# David — The Little White Bird character guide > David in The Little White Bird by J. M. Barrie. **Role:** major **Also known as:** Dear David, little David, David A⸺ **First appearance:** 0000-i-david-and-i-set-forth-upon-a-journey ## Snapshot The narrator's small, sharp-eyed companion, whose bedtime adventures in Kensington Gardens become the raw material for a book neither of them quite controls. ## Who they are David is the boy the narrator borrows for walks, stories, and small errands, and he reports back on Mary's rival literary ambitions with a child's disarming candor. He loses his footing when he descends to the practical, yet he is loyal enough to defend Mary hotly when the narrator sneers at her homemade box. His presence turns idle afternoons into Patagonian expeditions and gives the narrator both an audience and a weapon. ## Relationships ### [Timothy](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_little_white_bird_se/characters/timothy) _friendship_ David and Timothy are close companions, sharing adventures and a deep bond of loyalty. ### [Joey](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_little_white_bird_se/characters/joey) _friendship_ David and Joey are friends who share playful and supportive interactions. ### [Oliver Bailey](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_little_white_bird_se/characters/oliver_bailey) _friendship_ David and Oliver Bailey are companions, often engaging in shared activities and mutual support. ### [Porthos](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_little_white_bird_se/characters/porthos) _friendship_ David has a loving bond with Porthos, his loyal dog and constant companion. ### [Irene](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_little_white_bird_se/characters/irene) _romantic_ David shares a tender, romantic connection with Irene, marked by youthful affection. ### [William Paterson](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_little_white_bird_se/characters/william_paterson) _friendship_ David and William Paterson are friends, with William often acting as a supportive figure. ### [Peter Pan](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_little_white_bird_se/characters/peter_pan) _friendship_ David and Peter Pan share a friendship built on wonder and shared adventures in Kensington Gardens. ### [Maimie Mannering](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_little_white_bird_se/characters/maimie_mannering) _friendship_ David and Maimie are friends, with David showing kindness and curiosity toward her. ### [Oliver Bailey](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_little_white_bird_se/characters/oliver_bailey) _friendship_ David and Oliver Bailey are companions, often engaging in shared activities and mutual support. ### [Timothy](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_little_white_bird_se/characters/timothy) _friendship_ David and Timothy are close companions, sharing adventures and a deep bond of loyalty. ### [Porthos](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_little_white_bird_se/characters/porthos) _friendship_ David has a loving bond with Porthos, his loyal dog and constant companion. ### [Irene](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_little_white_bird_se/characters/irene) _romantic_ David shares a tender, romantic connection with Irene, marked by youthful affection. ## In the story ### [I: David and I Set Forth Upon a Journey](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_little_white_bird_se/chapters/i-david-and-i-set-forth-upon-a-journey) The little boy who calls the narrator 'father'; he is curious, brave, and admires his mother greatly. ### [The Little Nursery Governess](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_little_white_bird_se/chapters/ii-the-little-nursery-governess) David is present as the narrator's son, listening to the story and asking about the children and the letter. He is fascinated by the idea of being a bird. ### [III: Her Marriage, Her Clothes, Her Appetite, and an Inventory of Her Furniture](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_little_white_bird_se/chapters/iii-her-marriage-her-clothes-her-appetite-and-an-inventory-of-her-furniture) Not directly present but referenced as the narrator's companion in earlier chapters; the narrator's thoughts are shaped by his relationship with David. ### [IV: A Night-Piece](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_little_white_bird_se/chapters/iv-a-night-piece) Born at eighteen minutes to four; his birth is announced with a rustle of wings, and he later boasts about the exact time. ### [The Fight for Timothy](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_little_white_bird_se/chapters/v-the-fight-for-timothy) The recipient of the rocking-horse, though still an infant; the narrator's affection for him is channeled through the fictional Timothy. ### [VII: The Last of Timothy](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_little_white_bird_se/chapters/vii-the-last-of-timothy) The child for whom Timothy's clothes are intended. ### [The Inconsiderate Waiter](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_little_white_bird_se/chapters/viii-the-inconsiderate-waiter) Mary's child, for whom the narrator sends outfits; mentioned as growing rapidly. ### [XI: The Runaway Perambulator](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_little_white_bird_se/chapters/xi-the-runaway-perambulator) The boy at the center of the narrator's scheme; he judges the narrator silently and eventually smiles, accepting him. ### [XII: The Pleasantest Club in London](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_little_white_bird_se/chapters/xii-the-pleasantest-club-in-london) David progresses from babyhood to knickerbockers, learning to walk and talk, and shows possessiveness by striking another boy who receives the narrator's attention. ### [The Grand Tour of the Gardens](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_little_white_bird_se/chapters/xiii-the-grand-tour-of-the-gardens) David is the young boy being guided through the Gardens, curious about landmarks and deeply affected by the chaffinch's nest tragedy. ### [XIV: Peter Pan](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_little_white_bird_se/chapters/xiv-peter-pan) The boy to whom the narrator tells the story; contributes his own memories of babyhood and bird-stage, and helps shape the narrative through a collaborative storytelling process. ### [Lockout Time](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_little_white_bird_se/chapters/xvi-lockout-time) Mentioned as a companion in the plan to stare down fairies. ### [XVII: The Little House](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_little_white_bird_se/chapters/xvii-the-little-house) Mentioned as having seen the light of the Little House while going home from the pantomime. ### [Peter's Goat](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_little_white_bird_se/chapters/xviii-peter-s-goat) Leaves presents for Peter in the Gardens and places white flowers on the graves of Walter Stephen Matthews and Phoebe Phelps. ### [An Interloper](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_little_white_bird_se/chapters/xix-an-interloper) Spends the night with the narrator, engaging in bedtime rituals and eventually sleeping in the narrator's bed. ### [XX: David and Porthos Compared](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_little_white_bird_se/chapters/xx-david-and-porthos-compared) Compared to Porthos in manners, gentleness, and behavior; described as forgetful, less polite, but inventive and not a snob. ### [William Paterson](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_little_white_bird_se/chapters/xxi-william-paterson) The narrator's young companion, kept home due to a sneeze; his relationship with the narrator is subtly changing. ### [Joey](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_little_white_bird_se/chapters/xxii-joey) Attends pantomime and tea with Joey; becomes upset at the dog's fate but later joyfully receives the dog as a gift. ### [XXIII: Pilkington’s](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_little_white_bird_se/chapters/xxiii-pilkington-s) 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. ### [XXIV: Barbara](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_little_white_bird_se/chapters/xxiv-barbara) David innocently reveals Mary's plans and helps the narrator with his writing boxes; he is caught between the narrator's manipulations and his mother's affections. ### [The Cricket Match](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_little_white_bird_se/chapters/xxv-the-cricket-match) Plays a cricket match against the narrator, shows fairness by confessing his prayer for a missed catch, and wins the match. ### [XXVI: The Dedication](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_little_white_bird_se/chapters/xxvi-the-dedication) Bursts into the room with his mother, plays with the electric light, and later leaves with the narrator to give Mary privacy. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_little_white_bird_se/characters/david - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_little_white_bird_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_little_white_bird_se/characters