Story Hangover Thoughts: Peter Pan

I cannot be the only one curious about how the father in Peter Pan came to the realization that he was being too hard on his dog and his children, especially Wendy.

 It’s probably a good thing that he reconsidered, because if they had decided to stay in Neverland with Peter, and the inevitable police search sent out when Mr. and Mrs. Darling returned home from their night out to a vacant nursery came up empty, then imagine how Mr. Darling would’ve felt if the last thing he’d ever said to his children was yell at them, take their beloved dog away and make his daughter cry? The story of Peter Pan would live on in his heart forever, alright. A constant reminder of the inescapable guilt of blaming himself for the loss of his children and likely his wife’s trauma about the disappearance. Not only that, but the family would’ve ended with him and his wife since Wendy was the only one of the three to give them any grandchildren. (You can Google that).

Wendy and her husband, Edward have two children. Their daughter, Jane, has her mother’s eyes, and her grandfather’s temper, and their son, Daniel, has Wendy’s enormous imagination and his grandmother’s smile. And yes, they both love their mother’s stories about the second star to the right and straight on until morning.

 And no, the Saint Bernard named Nana they have is not the same dog. This is Nana II. 

See what I mean about Jane taking after her mother? 

Also, while some people say Edward just came home from the Second World War on leave at the end of the sequel, I still say the war or at least the London Blitz, ended while Jane was in Neverland. It’s a better ending. It feels more Disney-esque. Walt Disney always gave happy endings to his stories, so naturally a sequel to a story he worked on should have the same feel to it. 

In case you were wondering, the only reason Jane even ended up in Neverland to begin with is a long, crazy story. 

Captain Hook was actually looking for her mother, but I think he’s forgotten that people age outside of Neverland so he didn’t consider the fact that Wendy and her brothers might have changed a little within a twenty-year span. I honestly think Hook’s head would’ve exploded if he’d actually seen Wendy and realized that the little twelve-year-old girl he once knew is now a happily married woman in her thirties with two kids of her own. Although it’s kind of easy to see the confusion, since as I mentioned before, Jane clearly takes after her mother. (Lots of female Disney characters do). 

 Just so you know, that was one of the last good direct-to-video sequels Disney made. Their attempt at a second Little Mermaid movie was actually the reason they stopped. It was too repetitive of the first movie. The third was only enjoyed because we finally found out what happened to Ariel’s mother and turned Triton against humans.

 Even though Wendy’s all grown up, two things about her haven't changed. She still tells the best bedtime stories in London and even though she’s happily married, I highly suspect Wendy still has a little bit of a crush on Peter, who handled the knowledge that his beloved “Wendy-Bird '' had not only grown up but gotten married surprisingly well. (I don’t think he fully understands what marriage means since like the rest of him, his intelligence hasn’t aged past about twelve either.)  

Okay, to be fair there was some initial awkwardness when they reunited for the first time in about twenty years. When Peter brought Jane home, while watching her daughter enthusiastically tell her little brother and their dog about the adventure, Wendy noticed him outside the nursery window, and they met up again. She assured him that she hadn’t changed on the inside, just on the outside and that just because she’s all grown up doesn’t mean she doesn’t believe in him. 

Peter let Wendy know that he still accepted her as a friend, even as an adult, by doffing his hat and bowing, calling her “madam”, and she gave him a curtsy in return, completing the ritual they’d shared years ago aboard (and partially above) the deck of the Jolly Roger. They get along better than most adult exes! I guess he and Tinkerbelle have matured a little since the group saw each other last. I mention this because Tinkerbelle flew up to Wendy on her own and gave her a light coating of pixie dust, allowing Wendy to levitate a few inches off the floor for a moment for pure nostalgia’s sake, so I think Tink’s finally gotten over being jealous. 

The reason I freaked myself out overthinking this plot detail is because during traumatic events, most people, especially children, turn to their family for support and these people were denied that. 

Having the unconditional loving and understanding support of your family during a traumatic event, such as while grieving the loss of someone you love should be a standard part of life not a luxury! I’d lose my mind if I had to go through the inevitable anxiety these situations would cause by myself!

  Although, I wish Walt Disney really did edit the ending of WWII. If he did, it would’ve ended sooner, and I’d ask him to at least grant my great-grandmother a wish she’d had for almost sixty years come true. To tell her brother how proud she and their sisters were of him.