HAVE you ever picked up a book you last read as a child and discovered that it has become one of the most interesting reads of your life? This happened to me recently when I re-read J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan. It soon became clear that this 'children's tale' has a dark side meant to be deciphered by adult readers.

Peter Pan is a glorification of childhood, the joys of being a child along with the excitement of adventure and the power of imagination that go along it. I was disconcerted, however, to find a reflection of Peter's character in several adult male acquaintances of mine.

Further research yielded that there in fact exists a Peter Pan Syndrome as identified by Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung.

Jung found in Peter's character the retarded emotional state of men who are more dependant on their parent(s) than is considered acceptable Ever since then I simply cannot find anything endearing in the character of Peter; he is no longer just a mischievous child but a symbol of emotional underdevelopment that is far from endearing in any adult.

Then there is Wendy's mothering instinct, which is a sign of women's desire to fill any role whatsoever to 'complete' a man. She accepts the fact that following Peter entails her removal from her home and her family, as well as an almost complete loss of memory concerning her past life. And she does all this only for the distant hope of providing stability to the mercurial Peter. Needless to say, the romance of the story has gone out the window.

I wonder if I am taking the story a bit too seriously. Yet, re-reading Peter Pan made it evident that the story takes place on a literal as well as metaphoric level. The island, the Lost Boys, fairies, mermaids and pirates are meant to be taken at face value. But it is impossible to ignore the symbolism that Barrie has so consciously crafted in his story.

Neverland is not just an island; it is the retreat of a male child's imagination.

What is interesting to note is that this retreat is fraught with danger death is imminent at every corner, be it at the hands of pirates or Native Americans or in the jaws of Hook's feared crocodile.

Childhood is not a place one wishes to stay in forever which is why the Lost Boys return to Wendy's parents to
glorify the adventurous life that the emotionally-stunted Peter had convinced them to undertake.

A stubborn adherence to Neverland, that is, an imagined fantasy world, has also been noted among prominent men such as singer Michael Jackson and former president George W. Bush.

However, Peter Pan must be read not just for the complexity of its characters but also for the humour in its prose. One imagines Barrie wearing a constant smirk as he wove his tale full of irony and wit. Brimming with symbolism, it is one of those books that yield different meanings at different stages of life.