She returned to the nursery, and found Nana with something in her mouth, which proved to be the boy's shadow. As he leapt at the window Nana had closed it quickly, too late to catch him, but his shadow had not had time to get out; slam went the window and snapped it off.
You may be sure Mrs. Darling examined the shadow carefully, but it was quite the ordinary kind.
Nana had no doubt of what was the best thing to do with this shadow. She hung it out at the window, meaning "He is sure to come back for it; let us put it where he can get it easily without disturbing the children." But unfortunately Mrs. Darling could not leave it hanging out at the window, it looked so like the washing and lowered the whole tone of the house.
The passage above uses stylistic choices such as metaphor and personification to relive child-like fantasies in the minds of this who may have lost it, particularly in reference to young adults and age groups above. Furthermore, it narrates Peter Pan’s shadow to be left behind, caught in the dog’s (Nana) mouth while he attempted to escape. This forms the illusion that his ‘shadow’ is something which is tangible or can be physically handled and provided affection to, much like a pet or an object of possession. Through carrying this personification, the author is able to target adults who have most likely matured and unable to grasp such unrealistic situations. Thus, delivering a message that argues against having to grow up, leaving behind our vivid imaginations due to the pressures of reality. The shadow possibly serves as a metaphor for going back to our past - our childhoods. Much like how Peter had left his shadow, it is an event that already occurred and Mrs.Darling assumes he will come back to retrieve it. Similarly, we should visit whom we were before and possibly experience unexpected adventures.