Original artwork, not a still
If you believe, clap your hands; don't let Tink die.
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
The moment turns the reader into a character: Barrie asks them directly to save a fairy, and in theatres the audience claps along. It is the book's best-known act of faith and why Peter Pan works as a shared experience. The phrase has become shorthand for needing people to believe in something for it to live.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Peter PanShow the scene
In Chapter 13, 'Do You Believe in Fairies?', Hook has left poison in Peter's medicine and Tinker Bell has drunk it herself to save him. Dying in her tiny room, her light fading, she whispers that she could get well if children believed in fairies. Peter flings out his arms and calls to every boy and girl dreaming of the Neverland, and shouts that they should clap their hands if they believe. Many clap, some do not, a few beasts hiss, and Tink recovers at once, though she would like to get at the ones who hissed.
Sources (1)
- Project Gutenberg, Peter Pan by J. M. BarrieChapter XIII, Do You Believe in Fairies?Reference checked
Context reviewed
