The True Story Behind Peter Pan Will DESTROY Your Childhood

The boy who never grew up was hiding a story far darker than Neverland. J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan was inspired by a real-life tragedy. His older brother David died two days before his 14th birthday, leaving his mother so grief-stricken that Barrie tried to become his brother, wearing David's clothes and mimicking him in an attempt to comfort her. He befriended the five Llewelyn Davies boys, and their mother Sylvia died of cancer, creating a tragedy that would echo through the story. The character of Peter Pan has been seen as an allegory for the children who must grow up too fast due to a parent's loss.