Abstract The paper discusses that the reader may discover insights about himself and the world amidst the gobbledygook of ?Alice's Adventures in Wonderland?. The author believes that Carroll uses language, such as puns and linguistic play, as a tool with which he introduced the reader to ideas often times overshadowed by nonsense. The paper explains that nonsensical events such as the Mad Hatter's tea party and the Knave's trial, have a deeper meaning in "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland".
From the Paper "Through the character of Alice, Carroll provides readers with knowledge of Victorian people, as well as our personal struggles to mature and find our true identities. Amidst the madness in Wonderland, Alice remains her rational self, concerned with reciting her lessons so that others will appreciate her being well educated. However, what she recites is ?"not quite right . . . [because] some of the words have got altered"? (Carroll 49). Alice's fretting over saying her lessons correctly is Carroll's way of satirizing Victorian education. One critic points out that Alice's swimming in the pool of tears she has wept is ? . . . [Carroll?s] making an astute observation on Victorian education, notably that the acquisition of knowledge and guilt over assumed transgression often accompany each other . . .? ."
An argument against the views of Harold Bloom regarding William Shakespeare's influence in Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland," as expressed in his work, "Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human."
Abstract This paper examines mathematics and logic versus the influence of William Shakespeare in Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures In Wonderland." The paper specifically analyzes Harold Bloom's work, "Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human" and his views on Shakespeare's influence in Carroll's book. The paper argues against Bloom's view and aims to find not only references to Shakespeare, but also much grander references to Carroll's own discipline of mathematics and logic.
Table of Contents:
Epigraph
Preface
Introduction
Bloom's Argument of Shakespearean Influence
Testing Bloom's Premise: Shakespeare's Influence
Mathematical Influence
Conclusion
From the Paper "By discovering that Wonderland is indeed grounded by the same logical, predictable, mathematical basis as the real world, Alice is saved from the fate of losing faith in her knowledge and reasoning abilities, and hence from the madness which afflicts Wonderland. Similarly, she encounters this logic as she comes into contact with a variety of creatures that she does not understand or whom seem strange to her. The creatures' use of logic allows her to understand how the logic that might make sense to her seems completely illogical to them. Thus, Carroll not only manages to use logic in order to prove both the logic and the illogical, but also, he uses this logic and mathematics to emphasizes his two mains themes, that Alice is saved from the world of the illogical by logical concepts like mathematics and that what one person thinks is logical may be illogical to another and vice versa, the dichotomy of the strangers."
Abstract The paper discusses how "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" breaks the mold of a hero's quest by virtue of Alice being female and by the fact that she does not bring home a tangible treasure. The paper challenges the assumption that only a male can be a hero and maintains that the values Alice learned enable her to see the world in a new way and this for her was as a great a treasure as any. The paper also considers how Alice was merely in a dream state but posits that the magic and reality of Wonderland stayed with her and so her dream is considered as valid as an adventure.
From the Paper "Not only does Lewis Carroll's tale, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland create a whole new genre driven by fantasy and nonsense, but it also deviates from the typical expectations of a hero's quest. On the outside, the story follows the path of a young girl being called to an adventure by a white rabbit. As Alice falls down the rabbit hole, her world is literally turned upside down as she enters Wonderland; however, with Alice's failure to complete the pattern of a quest by not returning home with a prize, her adventures force us, as readers, to question what it really means to be a hero and return home with a prized possession."
Abstract The paper relates that Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" lacks the traditional elements of fairy tales, where there is a prince, a "rags to riches" story line and a beautiful, yet silent princess. The paper highlights how in Carroll's fairy tale, a prince is not the ultimate prize, but the attaining of knowledge of a world that has books without pictures as well as of a greater existence. The paper discusses how although Alice does not show the same ideas of good and evil present in human characters, it can still be classified as a fairy tale since the contrast is between the good and evil worlds. The paper believes that Alice represents a more realistic hero and a protagonist that young girls can actually aspire to be like without demeaning themselves.
From the Paper "For many societies, children are taught the way to function successfully through the art of story telling and fairy tales. It is a conscious decision to fill tales with morality and a clear distinction between good and evil and children will begin to see for the first time what it means to be a human. Tales that have survived for so many years still act as a way of socializing children and providing with them means of conformity. In popular fairy tales such as, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty, the female characters in particular come as close to death as possible while still having no agency, but because killing the protagonist will leave the child with a sense of hopelessness, a sleep-like death is the only way to keep her silent."
