Identity and Individuality of Derivative Fictions -- continued

　In this way, Hook maneuvers his abilities to uncover the identity of the mysterious fiend that has confused his minions, and conversely succeeds in putting his vengeful enemy in a predicament. Although the process is slightly different, the result of Hook’s inflicting a hand wound to Peter on a small rock at sea and putting him in danger of dying, is similar to that of the original novel, Peter and Wendy. Hook triumphantly declares the death of his rival. But Peter’s words in response are a brilliant expression of his transcendent nature, which is free from the causal bondage of the phenomenal world, where everything is nothing but adventure and amusement.

And now, Peter Pan… you shall die.
／ To die will be an awfully big adventure.

In fact, this line, which is so famous as spoken by Peter, was not spoken to Hook in the original Peter and Wendy. It was a line spoken by Peter in his mind, who was prepared to die, deeply wounded by Hook’s attack and left alone with Wendy on a rock, on the verge of being submerged in the tide. In addition, in the movie Peter Pan, the reflection on this dialogue is effectively added as a derivative work.
Thanks to the aid of Peter, Wendy is able to safely rescue her two brothers from Hook. Wendy is able to get used to life in Neverland and have Peter show fairies she has been longing for, and the two of them dance in the sky and perform a romantic scene, but this only appears in the movie Peter Pan, which features Wendy as the main character. However, Peter in this movie disappoints Wendy, just as he did in the original Peter and Wendy, who played the role of the father of the children but only recognized Wendy as “mother”, who was supposed to be his wife. Peter becomes restless and agitated, and suddenly says a strange thing.

Wendy? It’s only make-believe, isn’t it? That you and I are…?／Yes.／Wendy? You see… it’d make seem so old to be a real father.／Peter. What are your real feelings?／ Feelings?／What do you feel? Happiness? Sadness? Jealousy?／Jealousy? Tink.／Anger?／Anger. Hook.／Love?／Love?／Love.／I have never heard of it.／I think you have, Peter. I daresay you’ve felt it yourself… for something…or someone.／Never. Even the sound of it offends me.／Peter. ／ Why do you spoil everything? We have fun, don’t we? I taught you to fight and to fly. What more could there be.／There is much more.／What? What else is there?／I don’t know. I think it becomes clearer when you grow up.／I will not grow up. You cannot make me. I will banish you like Tinker Bell.／I will not be banished!／Then go home. Go home and grow up. And take your feelings with you.

In the original Peter and Wendy, this exchange was depicted as a conversation between Peter and Wendy, who were playing husband and wife in the children’s underground house. However, in the movie Peter Pan, Peter’s indelicate betrayal takes place just as the intimate scene between the lovers is about to be led according to Wendy's wishes. It even adds precise references to the psychological phases held by Hook and Tink, which were not directly mentioned in the original work. In this way, Hook, who devises a way to capture Peter, witnesses this scene and cleverly lures Wendy to the pirate ship in order to make use of her discord with Peter in his scheme. Again, in the movie Peter Pan, the story is centered around Wendy, and all the details are shifted to focus upon her.
　The following is a conversation between Hook and Wendy, who cleverly dragged Wendy into the pirate ship.

I’m told you ran away from home.／I had never thought of it that way. I suppose I did.／How wonderful.／My parents wanted me to grow up.／Growing up is such a barbarous business… full of inconvenience… and pimples.／Things were simpler when I was younger.／And then the mess starts. The feelings come. Pan is so lucky to be untroubled by them. ／ Oh, no. He cannot love. ／It’s part of the riddle of his being…… It doesn’t have to be this way. Didst thou ever want to be a pirate, my hearty?

Hook, who is keenly aware of Wendy’s feelings as a girl and skillfully tries to get into her heart, seems to faithfully play the role of a rogue seducer according to the unconscious desires of the main character, Wendy. Wendy responds to Hook’s invitation and involuntarily confesses her longing for a pirate business.

I once thought of calling myself, Red-Handed Jill.／What a marvelous name. That’s what we’ll call you if you join us.／But what would my duties be? I could not be expected to pillage.／Do you, by any chance, tell stories? ／……And they all lived happily…ever…after.

