Peter Pan, JM Barrie's 1911 novel, has been a popular read for over a century. In the one hundred and six years of its existence it has inspired numerous adaptations for films, stage productions and other works. Film adaptations include titles such as Hook (2013) and Peter Pan (2003), but undoubtedly the best-known adaptation is Disney's Peter Pan (1953). According to Deborah Cartmell “the ambition of a Disney adaptation is to usurp its source. . . so that the film adaptation triumphs over its literary original and, for most viewers, it is the film rather than the text that is the original” (169); Peter Pan has the reputation of being a true Disney classic. Disney productions take immense liberties with the texts they adapt and do not hesitate to omit, replace, or significantly change characters, replacing sad or realistic endings with happy endings, or adapting the plot to fit the views and goals of the Disney corporation. Although Barrie's novel is often described as a children's book, it contains some dark subject matter that may not be suitable for (all) children; for example, Peter is said to “slim” his lost boys when they “seem to grow” (59). The character of Peter is not entirely the good and innocent hero we would expect from a children's story. Janet Wasko identifies one of the key elements of Disney films in the clear distinction between hero and villain, linked to the guarantee that good always triumphs over evil (chap. 6); in this case, Peter defeats Captain Hook. Barrie's characters, when compared to those of the Disney adaptation, are more ambiguous in nature and behavior. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayThe transposition of the medium causes inevitable changes to the original work: according to Linda Hutcheon, "a novel, to be dramatized, must be distilled, reduced in size and therefore, inevitably, in complexity” (36). In the middle of the film there is simply less time to work out the details of the character. Furthermore, unless certain forms of narration are used, it is more difficult to convey the character's thoughts, which novels can accomplish by telling the stream of consciousness, or their backgrounds. and hidden motives, usually revealed by an (omniscient) narrator, this narrator, for example, tells us that Hook was “not entirely evil; let it be frankly admitted, the idyllic character of the scene moved him deeply” (149) Although loving flowers and music may not seem to be significant factors in measuring one's degree of wickedness, and this sentence can therefore be interpreted ironically, the the reader's attention is however drawn to the diversity of the characters; the villain is more like us than we might like to believe. Nothing like this happens in animated films: there is no omniscient narrator to enlighten the audience. However, as mentioned, there are certainly cinematic gimmicks that can achieve the same effect, but Disney doesn't even attempt to convey this side of Hook in a visual way: in the only moments where Hook is not portrayed as threatening, or afraid of the crocodile, or act as comic relief, for example, losing half of his suit while fighting said crocodile (00:44:22). Simplifying Hook's character is therefore a deliberate choice and cannot be blamed entirely on the transposition of the medium; he has to be unquestionably evil, and placing him in comedic situations where he's the victim reaffirms that villains shouldn't be taken seriously. The role and importance of animated films, with ichildren as a target audience are multiple; however, increasing pressure is being placed on their function of educating young people in values ​​and morals (Giroux 66). The idea that good behavior will always be rewarded and evil will disappear at least in the end is a constant theme in numerous Disney films. In the battle between good and evil, both sides must be clearly distinguished, leaving little room for ambiguity or complexity; “good always triumphs; dealing with defeat, failure, or injustice is not typically explored in the Disney world” (Wasko ch. 6). Everything seems to be going well for the protagonist, who is always the hero and therefore the winner. Peter's ambiguous traits are simply left out of the Disney adaptation; no mention is made of him killing anyone, nor does he actually hurt any of his on-screen enemies. This can also be attributed to another characteristic of Disney films, namely the avoidance of excessive violence and not explicitly showing personal injury or gore. However, both factors seem to work together when we compare the pirates' weapons with those of Peter and the missing boys: in the film, only Peter carries a sharp weapon, namely a small dagger, while the rest of the boys carry wooden swords . and other blunt weapons such as slings. In the novel, the lost boys use bows and arrows as well as actual swords (Barrie 72, 174), while the pirates use sharp swords in both versions of the story. Captain Hook has the most impressive weapon, his hook, in both the Barrie and Disney versions. By making the good guys relatively harmless but still victorious, Disney avoids showing excessive violence, establishes their roles as good or bad characters, and shows that good will triumph even if the bad side seems to have the upper hand. of the pirate Smee, however, underlines the ambiguity of the character. He is Hook's right-hand man, but although his role is that of an evil pirate, his character in the film is typically "good": he is thoughtful, funny, not very intelligent, bespectacled, and never hurts children. In the novel his character is anything but sweet: “Smee had pleasant names for everything, and his saber was Johnny Corkscrew, because he wiggled it in the wound. One could mention many lovely traits in Smee. For example, after killing, he wiped his glasses instead of his weapon” (Barrie 67). Although he still performs typically feminine actions such as sewing, and is described as "infinitely pathetic" (156), there is a mean streak in him. In the novel, Smee is sent to drown Tiger Lily and only fails to do so because he obeys what he thinks are Hook's orders. Disney conveniently chose to let their main villain, Hook, do the dirty work while Smee clung to the boat (00:40:21). It seems like a good-natured pirate doesn't fit into the typical Disney universe, but as long as Smee doesn't actively take part in any evil activity he's the perfect example of a good person caught up in a bad situation. In the final battle between the pirates and the lost boys, the pirates are beaten and humiliated; everyone except Smee, of course. All he does is load supplies onto the lifeboat during the fight (1:10:30), and since he doesn't participate, his behavior isn't punished. Disney simplified Barrie's characters, partly to adapt them to the new medium without being forced to use certain storytelling techniques, mainly to reinforce the morals they wanted to teach to children who would watch the film. Virtuous behavior is rewarded and therefore stimulated, while bad actions are punished and therefore discouraged. Disney is the leading authority when it comes to entertainment for. 2017.