Childhood
The theme of childhood is presented in the novel by the image of its main character – Peter Pan. Peter Pan is the only one representative of his kind – he is neither a boy nor a bird, the birds in the Gardens call him “Betwixt-and-Between”. He never changes, never grows – so he stays in one place, and this place is childhood. He always plays as a real boy, he plays pipe and he visits the balls of the fairies that live in the Gardens. But the theme of childhood is depicted sometimes rather sadly, as the character does not grow and has no chance to change, and the the place when no changes occur is a place of degradation.
Magic
Along with the theme of childhood the theme of magic is one of the most important in the novel. Since the story is told by a child, magic is something real and is not put under the question. It exists, it is not only the part of the reality – it is reality itself. Birds turning into children, fairies and their balls, and many other events and facts build up the reality Peter Pan lives in.
Motherhood
A mother is often the most important person for each child, and motherhood is put forward in the novel. Peter Pan’s mother was really upset when he got lost, she spent nights calling and crying for him, her windows stayed open and he used to come there and see her sleeping and talking to him in the sleep. But once, when he made up his mind to stay with her, the window was barred, and Peter saw his mother hugging another little boy. Motherhood is presented in the story in a rather non-traditional way – it is not so the child a mother needs, but an object of love. a mother in the story just needs to love somebody, and when she loses a child it is just enough to replace it with another child.
