The Wandering Child

(Yes I can see Pinocchio's trousers look terrible. I'll fix them later along with painting-in Tinker bell.)

When considering the Child archetype I find two figures stand out: Peter Pan and Pinocchio. And indeed the two have had an influence on the story of Bulby.

Peter Pan and Pinocchio are both concerned with the story of a child's development and coming of age. Both must go through a long adventure involving dangerous trials linked to adulthood and temptation. The figures of the Cat and Fox of Pinocchio for example and not to mention Toyland. And in Peter Pan there was temptation of staying in Neverland. And it's interesting to note the difference in their tales conclusion. Pinocchio essentially strives to become a 'real boy' which is symbolic of him becoming an adult of values. Peter Pan however strives to remain in the realm of childhood imagination; eternally young.

Concerning the characters of the two they are both similar in how they challenge the ideal of the perfect innocence of the child. Peter Pan is selfish and arrogant while Pinocchio was selfish and dishonest. They show how childhood innocence can actually be a relitively destructive force.

Of course, this is going into the mainstream interpretation of the two. I will have to look closer at the original stories of the two and see how they differ.