When Hook invites her to join the pirates, Wendy replies with her own awesome designation that she should call herself as a member of the pirates, as if she had been waiting for the occasion. This line is a positive expression of Wendy’s peculiar qualities in the movie Peter Pan. It seems like a line that perfectly describes the lively Wendy who longs for the adventure shown at the beginning of the film. Next scene depicts Wendy telling a story in front of the pirates on the ship. Interestingly, however, the designation “bloody hands” was used by Wendy’s brother John in the original Peter and Wendy. John’s response and reply when he was invited by Hook to join the pirates was described as follows.

Now John had sometimes experienced this hankering at maths. prep.; and he was struck by Hook’s picking him out. “I once thought of calling myself Red-handed Jack,” he said diffidently.


In the movie Peter Pan, Wendy begins to seriously consider becoming a pirate after being deftly recruited by Hook, and is reminded of her parents, whom she left behind at home. The narration describes Wendy’s mind as follows.

What would mother think if she became a pirate? But the more Wendy thought of her mother, the less she could remember.

And when Wendy realizes that her memories of her parents have become extremely unreliable, she suddenly becomes alarmed and tries to check her memories of parents in the form of a test with her younger brothers.

What is your father’s name?／My father’s name? Peter.／Michael, who is your mother? Well, he got the easy one.／You are my mother, Wendy.

note:
The description of Wendy’s test in the original story was as follows:
“What was the colour of Mother’s eyes? Which was taller, Father or Mother? Was Mother blonde or brunette? Answer all three questions if possible.” “(A) Write an essay of not less than 40 words on How I spent my last Holidays, or The Caracters of Father and Mother compared. Only one of these to be attempted.” Or “(1) Describe Mother’s laugh; (2) Describe Father’s laugh; (3) Describe Mother’s Party Dress; (4) Describe the Kennel and its Inmate.”
They were just everyday questions like these, and when you could not answer them you were told to make a cross; and it was really dreadful what a number of crosses even John made. Of course the only boy who replied to every question was Slightly, and no one could have been more hopeful of coming out first, but his answers were perfectly ridiculous, and he really came out last: a melancholy thing.

His younger brothers, like Peter, have lost the ability to distinguish between make-believe and reality. This is especially dangerous for ordinary people, who are not Peter. Wendy finally decides to abandon Peter and return to the real world. Wendy’s decisive breakup with Peter, who has remembered her parents she left behind and decides to leave Neverland of her own volition, is driven by the designation, “Red Handed Jill”. Sensing the pirate ship’s movements, Peter tells the Lost Boys.

There’s a new pirate aboard the Jolly Roger. The mermaids say she is called Red-Handed Jill. Another adventure, boys, come on. ／ Red handed Jill? She sounds quite fearsome!／ Fearsome? She is just a storyteller.／ Just a storyteller? Red-Handed Jill may be a brave swordsman. ／A girl like her? ／Brave or not, I shall run her through.／Then ready yourself, Peter Pan. For I am Red-Handed Jill.

Wendy, the heroine of the movie Peter Pan, actually picks up a sword and even acts out a fight scene against Peter. After a series of arguments with Peter, Wendy slaps Peter with a definitive rejection.

I found Captain Hook to be a man of feeling...

In addition, Wendy ends up giving Peter a cruel ultimatum.

Sir, you are both ungallant and deficient.
／How am I deficient?／ You’re just a boy.

Peter responds as usual. But Wendy is relentless.

I want always to be a boy and have fun.
／ You say so, but I think it is your biggest pretend.

Peter’s line above was actually spoken in a different scene in the original Peter and Wendy. These words were spoken by Peter when he met Wendy in the children’s room, telling her about his refusal to grow up and decision to run away from home.

“It was because I heard father and mother,” he explained in a low voice, “talking about what I was to be when I became a man.” He was extraordinarily agitated now. “I don’t want ever to be a man,”he said with passion. “I want always to be a little boy and to have fun. So I ran away to Kensington Gardens and lived a long long time among the fairies.”


In this movie, Peter Pan, the axis of the plot development is transformed into the story of “Wendy who abandoned Peter”, by rearranging various details that were present in the original Peter and Wendy.