Tiger Lily (Peter Pan) Explained

Tiger Lily
Series:Peter Pan
First:Peter and Wendy (1904)
Creator:J. M. Barrie
Portrayer:Miriam Nesbitt (UK first stage 1904 production)
Margaret Gordon (US first 1905 production)
Anna May Wong (1924 film)
Carsen Gray (2003 film)
Rooney Mara (Pan)
Sara Tomko (Once Upon a Time)
Alyssa Wapanatâhk (Peter Pan & Wendy)
Voice:Cree Summer (Peter Pan & the Pirates)
Species:Human
Gender:Female
Family:Great Big Little Panther (father)

Tiger Lily is a fictional character in J. M. Barrie's 1904 play Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up, his 1911 novel Peter and Wendy, and their various adaptations.

History

Tiger Lily is the daughter of Great Big Little Panther, the chief of the Piccanniny tribe, the fictional tribe of Native Americans living in Neverland. Barrie describes her as "a princess in her own right. The most beautiful of dusky Dianas and the belle of the Piccaninnies, coquettish, cold and amorous by turns."[1] She is apparently old enough to be married, but refuses any suitors because of her feelings towards Peter. She is jealous of Wendy and Tinker Bell. Tiger Lily is kidnapped by Captain Hook and his pirates but is rescued by Peter Pan.

In other media

Reception

The character has attracted controversy due to accusations of racism and Native American stereotyping.[8] [9] [10] [11]

Controversy also arose from the name given to her tribe, "Piccanniny", a term now widely interpreted as a racial slur.

The Disney animated sequel Return to Never Land (2002) avoided controversy by leaving out the Indians entirely, although Peter and Jane briefly visit their monument. The book series Peter and the Starcatchers, also commissioned by Disney, replaces the Indians with a Samoan tribe called the People of the Mollusc, with a girl named Shining Pearl serving as the analog of Tiger Lily.

Notes and References

  1. J.M. Barrie. Peter and Wendy Chapter 5. Hodder & Stoughton (1911)
  2. Web site: Rooney Mara regrets her 'whitewashed' role as Tiger Lily in 'Pan'. Jaleesa M.. Jones. USA TODAY.
  3. Green, Jonathan. Neverland: Here Be Monsters! (Snowbooks, 2019).
  4. Web site: October 21, 2020 . Alberta-raised Cree actor lands role in Disney's live-action 'Peter Pan and Wendy' . CBC News.
  5. Web site: Reul . Katie . 2023-02-28 . 'Peter Pan & Wendy' Trailer Unveils Jude Law's Captain Hook, Yara Shahidi's Tinkerbell and a Whole New Neverland . 2023-02-28 . . en-US.
  6. Web site: Peter Pan & Wendy Trailer and Poster Set Disney+ Release Date. Spencer. Legacy. Comingsoon.net. February 28, 2023. February 28, 2023.
  7. Web site: Elliott . Josh . Tiger Lily Actress Alyssa Wapanatâhk Says 'Peter Pan & Wendy' Finally Does The Character Right - Narcity . 2023-04-29 . www.narcity.com . en-us.
  8. News: What's up, Tiger Lily? Peter Pan and the Native American stereotype that has certainly grown old. Alan. Yuhas. 7 December 2014. 7 November 2016. The Guardian.
  9. Web site: Casting Rooney Mara as Tiger Lily is only one of many problems with 'Pan'. Stephanie. Merry. 8 October 2015. 7 November 2016. washingtonpost.com.
  10. Web site: Peter Pan and the Roots of Racism. Elizabeth Broadbent Manic Pixie Dream. Mama. HuffPost. 11 December 2014. 7 November 2016.
  11. Book: Rose, Jacqueline. The Case of Peter Pan: or The Impossibility of Children's Fiction. 14 January 1994. Springer. 9781349232086. 7 November 2016. Google Books.