It’s hard to believe that it’s been more than 100 years since Peter Pan was first created. Most of us know Peter Pan as a classic Disney story about a beloved boy who never grows up. Although he lives in a magical world filled with adventure and fairies, it’s not exactly the happy fairy tale we envision. Like many other Disney adaptations, Peter Pan was derived from some dark and tragic origins.
Photo by Historia, Shutterstock / Len Cassingham, Associated Newspapers, Shutterstock
The original story was written by a man named J.M. Barrie, who had an unsettling obsession with young boys. The author was six years old when he lost his 13-year-old brother, and he couldn’t cope with the trauma. He couldn’t grasp the idea that he would continue to grow and his brother wouldn’t. He used this pain in his works, giving his stories an eerie undertone.
Check out the creation and transformation of the “boy who never grows up.” (Beware, this may ruin your childhood.)