The Admirable Crichton - J.M. Barrie - Bookniverse

What happens when the social order is completely flipped upside down? When a wealthy aristocratic family is shipwrecked on a deserted island, their privileged status means nothing against raw nature. Incapable of surviving, they must rely on their highly resourceful butler, Crichton, who quickly becomes the island's natural leader. This is the fascinating premise of The Admirable Crichton, a brilliant comedic play that explores the themes of class structures, leadership, and human nature. ****************************The mastermind behind this satire was Sir James Matthew Barrie, a famous Scottish author and playwright born in 1860. Although Barrie is celebrated for creating Peter Pan, the boy who refused to grow up, he was also a master at writing social comedies for theatregoers. Barrie had a unique childhood and later moved to London, where he observed the strict rules and hypocrisies of the British upper class firsthand. He was fascinated by how people behaved when they were forced out of their comfort zones. Written in 1902, The Admirable Crichton reflects Barrie's interest in the idea of islands as magical places where the normal rules of society disappear and people can show who they truly are.