Abstract In Lewis Carroll's novel, "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland", Carroll creates a satirical impression of human authority. This paper explains how he portrays seemingly powerful characters such as the King and Queen of Hearts as shallow, idiotic, and farcical, while characters such as Alice and the Cheshire-Cat are depicted as knowledgeable, witty characters who possess the real authority in Wonderland. Carroll, through exaggeration, displays the King and Queen of Hearts as somewhat of a parallel to the top of the hierarchy of authority in the real world. The paper looks at how these characters are presented to the reader as abusing power they don?t really possess. It explains how, in the end, Alice, with the help of the Cheshire-Cat, develops as the true figure of authority in Wonderland and symbolizes young children everywhere, showing them that they too can make a difference in the world.
From the Paper "Lewis Carroll develops Alice as a prominent authority figure throughout her tenure in Wonderland. Alice's authority increases in her own mind as she realizes how farcical and illogical the important figures in Wonderland really are. This is quite evident at the mad tea party when Alice is arriving and the Mad Hatter and March Hare claim there is no room but
Alice indignantly says, ?there's plenty of room!,?(Carroll, 60) and sits down in a large armchair
at the head of the table. Alice, here, is showing the characters of Wonderland that they do not intimidate her and she is trying to enforce her own sense of authority over these idiotic beings. The Hatter and the March Hare try to belittle Alice with their remarks but Alice replies to their snide remarks with polite, intelligent responses. This can be manifested when the Hatter and the Hare are rudely commenting on how Alice could use a hair cut and Alice replies, ?you should learn not to make personal remarks . . . it's very rude.?(Carroll, 60). Although the Hatter and the Hare don?t realize it, Alice is establishing herself as a teacher, or leader, that provides a helpful example to children readers with respect to manners and temperament. The idea of Alice's authority in Wonderland is further developed to the point where she can be recognized as the supreme authority figure in Wonderland near the end of the story at the trial regarding the stolen tarts. Alice, at this point, has grown back to her normal size and has no respect for, or fear of the Queen or King of Hearts any longer."
Abstract This essay examines Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland" series ("Alice's Adventures in Wonderland", "Through the Looking-Glass" and "What Alice Found There") and then compares it to the Walt Disney cartoon adaptation. The paper focuses on the differences between the two, such as the added morals to the Disney story and looks at the genre and medium of the two.
From the Paper "The only characters that seemed to have been made visibly nastier by Disney are the flowers that attack Alice both verbally and physically for being different. First the flowers accept her for thinking she is a strange flower, just like in the book, but when they discover she is not a flower they shoo her away and want nothing to do with her (unlike the book where they do not seem to realise that Alice is really a little girl). Alice is quite indignant about this and it is one of the nastier, or maybe even the nastiest scene in the Disney film."
Abstract In this article, the writer discusses that studying the book 'Alice in Wonderland' provides an insight into life in Victorian England. The writer maintains that there is more to this book than a child's fantasy, as one can almost hear author Carroll's voice in the words. The writer notes that this voice seems to hint at deeper meanings. In addition, the writer points out that Alice's life, as a Victorian female child destined to become a rather bored idle Victorian lady and that her adventures in Wonderland are in sharp contrast to the life afforded Victorian ladies. After studying the sources, the writer concludes with the belief that it warrants a bit more research in order to fully understand this very delightful book.
From the Paper "In looking further, we should re-examine the conversations in the book, and even the various things which happen to Alice. Victorian "ladies" were totally preoccupied with appearance, and went to extreme measures to stay very thin. Corsets made their waists even smaller, and tended to make the ladies faint, since they could not breathe. Alice becomes a giant from one bite of a cookie."
"A journal article by Rose Lovell-Smith does a dandy job of explaining the presence of so many animals in Wonderland as parallel symbols for the Victorian class system, and the way these animals talk is not at all innocent or meant for children, but results in sharp criticism of Victorian society."
This paper looks at child characters acting as adults in literature, focusing on 'The Ozma of Oz' by Frank Baum and 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' by Lewis Carroll.
