Peter Pan quickly overshadowed his previous work and although he continued to write successfully, it became his best-known work, credited with popularizing the name Wendy, which was very uncommon previously. Barrie unofficially adopted the Davies boys following the deaths of their parents. Before his death, he gave the rights to the Peter Pan works to Great Ormond Street Hospital, which continues to benefit from them.
The first appearance of Peter Pan came in The Little White Bird, which was serialised in the United States, then published in a single volume in the UK in 1901.
TIME:
Although James Barrie was born in Scotland, he moved to London, where he developed a career as a novelist and playwright. In England, the queen Victoria had the longest reign with 64 years of government in the history of the British monarches, and the cultural, political, economic, industrial and scientific changes that happened during his reign were notable. When Victory ascended to the throne, England was essentially agrarian and rural; to his death, the country was highly industrialized. Between 1860 and 1870 the industrial revolution happens. The children must go to the school, but families need money, some children don´t go to school. For this one installs a Foster´s Law (1870): Obligatory education. Children to be educated at school.
The literature was a very popular way of amusing itself in the Victorian Epoch and big writers arose. In children´s literature, the writers write for girls and for boys. Normally, woman writer write for girls. The type of book for girls is a domestic history: In house, with a family… The type of book for boys is an adventure books. These topics were faraway places. The girls read adventure´s books hidden.
In 1854 Charles Dickens publishes Oliver Twist. This book is a very famous because is a real boy the center of novel. This is a big innovation.
PETER PAN
SETTING:
The story begins in London, a most important city of Europe in nineteenth century. Here lives a good family with three children. Next, the children travel to Neverland, a remote place with a magical people: Peter Pan, a boy that doesn´t grow up and he can fly, other children that don´t wish to grow up, a fairy, pirates…
In Neverland there are not parents. Children are free. They can do what they want.
CHARACTERISATION:
Main characters
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Peter Pan: He is a magical boy that he doesn´t want grow up. He want be child always. He can fly. It is a 13 year old, blonde hair, brown and green eyes, but in the other books, his eyes are blue. He is brave, proud and arrogant, is spoken in several books that people easily forget or things that was until a moment ago.He lives in Neverland, an away place where live more children without parents, fairies, mermaids... He lives with a fairy hidden on a tree because the Capitan Hook wants to catch. He doesn´t go to school in Neverland, all the days, he has a lot of adventures in Neverland with the Lost Boys and his fairy.
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Wendy Darling: She is a real character, Wendy expresses an innocent adoration for Peter as soon as they meet, and is honest to herself and company throughout the entire book. Among his dream Peter Pan appeared to him several days later but who knows really. As a girl who is beginning to "grow up", she stands in contrast to Peter Pan, a boy who refuses to do. Wendy is a girl very responsible. Both Peter Hook love her as a mother, for her talent for storytelling and for his great love and sensitivity. After returning home, she stays in the house of his parents after the adoption of lost children. Officially has a daughter named Jane.She wishes live adventures with Peter Pan in Neverland. Once a year, she returns to the magical world.
Secondary characters
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Tinker Bell: Is the Peter Pan fairy. She brings up Peter, friend accompanying him and protects him in his adventures. Though sometimes ill-tempered, spoiled, and very jealous and vindictive (getting the Lost Boys to shoot arrows at Wendy), at other times she is helpful and kind to Peter. Fairies cannot fly in the rain but can enable others to fly by sprinkling them with fairy dust.
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John and Michael Darling: They are brothers of Wendy. They go with her and Peter Pan to Neverland.
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Lost Boys: They are boys who fall out of their prams when the nurse isn't looking and were lost by their nannies in places such as Kensington Gardens. Having gone unclaimed for seven days, they were whisked off to Neverland, where they live with Peter Pan. They see Peter as their leader, since they are all younger than he. They are: Nibs, Curly, Slightly, Tootles and the Twins.There are no "lost girls", because (as Peter explains) girls are much too clever to fall out of their prams and be lost in this manner.
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Smee and the Pirates: They are the crew of the Jolly Roger at the command of Captain Hook. These include Bill Jukes, Starkey, Mullins, Cookson, Alf Mason, Cecco, and so on. Boatswain and Smee is Captain´s right arm.
