"Twinkle, twinkle, little bat..." A lovely song performed at the Mad Hatter and March Hare's tea party in Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland".
It is evident right away that Carroll attempts to make this story relate to children, specifically, reluctant readers. ..."And what is the use of a book," thought Alice, "without pictures or conversations?" Many children are turned off of books after they realize that most "adult books" don't contain pictures; the interesting thing is that many adults still wish they could read picture books and the like.
There is definitely a "drugged" overtone to the text; specifically with the character of the Catapillar. However, I feel like many people stretch to find new evidence of this drug influence. I know the character of the white rabbit is often questioned because of his description. Many people claim that the rabbit's "red eyes" are a hint to a drug induced experience that Alice must be inside of at the moment. However, I fail to see critics point on this view and take it as a stretched attempt to theorize; choosing a topic which may be controversial while grasping for a thread. Whenever I go to a pet store and see rabbits, the white ones almost always have red eyes. This is not a sign of the devil, but merely a common occurance. I think that Carroll was attempting to make the white rabbit seem relatable to his readers, and not as something completely out of the ordinary (besides his clothing and talking.)
As I am reading, I want to find in Alice as a role model, but I cannot help but feel she is nothing of the sort. Alice's courage in the face of dangerous experiences can be considered nothing more than naiveity. In the beginning, Alice leads the curious white rabbit into his hole where she begins tumbling. There is never a glimpse of terror or fear from Alice; in fact, she is bored as she falls down the giant rabbit hole and looks at the items on the shelf.
"I - I hardly know, Sir, just at present - at least I know who I was when I got up this morning, but I think I have must have changed several times since then." Alice has changed in size; however, her entire person and self construction has always been based on the community that she lives in. Alice has changed superficially, but the real change is her role in society. The societal privledges and respect she is given in her normal life are ripped away when she enters Wonderland. I think this is a really interesting concept to look into more. Many literary theorists look into character role (ie: gender, wealth, stature) as the key things which define someone in the time period's society. But then what is Carroll trying to express? Is he trying to say that children rarely have a specific role or perhaps the fact that a child can change greatly placed in a different environment. Theoretically, Alice is given a chance to be an adult - to have respect and authority and the ability to speak her mind without fear of punishment for speaking above her role as "young girl who should be seen, and not heard".
I recognize that Alice in Wonderland is a very classic piece of literature; one of the first of its kind. Wonderland is often referenced in many different stories, movies, and television shows. As a big proponent for the ABC show, Lost, I couldn't help, but recognize the Wonderland references throughout the series. For instance, the white rabbit, through the rabbit hole, the looking glass, are all definite and specific connections between the two. Lost featured books quite often throughout the series, and the writers and directors choose these texts very deliberately. The idea of the island was, in a sense, the same as the idea of Wonderland - both were fictional elements that existed with in a non-fictional world. However, Wonderland brings it's readers back to a nostalgic time period, while the Lost island brought nothing of the sort.
Hemmings article about Wonderland made me question my own interpretations of the book. I definitely understand the nostalgic atmosphere put on by Alice's childlike innocence. She is clearly facsinated by her new found power in this new land, yet she still suffers from childlike mistakes. For instance, she cannot even assume that a bottle of poison, might not be labeled "poison;" if the bottle says, "drink me" then the bottle must be honest. This innocense in Alice is what makes the reader connect to her, but Hemmings article leads me into completely different ways of looking at the story. Hemming's relates Wonderland to the works of Freud - which automatically means it is realting to sex, power, and ownership. There is a blatent absence of sexual discourse in the novel; however, given this new way of interpretting the text, makes the mind strive to find these overtones. Overall what I find is that there is a very creepy idea of an adult writing a children's book about a child. Adults have experienced and knowingly understand many adult concepts and ideas. The Cheshire Cat, for one, is a truly terrifying creature. While it never harms anyone or seems to hurt Alice; the idea of an invisible creature that is always around, always watching, presents an uneasy or voyeuristic mood. What I find interesting is that the cat, never smiles, he grins; a grin is much different from a smile.
Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland"
Robert Hemming's "A Taste of Nostalgia: Children's books from the Golden Age - Carroll, Grahame, and Milne"
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