Death of George Davies

[stourhead]

I know it's a question that's impossible to 'answer' but I wonder what others think what might have happened if George had not died in WWI.  Do you think it would have made a difference to Peter re: his suicide?  I know current opinion is that Michael did not kill himself, but do you think George would have supported his decision to go to Paris and perhaps things would have turned out differently for him?  I think if George had lived he might have been Barrie's parental partner.  Oh dear, it's late and I should go to bed, I'm getting maudlin.

[andrew]

Bee (my son Anno's mum) asks much the same question in a little video I shot when we visited George's grave in 1984:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umWkq94gUWY  

A huge difference, one imagines - but then again, if George had survived the whole of WW1, he would have brought home some pretty grim memories, which might in turn have led to increasing bouts of melancholy... he was already touched with a sense of weltschmertz. Would he have prevented Peter committing suicide? I sort of doubt it, given that Peter's depression was fuelled by watching his poor wife Pee increasingly suffering the ravages of Huntington's chorea ...

[TheWendybird]

I think you're right on how the war may have affected George had he lived. For sure there would probably be some post traumatic stress issues there.

[tcarroll]

I think George would have been a great deal of help to Mr. Barrie with the other boys. I feel that George realized more than any of the others how much  Mr. Barrie had given their family thus he was more appreciative. There seemed to be a strength to George that the other boys lacked, which is not uncommom among the eldest of the children, especially when parents die so young.  I believe he would have had a great impact on all their lives; his early death was a real loss to them. Very sad.

[CoriSCapnSkip]

Would he have prevented Peter committing suicide? I sort of doubt it, given that Peter's depression was fuelled by watching his poor wife Pee increasingly suffering the ravages of Huntington's chorea ...

If someone had prevented Peter calling Cynthia Asquith when Barrie was dying, they might have gotten their inheritance and any ailing family been well cared for.  No doubt Peter suffered tremendous guilt over this.