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Tiger and the Indians: Ocelot is the young princess Piccaninny Clan. It causes jealousy and envy of Wendy and Tinker Bell, because he is in love with Peter. In other books, her love for Peter is re-directed to John.
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George and Mary Darling: They are the parents of Wendy, John and Michael, are as responsible adults. George works in a bank and cause some surprise or fear of Wendy. What your children do not know is that George was a friend of Peter Pan and one of the founders of the Lost Boys. Concerning Mary, mentioned in the book has a "special kiss" on the cheek led to someone special that also has the same turn and Wendy, his daughter Jane.
NARRATIVE PROGRESSION:
The narration is lineal. The parents go out and the children go to bed. Wendy has hidden the shadow of Peter Pan. He enters Wendy's room and invites her to travel with him to Neverland. In Neverland, all adventures happen in one night. When de Darling brothers come home, they must go to sleep.
LANGUAGE
The language is simple. The book is easy to read. There are not complex language, the book is intended for children and performed by children (Wendy, Peter Pan, Lost Boys ...) that recognizable words for children.
PLOT
Peter Pan is a magical boy who refuses to grow up. He lived in Neverland with other children, the Lost Boys. Peter Pan meets Wendy, a girl that lives in London, when he is looking for his shadow. Peter flies into the window of the Darling, because he liked the stories of Wendy, but Mrs. Darling who sees before Wendy and her brothers. Shortly afterwards he is mentioned as the child care and guide the souls of dead children soon beyond. Peter Pan brings Wendy and her brothers to Neverland, an away place. Here, they meet the Lost Boys and they are a lot of adventures, with the pirate Captain Hook. Darling brothers wish to go at home. Wendy invites Peter and the Lost Boys to come with them so they can be adopted. Peter refuses because he does not wish to grow up. Peter Pan went to London with Wendy and his brothers. Peter asks Wendy to return to Neverland with him, and Mrs. Darling agrees to allow Wendy to go back once a year to help Peter with his spring cleaning. Peter returns for Wendy any years, and he find that years have passed and that she is now a married woman with a daughter.
The most important conflict is save Peter Pan from Captain Hook. He wants is save Peter Pan from Captain Hook. He wants to kill him because he lost his hand with the crocodile. Other conflict is save the princess Picaninny, that she is kidnapped by Captain Hook.
DIFFERENCES: Peter Pan of Oz Vs. Film
There are not many differences between the James Barrie story and the first movie edited by Disney. A big difference between the book and the film is that, in the book, the Lost Boys leave Neverland and grow up, but in the Disney movies, they are merely tempted to do so, and change their minds eventually, choosing to remain with Peter Pan. In Return to Neverland, which takes place many years later, they are still with Peter, and have remained children.
4. PART B – THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ:
AUTHOR: L. FRANK BAUM
Lyman Frank Baum (1856-1919), American children's literature author, playwright and journalist, whose best-known book is The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900). Baum's stories about the imaginary Land of Oz belong to the classics of fantasy literature.
Until the age of twelve, Baum was privately tutored at home. In the late 1860s, he spent two years at military academy, where he learned to loathe the rigid discipline. In 1873 Baum became a reporter, two years later he founded a weekly. Baum left journalism to earn his living as an actor. In 1882 he married Maud Gage; they had four sons. Baum returned in 1883 to the family oil business and worked as a salesman. Then he worked in others sales positions.
Baum made his debut as a novelist with Mother Goose in Prose (1897), based on stories told to his own children. In the preface Baum wrote that he wanted to create modern fairy tales, and not scare children like the Brothers Grimm did. Over the next 19 years Baum produced 62 books, most of them for children. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was published at Baum's own expense and sold 90,000 copies in the first two years. Upon his success, Baum produced sequels for the rest of his life. He also wrote under numerous pseudonyms, the most important were Edith Van Dyne (24 books for girls) and Floyd Akers (6 books for boys).
Born with a congenitally weak heart, Baum was ill through much of his life. He died on May 6, 1919, in Hollywood, where he had moved to a house he called Ozcot.
