What does Wendy want?

[Dr. Pan]

What do you think Wendy wants?

Why does she go to Never Land? What does she want from Peter? Why does she decide to leave Never Land, is it just that she is afraid her parents have forgotten her, or is it something more?

[Slightly]

Wendey goes to neverland to be with Peter and see the mermaids. She basicly had a crush on him but remember it was Peter who convinced her into going in the first place it wasnt like she asked him if he could take her to Never land. She decides to leave Neverland when she relizes SHE had forgotten her parents not that her parents had forgotten her. (Remember: Never land makes you forget). She wanted to see her mother and father and was supprised that her brothers had completely forgotten them and that made her worry she would forget them too. Then she starts talking about them and before you Know it everyone (the lost boys) wants to have a mother and father so they all go back to the mainland and leave Peter on Never land. But soon they (the lost boys) relize that it was a big misstake.

[Makaira]

Peter came first and foremost because he lost his shadow - he lost a bit of himself getting to close to the darling family. Second becasue of the stories he heard Mrs Darling tell - including those about himself. He found out what happened with Cinderella and was about to leave Wendy to tell the lost boys the happy ending... excerpt below

"Don't go Peter" Wendy entreated "I know such lots of stories."
Those were her precise words, so there can be no denying that it was she who first temted him.

I love how barrie says Wendy tempted him, just as Eve ...just as women in general perhaps ...but later Peter tempts her by telling her about flying and the mermaids, but more importantly how they would all respect her...as well as other purposes of tucking them in at night and darning socks and sewing pockets. He gave her a purpose...I suppose what every woman wants

She leaves Neverland after she tells her story ofher own parents and how they came to be - the decendants. In her story she rolls time forward to see her own future...when she became a lady and still saw the faith of her own mother's love for her return back from neverland. peter however had a disdain for mothers, for his own had shut him out...Barrie's mother did too. the boys and Wendy got scared of being shut out forever and so they decided to leave before it was too late.

[Dr. Pan]

It's interesting that you and Slightly have different ideas on who tempted whom. Wendy tempts Peter to stay, but Peter tempts her to go.

I always believed that Wendy wants to go, it is her fear of growing up and desire to grow up all at once that drives her. She gets both, to be a child forever and never have to deal with the stressors of growing up, yet she gets to be mother to a brood who whorship her, she is nearly lightheaded at the thought of all these boys who "need" her and are dependent on her, giving her great power. But what she discovers it is not the power that is the appeal of being an adult, it is the depth of relationship that she wants. She wants intimacy and affection. They share many "thimbles" we are told, so it's not physical but emotional closeness she seeks, but Peter is only able to prtend to give this, because if he ever did for real he would have grow up and that would be the end of Pan. I think Wendy goes back not because she fears she has forgotten or her parents or them her, but she has accepted growing up, that adds a whole new meaning to why she has brought a lot of boys home with her.

[Makaira]

I also believe as you said after her adventure she understands she mustgrow up - as it is stated in the first chapter when her mother reiterates the balnk unholy truth of hvaing children is watching them grow old. But in the last hapter something in her heart still beakons to Peter and after a while he soon forgets her, until another young girls heart calls to him - as her daughter jane.