Neverland - Inhabitants - Stars

Stars

In Barrie's novel, stars are personified as living creatures which occupy a fixed position in the "firmament" (heavens). They do not occupy either the Neverland or the Mainland, but are suspended between and watch over each. Barrie's description of the Neverland being somewhere near "the stars the milky way" places the role of stars as a map of the paths between the mainland and the Neverland. They are described as watchful and "beautiful", but as living a sad and strange existence, as "they may not participate actively in anything" but "must look on forever", (which suggests they are immortal). Barrie attributes this existence as a "punishment" awarded them long ago, the original crime forgotten even by stars. They are also described as being both "older" and "younger", so new stars are created continuously. Barrie describes "they are not really friendly to Peter, who has a mischievous way of sneaking out behind them and trying to blow them out", but the younger stars wanderlust and "fond(ness) of fun" compels them to support Peter's adventures and spiriting away of the Darling children to the Neverland. When Tinker Bell is revived by a ritual collective enunciation of "I do believe in fairies", the stars shout curses at the children who do not participate or actively jeopardize her revival through their disbelief.