TIME:
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz's historical context, reflects the issues and concerns of its day--the United States at the end of the nineteenth century. Baum's classic was first published in 1900, a time when the United States was in a tremendous state of flux, its rural, agrarian society steadily giving way to cities and factories. Some Americans championed the new urban/industrial order, while others mourned the loss of a more traditional life and the values and virtues that had accompanied it. For scholars, the Yellow Brick Road forks at this point; some see The Wonderful Wizard of Oz as supporting the old against the new, while others see just the opposite. Baum's penchant for political satire was evidenced. The numerous parallels and analogies between the Oz story and contemporary politics were far too consistent to be coincidental, producing a gentle and friendly critique.
THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ
SETTING:
At first in the story, Dorothy is in her home town, in the great plains of the state of Kansas; in the environs of Omaha, Nebraska, but ends up in the land of oz because of a twister.
Kansas is significant because it represents Dorothy’s reality and the place where she must face all of her problems and the injustices of the world where she lives. It also is the place where Dorothy eventually realizes that is the place where she always wanted to stay.
Oz is significant to the setting because this is the land “somewhere over the rainbow” where Dorothy dreams to live when she was in Kansas and where she assumed there would be no problems, but soon discovers she was wrong, there are just as many problems to face there as there was in Kansas.
The settings in the land of oz are the Blue Munchkin Country of the East, the Green Country of the Emerald City, the Red Quadling Country of the South, the Yellow Winkie Country of the West in the lands of Oz, the witches castle, and the yellow brick road.
CHARACTERISATION:
Although there are five main characters, Toto, Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman and the Cowardly Lion, deserve to be mentioned also other characters such as evil witches, good witches, the great Oz ... in short, a host of characters with wonderful anecdotes.
Main Characters
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Dorothy: Dorothy is a little orphan girl of eleven years old, who wants immensely to his little puppy Toto, is the star and face with courage and determination to the difficulties are imposed, without having a moment of weakness in his journey. Always determined, facing all the dangers, though not without some fear into them. Dorothy's desire throughout history is to go home, desire which she finally fulfilled.
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Toto: Friendly little dog that delights and entertains with his exploits at all times to the reader, making entertaining, funny and sweet to the novel. This funny character accompany his mistress at all times, from the cyclone to the back to home, supporting her always.
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The Scarecrow: Is a sympathetic character who accompanies Dorothy from the moment she picked him up from the cornfield until it returns to Kansas. Despite having no brain, the Scarecrow shows a great intelligence throughout the history. He ends up feeling more important, and finally comes to govern his country.
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The Tin Woodman: After a torrential rain which caught him off guard, he remained oxidized until Dorothy and the Scarecrow saved him. Therefore he accompanied them to the end. The Tin Woodman is, despite having no heart, kind and friendly, alwyas trying to not hurt anyone. The overwhelming goodness of the woodman allows him, after the death of the Wicked Witch of the West, to govern her country.
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The Cowardly Lion: He's a cowardly lion, fearful and unhappy fearing every living thing. Like all cowardly, he doesn´t seems to be like this, but Dorothy discovers it with a slap, after he tried to catch Toto. The Lion, regardless of their cowardice, saves Dorothy and her friends more than once. The Lion gets its desired value, after having self-confidence, becoming King of the Beasts.
Secondary Characters:
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Aunt Em and Uncle Henry: Are Dorothy's aunt and uncle. They are hard working farmers and little cheerful. They live attached to their farm, but without neglecting his niece, both of them love her very much and glad when Dorothy returns safely home.
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The Wicked Witch of the East: She was murdered accidentally by Dorothy when the house fell over her. Munchkins gave to Dorothy her silver slippers.
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The Witch of the North: The friendly witch in the north, is an old woman, solidary and respectful woman. She helps Dorothy to find the way to get home by the yellow brick road in the land of the Munchkins.
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Munchkins: Inhabitants of the Eastern Country, were governed and slaves of the Wicked Witch of the East, who was murdered by Dorothy when the house fell over her. They are kind and friendly. His favorite color is blue, a color that stands out in the Eastern land of Oz.
