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A review by pixelatlantis
Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
1.0
I really wanted to like this book but, despite all the positive reviews it has, it is not a nice book. I honestly don't know why people would want to read it to their children...
For starters it is racist. The book not only calls Native Americans 'redskins' but it also calls them 'savages'. If you are still in doubt about this book being racist then read this direct quote which talks about when the Native Americans are guarding Peter's house - 'They called Peter the Great White Father, prostrating themselves before him; and he liked this tremendously'. There are many more instances like this in the book and I hated reading them (I only completed the book because I wanted to leave a proper review advising people to avoid it at all costs!).
The book is also rather sexist. Peter convinces Wendy to go with him to Neverland by telling her that she can tuck them all in at night and darn their clothes because only a girl or woman can do those things. Wendy is shown to be very enthusiastic about this and indeed, she spends the whole book looking after them by cooking, cleaning, sewing, etc. She never seems to think about anything she would like to do (minus speaking to the mermaids but she doesn't actually end up being able to do this). All she is ever viewed as is a mother and any character that wants to be near her in any capacity, are shown to do so because she is female and could be a mother to them. Because women can't be anything other than mothers can they? And they can't have their own desires and adventures seemingly...
I would give this book a pass if you are thinking of reading it yourself or reading it to children.
For starters it is racist. The book not only calls Native Americans 'redskins' but it also calls them 'savages'. If you are still in doubt about this book being racist then read this direct quote which talks about when the Native Americans are guarding Peter's house - 'They called Peter the Great White Father, prostrating themselves before him; and he liked this tremendously'. There are many more instances like this in the book and I hated reading them (I only completed the book because I wanted to leave a proper review advising people to avoid it at all costs!).
The book is also rather sexist. Peter convinces Wendy to go with him to Neverland by telling her that she can tuck them all in at night and darn their clothes because only a girl or woman can do those things. Wendy is shown to be very enthusiastic about this and indeed, she spends the whole book looking after them by cooking, cleaning, sewing, etc. She never seems to think about anything she would like to do (minus speaking to the mermaids but she doesn't actually end up being able to do this). All she is ever viewed as is a mother and any character that wants to be near her in any capacity, are shown to do so because she is female and could be a mother to them. Because women can't be anything other than mothers can they? And they can't have their own desires and adventures seemingly...
Spoiler
To make things even worse, once the Darlings have left Neverland Peter only wants to see Wendy so that come back to Neverland once a year to do his spring cleaning. When she grows up, he takes her daughter to clean instead and the reader is told that this job will pass down their line to all the daughters. Why can't Peter do his own cleaning? And why does it always have to be the girls that have to clean for him?I would give this book a pass if you are thinking of reading it yourself or reading it to children.