Fans of Pixar's Toy Story may be surprised to know that Bo Peep's origins stem from more than a nursery rhyme. Bo's inclusion in Toy Story was an obvious Little Bo-Peep allusion, but she also references an old fairy tale. Pixar's first feature explores the concept of toys coming to life. However, it was not the first piece of media to explore the topic. Toy Story has origins that can actually be tied to a short story by one of history's most prolific fairy tale writers.
One of the inspirations for Toy Story was Hans Christian Andersen's 1845 fairy tale The Shepherdess and The Chimney Sweep, about porcelain figurines and wood carvings that come to life. And it was Bo Peep's inclusion in the first of the Toy Story movies that connected the two. The fairy tale involves a forbidden love story between the title characters. The Shepherdess asks the Chimney Sweep to escape with her to the outside world, so they can remain together. Yet when they do, the world's large size overwhelms her, and she begs him to take her back to their tabletop.
How Bo Peep's Fairy Tale Reference Defines Her
Aside from the physical similarities and the fact that Bo Peep is also a shepherdess, another obvious connection between the Toy Story character and the title figurine of Hans Christian Andersen's The Shepherdess and The Chimney Sweep is that they're inanimate objects that come to life. Also, the way that Andy often makes Bo a damsel in distress in Toy Story movies relates to the Shepherdess's initial predicament in the fairy tale, as she's trapped in an engagement to a villainous mahogany satyr. The reference to Andersen's story only really worked because of Bo, who belonged to Andy's sister, Molly, but was often brought over to play with Andy's toys.
After her absence from perfect bittersweet ending of Toy Story 4. Also, she never changes her mind to go back to their place indoors. Otherwise, though, it's another excellent nod to the classic story that inspired the original Toy Story, and the connection ultimately helps to define Bo's character even further.
Why Bo Peep Isn't in Toy Story 3
Toy Story 3 director Lee Unkrich and screenwriter Michael Arndt chose for Bo Peep to be given away because they thought it more dramatically got the point across that any toy can be given away at any time. That is why she was not in the third film. She was not one of Andy's toys, so either way, she would have been separated because she would not have been in his donation box. Bo's limited screen time in previous Toy Story films was due to her fragile state and the often rugged physical adventures Woody and the gang went on.
Audiences expressed disappointment with Bo's exclusion from Toy Story 3, much to the surprise of Unkrich. However, Bo's omission should have obviously come as a shock to fans because she had spent considerable time with Andy's toys. On top of that, Bo's part in the Toy Story movies was what connected them to their fairy tale origins, and it was smart of Pixar to realize her significance with her return in the fourth installment.
