but she staves off the altar with a hatchet.”
    1. Piccaninnies – from Portugueses “pequenino” – small boy or child
    2. “There is something she wants to be to me, but she says it is not my mother.”
      1. From early manuscript – TIGER LILY: “If Peter Paleface chase Tiger Lily – she no run very fast – she tuble into a heap what then? (Peter puzzled. She addresses Indians) What then?” ALL INDIANS: “she him’s squaw”

Sylvia play

Piccaninnies - racism