The dark side of Peter Pan's J. M. Barrie, the man who couldn’t grow up

Sir James Matthew Barrie was born on May 9, 1860, a Scottish novelist and playwright, best remembered as the creator of Peter Pan.

A new book titled "The Dark Side of Peter Pan's J. M. Barrie, the Man Who Couldn’t Grow Up" by Olivia Camozzi explores how the original story that Barrie penned, contrary to Disney's colorful version that is known worldwide, is actually much darker.

Camozzi also aims to prove that much of the speculation and accusations surrounding Barrie come from a time of misunderstanding and explores the likelihood that Barrie was asexual and suffering from Peter Pan Syndrome.

James Barrie has been marked in recent years as manipulative and without the ability to love. Having authored the story of Peter Pan, which has been enjoyed by children and adults for over 100 years, many literary critics have been intrigued about where this story epitomizing childhood joy and innocence came from.

With humble beginnings in a small town in Scotland, Barrie’s childhood was filled with grief and loss, but also stories and play. He took his passion of storytelling to study English Literature at university before finding himself in the capital for all writers: central London. It was here that he came to meet the Llewelyn Davies family.

His involvement with this upper-class family with relatives including Daphne du Maurier is what many say to be the sole inspiration for Peter Pan, and his integration into the family was primarily with sinister intentions.

Much of his writing reflected his life, including his marriage and the unhappiness that spanned from it, all of which can be found in traces throughout Peter Pan. The Peter that Barrie wrote was not just a boy who didn’t want to grow up, but a being that was neither human nor not human, with complexities that can only be understood if Barrie’s life is also looked into.

Camozzi includes personal notes Barrie made throughout his life as well as letters shared between Barrie and those closest to him; particularly the five Llewelyn Davies boys, whose lives were massively affected by the fame affiliated with Peter Pan

This book aims to prove that much of the speculation and accusations surrounding Barrie and his nature have come from a time of misunderstanding, where many psychological terms were not coined and sexuality was a taboo subject.

These critics overlooked the likelihood that Barrie was asexual, as well as suffering from Peter Pan Syndrome, a term used to describe an adult who is socially immature. With a life littered with loss, it’s clear that Barrie did not go through his life unscathed, but is it fair to mark him as the bad man he’s recently been painted to be, especially after providing one of the most popular stories of all time?

Peter Pan Day happens on May 9th, celebrating the main character of Barrie's story. Accompanied by the fairy Tinker Bell, Peter Pan lives in Never Land as the leader of the Lost Boys and opponent of the pirate group, Captain Hook.

"The Dark Side of Peter Pan" by Olivia Camozzi is available here.