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Boq: One of the richest Munchkins who invited Dorothy to attend to a party organized in his same house after the fact to be free after the prolonged slavery. Boq is a kind-hearted citizen.
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Kalidahs: Monstrous beasts with bears' bodies and tigers' heads, with long and sharp claws. They were next to kill the small group, but they eventually escaped.
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The Stork: It is a curious and charitable character who saved the Scarecrow for a raging river when he had fallen into the water, bringing him hanging from its long beak.
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The Queen of the Mice and her subjects: The Queen of the mice is not arrogant and is very respectful, like her subjects. They saved the Lion of the field of poppies.
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The inhabitants of the Emerald City: Good-natured, curious and grateful for the favors they had given from Oz for a long time ago.
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The Guardian of the gate: He had the function to open the door between the Emerald City from the rest of the kingdom. It's easygoing, friendly, good instructor and counselor, he follows the orders of his master attentively.
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The Soldier: It is the soldier who sends messages outside to Oz and answers the question to people who made it. It is not talkative, he follows strictly the orders of the wizard.
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The green Maiden: Careful and sweet, she follows faithfully the orders given, although its main function is to care for foreign visitors who arrive to the castle of Oz.
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Wizard of Oz: Elderly man, from Omaha. He came to the Emerald City in balloon accident and was considered a great magician. So, with his fake power, he built the Emerald City and he built the glasses which all the inhabitants must used for saw all in green. With Dorothy's visit he was discovered.
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The Wicked Witch of the West: It is a cold-blooded evil character who is afraid of the dark and water, and this is her weak point. She tries to take Dorothy´s silver slippers and eventually dies on by contact with water, because of Dorothy, who wet her, melting her and freeing the Winkies again.
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The Winkies: They had been enslaved by the Wicked Witch of the West for many years. They are grateful and sympathetic characters, very quick-minded but fearful for themselves. His favorite color is yellow and so the whole region was based on that color.
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The Winged Monkeys: They are mischievous and malicious, they serve to the holder of the Golden Cap, which in the hands of the Evil Witch of the West, she forced them to enslave the Winkies. The Winged Monkeys become free, thanks to the Witch of the South: Glinda.
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Trees Warriors: They are trees that have the property to move the branches to keep out intruders who wish to enter the forest. Finally, the friends were able to overcome this obstacle thanks to the Tin Woodman.
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Delicates inhabitants of the Land of Porcelain: These delicate, soft and shiny white emoticon characters were made of porcelain. They are small characters, the most importants are the Dairy, the Princess and Mr. Joker.
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The Hammer Heads: After the Land of Porcelain, the group met in a forest where later the Lion became in King of Beasts. Leaving the forest, they found with small and robust creatures with a huge head. The friends managed to dodge them thanks to the Winged Monkeys.
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The Quadlings: His favorite color is red. They are plump, small and good-humored, with a very prosperous and well kept country. One family told Dorothy the way to the castle of Glinda.
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Glinda: She is the Good Witch of the South, is a beautiful and young girl. In exchange for helping Dorothy she asked for the Golden Cap. Glinda asked to Dorothy's companions what are they going to do. Then, each of them said the land where they will govern and she asked for the Winged Monkeys that led to each traveler to where they will reign, and then she handed the Golden Cap to the Winged Monkeys, leaving them free forever. Dorothy only had to unite the heels of the silver slippers three times and then she could back to home.
As well, each of the characters earned and achieved their desires. Dorothy returned to home, with her Aunt Em and Henry, his uncle, and she was happy with his family at home.
NARRATIVE PROGRESSION:
The book follows the next narrative progression:
A Tornado causes Dorothy to be swept into land of OZ, and now she needs to find her way back to Kansas. Dorothy thinks that life will be better in someplace else ("over the rainbow"), so she runs away from home, gets caught in the tornado, and ends up “over the rainbow” in another world, now desperate to find her way to home.
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Complications events (crisis problem):
The Wicked Witch of West wants the Silver Slippers. Dorothy meets three friends who are searching for qualities whose they need, but think they don’t possess, they accompany the girl to meet the Wizard and ask him for help. Dorothy is chased by the Wicked Witch who is trying to get the silver slippers (things are not as great as she thought they would be someplace else). She has to kill the Wicked Witch and gets the witch’s broom in order to get help from the Wizard.
