# XXIII: Pilkington’s explained — The Little White Bird

> Chapter companion for The Little White Bird by J. M. Barrie.

## What happens

The narrator explains the tradition that children leave the Kensington Gardens around age eight to attend Pilkington's, a school ruled by a stern man with a cane who requires real knickerbockers. David's friendship with Oliver Bailey, who is about to go to Pilkington's, causes the narrator to feel jealous and lonely. The narrator wins back the boys' attention by telling an elaborate wrecked island story featuring them as heroes.

## Themes in this chapter

### Childhood and Imagination

The chapter contrasts the imaginative world of the Gardens and wrecked island stories with the rigid reality of Pilkington's school, which marks the end of childhood play.

### Loss and Longing

The narrator experiences deep pain and loneliness as David grows older and prepares to leave the Gardens, culminating in the fear that David will forget him.

### Jealousy and Possessiveness

The narrator feels jealous of Oliver Bailey's influence over David and struggles to regain David's attention, ultimately using storytelling to reassert his place.

## Character check-ins

### David

David is approaching age eight and learns that Oliver Bailey is going to Pilkington's; he becomes distant from the narrator but later reassures him he will never forget him.

### Oliver Bailey

Oliver is a dashing seven-year-old who is about to go to Pilkington's; he initially draws David away from the narrator but later becomes a devoted participant in the narrator's wrecked island story.

### Timothy

Timothy is mentioned as a boy who would have remembered the narrator, in contrast to David who will eventually forget.

### Porthos

Porthos is the narrator's dog, mentioned in a simile about the narrator's humble behavior.

### Joey

Joey is a dog who tries to induce Porthos to play, used as a comparison for the narrator's humility.

### Irene

Irene is mentioned as someone the narrator could go sit with when David and Oliver exclude him.

## Key lines

> On attaining the age of eight, or thereabout, children fly away from the Gardens, and never come back.

Around the age of eight, children leave the Kensington Gardens permanently.

_This introduces the central theme of the chapter: the end of childhood and the transition to school._

> I dropped his hand and walked on in silence, and presently I did my most churlish to hurt him by ending the story abruptly in a very cruel way.

I let go of his hand and walked silently, then spitefully finished the story in a hurtful manner.

_The narrator's bitterness over David's impending departure leads him to lash out._

> Strange that a little boy can give so much pleasure. Yet I could go on. 'You will forget, David, but there was once a boy who would have remembered.'

It's remarkable how much joy a small child can bring. Still, I continued: 'You'll forget me, David, but there was a boy who would have remembered.'

_The narrator contrasts David's inevitable forgetfulness with the loyalty of Timothy, highlighting his fear of being forgotten._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_little_white_bird_se/chapters/xxiii-pilkington-s
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_little_white_bird_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_little_white_bird_se/chapters