Original artwork, not a still
All children, except one, grow up.
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
A single sentence that sets up the whole book: childhood is a short door, and one boy has refused to walk through it. Barrie hides the sadness inside a light, almost jokey voice, and readers have been quoting it ever since, usually fondly, sometimes with a shiver. It is the thesis for every Peter Pan retelling, and the root of the phrase 'Peter Pan syndrome'.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Peter PanShow the scene
These are the first words of J. M. Barrie's novel, the opening of Chapter 1, 'Peter Breaks Through'. Barrie introduces the Darling family by saying that every child grows up except one, and that Wendy found out when she was two. Playing in a garden, she picked a flower and ran with it to her mother, who put a hand to her heart and cried that she wished Wendy could stay like that for ever. 'Two is the beginning of the end,' the narrator adds, and the story moves on to the family's home at number 14. The Project Gutenberg text matches the 1911 first edition.
Sources (1)
- Project Gutenberg, Peter Pan by J. M. BarrieChapter I, Peter Breaks Through, opening paragraphsReference checked
Context reviewed