The Wicked Witch of West captures Dorothy, she will die when the sand in the hourglass runs out. Dorothy realizes for the consequences of her actions (Auntie Em is sick with worry), and realizes she may die. Her three friends help Dorothy to run away, and save her life.
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Conclusion (Resolution to the original conflict):
Dorothy kills the witch, gets help from the Wizard, and returns home realizing home was always where her heart was. The Tin Woodman, the Cowardly Lion, and the Scarecrow realize that they always have possesses the qualities they were seeking. Dorothy comes back to home.
LANGUAGE:
It is a readable book for children as it is very entertaining. Moves away from unpleasant situations. Always located in places filled with colorful, where at first appearance didn't represent any danger. It has the typical structure of fairy tales. The author uses a lot of description to describe the colorful and all the nice things in the landscape and entertain the reader as well. Each situation is always preceded by an introduction that makes the child to escape their daily reality and leaves immersed in a world of imagination and fantasy that gives satisfaction. The author moves away from subjectivity to avoid mistakes in the child reading, as also the low usage of literary figures difficult to read. It has a simple style devoid of ornamentation and direct language which leads us into a fantasy world. History has no final moral as in the previous fairy tales, but include the morality that characterizes modern society. All the book is based mainly on the chain of events that instruct the reader in his principles and morals. The main moralities are basically refer to good deeds to be performed with the people, and if performed this good deeds, we could achieve our goals.
PLOT:
Dorothy and her dog Toto are parted from Dorothy’s uncle and aunt, thanks to a cyclone which takes the whole house away. Uncle and aunt stayed in the farm because they hide themselves in the cellar while Dorothy arrives late to get in. The house lands up in the middle of a beautiful and colorful country. The country is called the ‘the Land of Munchkins’. When the house landed on the Wicked Witch of East she got killed, then people (dwarfs) of the country were very grateful to Dorothy as she freed them from witch’s slavery. She is told that there are four witches in the Land of Oz: North and South witches are good while the other two are evil. Dorothy gets scared by what is told to her and wants to get back to home. The munchkins give her the magic shoes of the dead witch and ask her to go to the Wizard of Oz, who might of be help to Dorothy.
Dorothy starts her long journey. After a few miles, she finds a scarecrow. Dorothy tells him about the Wizard and his powers. The Scarecrow decides to accompany her, he expects to get a brain from the wizard. Now they carry on with their journey when they meet a Tin Woodman who can’t move because whole of his body is rusted. Dorothy oils his body and he can move now. He requests Dorothy to take him along to the Wizard, so that he can ask for a heart from him. As they go ahead they encounter a lion, who tries to scare them but Dorothy slaps him when he tries to attack Toto. He gets afraid and confesses that he is a cowardly lion. He wants to come along to get courage from the wizard. The five of them after countering many problems reach the Emerald City, where the wizard lives. He asks them to meet him. The wizard who has the ability to take different shapes, says that he would help them if they kill the wicked witch of west.
As they head towards the west, the witch tries different methods to kill them, but they are saved because of their bravery and brains. The witch now asks the winged monkeys to capture them. She sees the silver shoes in Dorothy’s feet and wants them but Dorothy refuses. She gets annoyed and puts Dorothy to sweep the floors. Dorothy stumbles and one of her shoes comes off. The witch grabs it. Dorothy, out of anger, throws a bucket full of water and the witch dies melted. Now they head back to the Oz and find that the wizard is not a magician. The wizard did everything he could to satisfy them. All were satisfied with what wizard could provide them, but Dorothy couldn’t find a way to back home. The wizard arranges for a balloon in which Dorothy can return to Kansas, but the balloon after breaking the ropes goes up without Dorothy.
Now they have only one hope: Glinda, the witch of south. All her friends accompany Dorothy to the south. They face a lot of troubles, but finally reach Glinda, who tells Dorothy that the magic shoes she is wearing have the power to take her wherever she wants to go. Dorothy gets happy and does what she is told. She reaches Kansas and is really happy.
