very true
very true
"It's all the work of the ticking crocodile, isn't it? Time is chasing after all of us..."
This is a common theory, but actually Hook was supposed to be played by MRS. DARLING, until a last minute change rested the weight on Mr. Gerald du Maurier, Sylvia Llywelyn Davies' brother. Considering this, the parallel between one character and the other could hardly have the thought behind the characters, tho it may have been a deciding factor in the change in casting.
What about Peter Pan, James Hook and Mr Darling representing the paradox (or will be call it a tripadox?) in J.M. Barrie? The author probably wasn't a very "regular" guy for his time and for his community. His mum would love him to be a Mr Darling, but wasn't there a trace of Captain Cook in him? Would it be wrong to say all men are Peter Pans to different degrees? Those Peter Pans are required to grow up. The choices they make as they grow up brings them closer to turning into either a Mr Darling, or a Captain Cook. Wendies need to grow up, too. For this to happen, they need to encounter Captain Hooks. Only then they can mature to make judgements about what is good, what is better) J.M. Barrie's Wendy chooses to go back to dad's home representing "Order" and "Conservatism". If she had chosen Captain Hook, the book would have been a scandal in its time! Yet, do we not sense J.M. Barrie is pointing to the fact that Wendy will always remember her adventure in Never Never land as the most exciting part of her life?
"It's all the work of the ticking crocodile, isn't it? Time is chasing after all of us..."
Ok so what I got from the whole hook being her father this is this: When they all first are talking about Neverland you know how they each have a different version of it? Well this could just be peters version with the part of him hating her father. Because Neerland is really a dreamland that they can actually go to. If that makes since. So in peters "dream" version hook is her father while he is also really on the mainland
as far as im aware Hook in Peter Pan is Long John Silver from R L Stevensons treasure island
I'm pretty sure that at least on one level it's supposed to be an allegory. Hook represents Wendy's father and his hatred of Peter Pan is a dislike/distrust of a potential boyfriend who's a bit of a waster (maybe even first boyfriend). Wendy is still a child, hence the childlike representations of the situation, but she is also on the cusp of adulthood, hence her testing and roleplaying the role of mother. Peter is immature and unable to grow up and when Wendy is older, the right age, she marries sensibly.
Mr Darling and Captain Hook are pretty much always doubled in stage and film versions- I'm not sure if it's the same in the book but in a recent musical production, Hook has the same reaction to taking the medicine as Mr Darling does.
Doubling Hook with Mrs Darling seems like a clumsier version of the same allegory, which makes much more sense when Mr Darling doubles up as Hook.
Last edited by kelby_lake; 07-28-2010 at 08:01 AM.
This question has been bugging me for a while too.
Capt. Hook did go to Eton. J.M. Barrie added more to the character in his speech at Eton "Captain Hook at Eton". This can be found in the book "M'Connachie and J.M.B.: Speeches".
What if he's the personification of adults? Hook's question to Peter in the final battle is; "Pan, who and what art thou?", Peter replies, "I'm youth, I'm joy. I'm a little bird that has broken out of the egg." If Peter Pan represents youth and joy, then Hook could be his opposite, representing adulthood and work (or something like this). Of course, right after that, the narrator says, "This, of course, was nonsense,". (All quotes in chapter 16).
Other fictional Old Etonians (listed on their website) include James Bond, Bertie Wooster and Tarzan.
http://www.etoncollege.com/FictionalOEs.aspx
Last edited by Jackson Richardson; 07-30-2015 at 12:42 PM. Reason: Add website
Previously JonathanB
The more I read, the more I shall covet to read. Robert Burton The Anatomy of Melancholy Partion3, Section 1, Member 1, Subsection 1