Coming of Age: First Love

In coming-of-age stories, as in real life, it’s usually not a single, standalone event that leads a child from innocence to maturity. Sure, there can be a line-in-the-sand moment once in a while, but most often it’s a culmination of factors that draws people from childhood into the first stages of young adulthood.

In this series about coming-of-age in The Yearling and Peter Pan, I want to look at three factors that combine to bring maturity: love, death, and family. These stories, while drastically different, are both fantastic examples of the magic of childhood and the bittersweet realities of growing up.

INITIAL INNOCENCE

Children can be downright naughty (sinful, really), but there’s also an essence of purity about them when they’re young. I can see it in my children’s eyes when they’re experiencing something that delights them like snow, a song, or even a dandelion. Part of the coming-of-age journey is the starting point of innocence.

Peter Pan

J.M. Barry describes all children as “gay and innocent and heartless.” Speaking as a mom of two kids under five, I can attest to that. Wendy Darling and Peter both have a desire for adventure in Neverland, and neither cares one bit about how the Darling parents will feel if their three children suddenly disappear for months on end.

Wendy is oblivious to the dangers of Neverland when she first arrives. Peter, while very aware of the dangers, has no fear of them. Instead, he has complete and utter confidence in his own abilities—a caliber of cockiness that you really only find in children. In short, they both begin the story as “gay and innocent and heartless” as can be.

The Yearling

Jody Baxter is 12 years old when his story begins. We see him escaping the hard chores of Florida farm life to go play down at his favorite watering hole. He builds a “flutter-mill” (water wheel) out of leaves and watches it gently churn in the stream’s current. He’s both entranced and delighted, and he twirls around and around for pure joy.

He has the same feeling of cozy peace when he gets home and feels safe, loved, and well-fed. Ma is gruff, but she feeds him plenty and loves him practically. That’s good enough for Jody. But Pa is his true hero. In his eyes, Pa can do no wrong. Jody trusts everything Pa says and does. Jody’s delight in his childhood is innocence itself.

FIRST LOVE

First love is a big step on the road to maturity. You remember your first crush, don’t you? I know I do. I set my sights on a cool kid at school and used to stare dreamily at his letterman jacket in the elementary lunchroom. (Seriously, why does a fourth-grader need a letterman jacket?) But I don’t think he even knew I existed. Welcome to reality, little nerd. Unrequited love is a nudge toward coming of age.

Peter Pan

Wendy is in awe of Peter, and her awe quickly turns into a crush. She offers to give him a kiss before they leave the Darling’s house for Neverland, and she’s mortified to find that he doesn’t know what a kiss is. She recovers her dignity after making such a pert offer, but she continues to love him throughout the story.

For Peter’s part, he’s far too naïve to fall in love. He’s not in the “cooties” stage, per se, but he may as well be for all the attention he pays to his admirers. Tinkerbell has the first and truest crush on him, but he is completely obtuse to her insinuations. Tink despises Wendy, seeing her as competition for Peter’s affection. Even Princess Tiger Lily falls in love with Peter, but he is none the wiser. He confides in Wendy that he knows girls want something from him but that he can’t figure out what it is. If he had asked Tinkerbell, she would have gladly told him, the little flirt.

Other People’s Love in The Yearling

At the beginning of the story, Jody’s mind is far from love. From all he’s seen, love brings trouble. He sees two male bears clawing each other bloody over a female bear, and he soon learns that humans aren’t much better. Jody and Pa are fond of their close family friends, Grandma Hutto and her son Oliver. Oliver returns from a stint as a sailor and goes to court Twink Weatherby, who is prettier than she is loyal. Jody is angry and resentful that Oliver would ruin their cozy family dynamic by getting involved with some girl.

Things get worse when Oliver fights Lem Forrester, his rival for Twink. Pa and Jody have to join the fight to keep Oliver from getting killed, and this puts them at odds with their neighbors, the Forresters. Eventually the Forresters burn down Grandma Hutto’s house out of spite, and both Huttos move away. All because of some stupid girl.

Jody’s Love in The Yearling

But the love trouble gets even more personal for Jody. Pa teases him for having a soft spot toward Eulalie Boyles, the shopkeeper’s daughter. Jody gets irritated and defensive, claiming that Grandma Hutto is his only sweetheart. This harmless exchange continues to nettle Jody, and when he later sees Eulalie at the general store, he hurls a potato at her. He gets in trouble for it, but he doesn’t care. He hates her as only a boy with a crush can hate.

Toward the end of the story, Jody sees Eulalie at the town Christmas party, and she’s dancing with another boy. He feels angry and jealous, although he can’t articulate why. He feels that she somehow belongs to him, even if it’s just to throw potatoes at.

A LONG ROAD

The path from crush to true love is a long one, and Wendy and Jody have only taken their first steps. But once the opposite sex becomes an item of interest, there’s no going back to the days when they were simply playmates and equals. The coming-of-age journey has begun.

Our next step down the winding road toward maturity will be the reality of death. It’s a terrible truth but one that’s unavoidable as well. See you next time when we see how Neverland and Baxter Island are both affected by death.