DIFFERENCES: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Vs. Film
The plot within the novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and the film The Wizard of Oz differ greatly.
The first thing which the film and the novel differ is in the characterization of the various characters in the tale. The novel briefly describes each character while the film gives all the major characters dual roles: one for reality and one for Dorothy's fantasy. Several characters are introduced before Dorothy encounters in Oz which include the farmers named Hunk, Hickory, and Zeke, Mrs. Gulch, and the marvel fortune-teller. Later when Dorthy enters the land of Oz, the people that she knew at her home in Kansas transform into the characters in the land of Oz. Hunk becomes the Scarecrow, Hickory into the Tin Woodman, Zeke is the Cowardly Lion, Mrs. Gulch into the Wicked Witch of the West and the fortune-teller in the Wizard of Oz.
Next, the book makes honors to the fantasy rule that the fantasy element must stay throughout the book and must not take this fantasy element out at the conclusion of the story. Unfortunately, the film does not honor this crucial rule. In the novel, Dorothy is actually taken to her home back in Kansas after clicking the heels of her magical shoes together, while in the movie Dorothy recovers from a deep sleep resulting from a bump on the head during the cyclone. She soon realizes that Oz is merely a dream. Other aspects that are original to the book are listed below.
- Oz has the ability to change form. We see him transform to a head, a lovely maiden and a ball of fire.
- The color of Dorthy's shoes are silver in the book, not are ruby.
- Everything is green in the Emerald City. Everyone must wear spectacles so that everyone and everything appears green.
- Kalidahs don´t appear in the film. These animals are half tiger and half bear.
- Even though the book contains the winged monkeys, they are only called at the command of a magical cap. The monkeys must be called three times with the magical cap.
- When the Cowardly Lion falls into a deadly sleep in the field of poppies, a group of field mice rescue him by pulling him out of the field with bits of string.
- The book contains the country of Quadlings, in this land all things are breakable.
- The Scarecrow is almost destroyed when the four friends are travel on a raft. He sticks in a pole in the water and the raft travels in the other direction. At last, a stork rescues him.
- The Witch plays a relatively small role in the book. We meet the Witch of the West in the second half of the story. In the film, however, the witch practically drives the entire plot.
5. COMPARISON – SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES:
SIMILARITIES:
- Dorothy and Wendy, two girls are the main characters.
- Neverland and Oz, the main characters travel to far away and imaginaries places.
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Dorothy and Wendy have pets. Toto is Dorothy´s dog and Nana is a dog of Darling family.
- Dorothy and Wendy wish go home, from the far away places: Oz and Neverland.
- The munchkins give the magic shoes to Dorothy; Wendy and his brothers need fairy dust for to can fly. Fairy elements.
DIFFERENCES:
- Dorothy has a difficult live without parents and Wendy has a good live with his family in London.
- A Tornado causes Dorothy to be swept into Land of Oz, and she needs to find her way back to Kansas. Wendy goes to Neverland because she wants to meet it.
- Dorothy kills the witch, the wicked character of Wizard of Oz; and in Peter Pan, Wendy does not kill the bad character, Captain Hook, is Peter Pan who kills the Captain.
6. CONCLUSION:
We have enjoyed doing this work. We have met the two histories deeply: Peter Pan and the Wonderful Wizard of Oz and the more we knew we wanted to know more. It's amazing how two children's histories can have as many common elements and some very different. The two books are more important in the history of Children's Literature of the world.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
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Barrie, J. Peter Pan. Madrid: Todolibro, 1995.
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Barrie, J. Peter Pan. New York: Signet Classic, 1987.
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Barrie, J. Peter Pan. Poland: Czytamy, 2004.
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Baum, L. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. London: Everymans´s Library, 1992.
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Books and Writers (Petri Liukkonen & Ari Pesonen). Kuusankosken kaupunginkirjasto. 2008.
- The Fork in the Yellow Brick Road (David B. Parker). 49TH parallel: An Interdisciplinary Journal of North American Studies. 2000.
- Money and Politics in the Land of Oz (Quentin Taylor). The Independent Review: A Journal of Political Economy. 2005.
