Wendy and Peter Pan

Peter Pan might have refused to grow up, but Wendy Darling has certainly grown and changed since she made her appearance in J.M. Barrie’s novel. Set in the Victorian era, Wendy Darling was created to perfectly fit the values of that society. The “cult of the little child” became a true literary trend of the time, which mirrored the Victorian attitude toward life. Many writers of the time, including Barrie, were fascinated with the childish status and even envied the innocence and purity that belongs to the little ones. Books written through the eyes of children for an adult audience became a way to escape everyday life.