Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up

Main Characters and Their Development

• Peter Pan - the main character of the book, a boy who doesn't want to grow up. He lives in the magical land of Neverland, where he is the leader of the Lost Boys. Peter Pan embodies childlike innocence and freedom, but also irresponsibility. Throughout the book, he demonstrates bravery and leadership qualities, but also selfishness and an inability to form long-term attachments.
• Wendy Darling - a girl who, along with her brothers John and Michael, travels to Neverland. Wendy acts as a mother figure to the Lost Boys and Peter Pan. She is caring, responsible, and mature beyond her years. At the end of the book, she decides to return home and grow up, accepting reality.
• Captain James Hook - the main antagonist of the book, a pirate captain who hates Peter Pan for cutting off his hand and feeding it to a crocodile. Hook embodies adulthood and malice. He is clever but cruel and vengeful. At the end of the book, he meets his demise at the hands of the very crocodile.
• Tinker Bell - a small fairy and loyal friend of Peter Pan. She is jealous and sometimes selfish, especially towards Wendy, but ultimately she is willing to sacrifice herself for Peter. Her character evolves from selfish and capricious to selfless and devoted.
• John and Michael Darling - Wendy's younger brothers who also travel to Neverland. John is more rational and inclined to leadership, while Michael is more naive and trusting. Both brothers go through adventures and, by the end of the book, return home ready to grow up.
• The Lost Boys - a group of boys who live in Neverland under Peter Pan's leadership. They symbolize childlike freedom and carefreeness. By the end of the book, they decide to return to London with Wendy and her brothers to find their families and grow up.