Adults as well as children love Peter Pan, the mischievous boy who refuses to grow up. J.M. Barrie, a Scottish playwright, created the famous character to symbolize himself. Having suffered through a trying childhood, he regretted the abrupt lost of his own innocence and longed for a simple world where caprice and fantasy reigned. When J.M. brought Never Never Land to the stage, audiences responded with fervor. They stepped willingly into the magical land, obviously relishing the chance to shed the responsibilities of adulthood for the whimsical play of youth.
Peter Pan, J.M. Barrie’s most well-known tale, secured his place in literary history, proving him to be a master storyteller.
James Matthew Barrie was born on May 9, 1860, in the Lowland village of Kirriemuir, in Forfashire, Scotland. His father, David Barrie, worked as a handloom weaver. Margaret Ogilvy, his mother, was the daughter of a stonemason. Together, the couple had 10 children; J.M. was the ninth. As a young boy, J.M. listened raptly to Margaret’s stories of her girlhood, vowing that someday he would spin tales of his own. When he was 6 years old, J.M.’s peaceful world shattered when his older brother died in a skating accident. The boy, David, had long been Margaret’s favorite, and his death crippled her emotionally, creating a chasm between herself and her remaining children. J.M. despaired over his mother’s grief. Desperate to win her affection, he mimicked David’s mannerisms and even dressed in the deceased boy’s clothes. Her rejection crushed him, and he spent the rest of her life trying to please her.
School provided plenty of distraction for young J.M. He attended Dumfries Academy, where he immersed himself in football, the debate society and local theater. His love of plays led him to form the Dumfries Dramatic Club, for which he wrote his first play, Bandelero the Bandit. In 1878, he enrolled at Edinburgh University, from whence he earned an M.A. in 1882.
After graduation, J.M. worked as a journalist for the Nottingham Journal. In 1885, he moved to London and became a freelance writer. Three years later, he published Auld Licht Idylls, a series of sketches based on his mother’s stories about life in Scotland, which earned him some success. His real success, however, came in 1891 with the publication of The Little Minister. The story became extremely popular both as a novel and as a play. The accomplishment spurred him to continue writing material for the stage. Two of his best plays, Quality Street and The Admirable Crichton appeared in 1902.
