J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan initially has the take of the children’s story about a boy who never wants to grow up, but as one goes deeper into the story, one can see themes such as the idealization of motherhood. Although motherhood and the idea of a mother are wholly idealized throughout Peter Pan, it is this motherhood that prevents Peter Pan and others from maturing into responsible adulthood.

Both the beginning and the end of this book go back to the nursery, an important place of the Darling household. This is where the Darling children, Wendy, John, and Michael, sleep and are taken care for by the motherly figures of Mrs. Darling, Liza, and a dog called Nana. The fact that Barrie shows this location in such a parallel is indicative of the importance of the domestic life, and the motherly rearing of one’s children. Even after the Darling children go on their adventures to the Never Land, they come back to the womb of the nursery room to be taken care of (except for Wendy, who goes back to the Never Land; Wendy is a special case to be explained).

From the beginning of this book, besides this parallel, we see the idealization of motherhood. Mrs. Darling is described as the “loveliest lady,” (3) a sweet kind mother who is nice to her children. She dresses in a gown that the children love to see her in, she dresses in, she sacrifices her wedding gown to create coverlets for the children’s beds, and she is always playful with her children, such as when she jokes with Michael that she will be his mother if Wendy and John (playing a husband/wife game) do not want her. She describes her children as “sweet” (5) and has a full enjoyment of being with her children. She also shows motherly concern for her children, such as her alerting of Mr. Darling when Peter Pan breaks into their house the first time (Mrs. Darling thinking it was some robber who might hurt her children) and also when she leaves the window open near the end of the story so that her children can come back home from Never Land.

We also see Barrie’s idealization of motherhood in the fact that Peter Pan wants a mother. He comes into the nursery with Tinkerbell to seek out Wendy, who would make the perfect mother. Wendy is someone who already has the intentions of domesticity, as seen in her husband/wife game with her brother John. Wendy also sews on Peter’s shadow (showing another domestic connection) and acts in a sweet, motherly way towards Peter, as opposed to a childish, romantic way.

When Wendy comes to the Never Land, we see more of motherhood being idealized. One of the Lost Boys, called Omnes, directly tells Wendy that the Lost Boys and Peter need “a nice motherly person” (31). The Lost Boys and Peter even build a beautiful house for Wendy to live in, and are constantly obedient to Wendy, like children being obedient to their mothers. Indeed, Wendy takes motherhood to a new level, being responsible and decent towards her children. She relates to them a story about herself, feeds them with “pretend” food, and makes sure that the Lost Boys are clean and go to bed. She is also supportive of “children”, allowing them to dance to express themselves and praising Peter (also her “child”) when he brings in “Two tigers and a pirate” as sport, saying “They are beauties” (44).

Throughout the book, as these examples show, motherhood is made to look fun and cool, with Barrie not delving into the baneful parts of being a mother, such as taking care of rowdy, disrespectful children. Instead, all the children in this book are extremely obedient to what their mothers have to say, especially the Lost Boys. Although Michael and John sometimes show disobedience to Mrs. Darling (such as not wanting to take a bath), there is no indication that Mrs. Darling gets furious or stressed at them for it. Even with this slight exception, the children generally represent the archetype of the innocent, obedient child.

But the one thing that Barrie cannot hide about motherhood is that it causes Peter and the Lost Boys (including the Darling boys) to not assume responsibility for themselves. Peter never seriously takes care of the Lost Boys himself, and instead goes on his childish tirades to fight Hook and the pirates (who actually could represent adulthood, or to some, the Evil Father), which to him are actually fun. In fact, that is why he has to go recruit Wendy to become a mother to the Lost Boys and himself. Recurring throughout the text is Peter’s desire to “always to be a little boy and to have fun” (49, 68). Peter also says how he “don’t want to go to school and learn solemn things” (68). This irresponsibility and undesired for a productive life and working for others makes him (and the Lost Boys, who think like Peter do since they are not allowed to think better than Peter) dependent on an adult-like mother figure and does not allow him to grow. Even when Wendy leaves Never Land to go back home, she promises to come every year to Never Land and perform “your [Peter’s] spring cleaning” (68). The Darling family, to be taken care of by the matriarchy of the Darling household, adopts all the Lost Boys. In essence, none of these boys grow or mature at all throughout the book, and are left in a state of false, childlike innocence and irresponsibility.

Likewise, the only child who does grow and become responsible is Wendy, as she does not make herself dependent on a motherly figure. When she is put into a position of responsibility of Peter and the Lost Boys, she guides the children and acts decently towards them. She also makes the decision to go back home so that Mrs. Darling will not be in worry of her children, a decision that her irresponsible brothers cannot make. Peter, in a state of stupid childhood, tries to bar the window of the Darling house so that Wendy cannot do the responsible thing and go back to her mother, but in a twist of irony, it is Peter’s stupid childhood that causes him to open the window to leave for Never Land and thus allow Wendy and her brothers back home. Also, the text actually refers to Wendy growing (Peter “expressed displeasure at her growth” (69)) and how the growth prevents her from being able to see Peter very good. The imagery of aging is also seen by how Wendy needs a broomstick to be able to fly (symbolic of an old witch or a cane) to Never Land. None of the Lost Boys, Peter, or the Darling brothers are ever referred to as growing.

Although the motherliness of Mrs. Darling, Wendy, and others hinders the maturity of Peter and the other boys, the gentleness that these mothers provide is unprecedented and beautiful. Compared to Hook, who makes his victims walk the plank to their death, these women and women-figures assume positions of niceness and nurture. Also, it may be that such childhood innocence with a motherly figure is the answer to a dark, dangerous, and dismal world.