52 pages • 1 hour read
Dave BarryA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Peter is the primary protagonist of the novel, a red-haired orphan boy between 11 and14 years old. Peter shares many characteristics with J.M. Barrie’s iconic character Peter Pan, on whom he is based. Both characters are brave, clever, and fiercely devoted to their friends. Unlike Barrie’s Peter Pan, Barry and Pearson’s Peter does not actively wish to avoid growing older, nor does he fear adults. Instead, though Peter longs for escape from life in the orphanage, he is apprehensive about the journey ahead and contemplates running away. As he boards the Never Land, however, he realizes “he didn’t know if that was possible—to run away from ‘away’” (3). Rather than freeing himself, Peter stays: He feels responsible for his fellow orphans, who look up to him and rely on him to lead them through challenges, such as the lack of edible food on the Never Land. Used to being the assumed leader, Peter is hurt when Molly does not trust him at first, but he proves to be an equally loyal friend to the young Starcatcher once he earns her confidence.
Peter’s great concern for his friends and budding romantic interest in Molly further separate him from Barrie’s character.
Action & Adventure
View Collection
Action & Adventure Reads (Middle Grade)
View Collection
American Literature
View Collection
Challenging Authority
View Collection
Childhood & Youth
View Collection
Colonialism & Postcolonialism
View Collection
Coming-of-Age Journeys
View Collection
Community
View Collection
Fantasy & Science Fiction Books...
View Collection
Friendship
View Collection
Juvenile Literature
View Collection
Laugh-out-Loud Books
View Collection
Loyalty & Betrayal
View Collection
Poverty & Homelessness
View Collection
Power
View Collection
Sexual Harassment & Violence
View Collection
Teams & Gangs
View Collection
The Journey
View Collection