Abstract In this article, the writer notes that there are many examples in children's literature where child characters act as adults. The writer points out that the characterizations of Alice in 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' as well as Dorothy in 'Ozma of Oz are excellent examples of the phenomena in literature. The writer also points out that the reality of the phenomena is that, for the most part children's literature is created by adults, and these same adults, as children wish they had been able to act as adults, upon the arbitrary world of adults. The main characters in these two works demonstrate this phenomenon by calmly dealing with the world around them as if they had years of adult conflicts under their belt, as the desire to be recognized as having power, as a child demonstrates a desire to emulate adults and therefore resolve the arbitrary conflicts that occur in the adult world. The writer concludes that part of the the purpose of the writer is to recount the innocence of a child, and still manage to fulfill one's obligations as an adult. The writer maintains that the children in these two fantastic stories are reflecting the need to remember the fantasy of childhood as well as the obligations of adulthood, without losing either.
From the Paper "The resolution to resolve the arbitrary conflicts of adults, in the magical world of mystery, as well as in the real world are clear intentions of personal growth. To act as an adult, and to have the influence of an adult, is the aspiration of all children, especially in a world where such actions are recognized as brave and necessary. Adults who write works of fiction for children, remember their own days as children, being unable to navigate the mysteries of the adult world and wishing more than anything to have influence over them. The reflection of the desire, as a child to understand and resolve the mystery of the adult world is reflected in fantasy. Childhood is a period of clarity and innocence, that writers of children's works wish to retell to children of the younger generations. There is no sense of real childhood fear, as the innocence of a child drives his or her clarity in the world of adults, no matter the level of mystery. The idea of personal growth and influence, drives the child's actions, and the child seeks this recognition in the real as well as the world of imagination. Upon waking, Alice's sister, now an adult recognizes in Alice's recalled dream the nature of children and the need to remain innocent."
Abstract This paper looks at specific influences in the life of Charles Dodgson (aka Lewis Carroll) such as split personality disorder, sleep difficulty and Victorian era social problems and examines how they are represented in the story of "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland". A detailed analysis of the story shows that there are characters, events and symbols that may serve as allegorical representations of the influences in the author's life.
From the Paper "What is the difference between dreaming and pretending? The pretender creates the environment for the action while the dreamer is forced to negotiate an environment that was not consciously created. One of the most celebrated dreams in literature involves a girl named Alice and a place called Wonderland. On a hot July day in 1862, Charles Dodgson began telling a story to three little girls during a boating trip. It was a fantastic tale about a mysterious rabbit hole, talking animals, magic potions and a particularly violent Queen. One of the girls on the trip, Alice Liddell, begged Mr. Dodgson to write down the story for her. The story was written as Alice's Adventures Under Ground, which was later published under the more commonly known name, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (Bassett 49). For the causal reader of this fairy tale, it may be hard to imagine how the author created such an outlandish story. The characters are bizarre and often absurd. Nothing in the story seems to be of this world, at least not within the realms of known sciences. However, a detailed analysis of the story shows that there are characters, events and symbols that may serve as allegorical representations of the influences in the author's life. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is a story comprised of extra ordinary characters and events that correspond directly to the real life biography of Charles Dodgson."
Abstract This paper compares and contrasts two classic stories. The writer of this paper looks at "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and "The Secret Garden" to compare and contrast fairy tale elements. The author provides the reader with an overview of what a fairy tale element is and then examines how these elements are used in the two named stories.
From the Paper "Fairy tales have been written for many years. Often times the writing of them coincides with the societal strengths and weaknesses of the time. The complete and surreal fantasy in Alice and Wonderland was something that was popular in the 1800's while the Secret Garden was more common its time. Fairy tale elements in each book give it the classic happy ending but the approaches are entirely different. In The Secret Garden there is much tragedy before the happiness can begin. This is not uncommon and is a style that we have grown accustomed to in other fairy tales. Alice in Wonderland makes up for the lack of tragedy by emphasizing the bizarre and the unbelievable elements such as animals with marked intelligence."
Abstract While most adult authors rarely deviate from creating novels that aid in spiritual and educational growth, Lewis Carroll and J. K. Rowling approach teaching children in these areas with very non-traditional techniques that are extremely successful. The paper explains that while Lewis Carroll pokes fun at the adult world, he is able to teach children how to be independent and daring as they grow up. It shows that similarly, J. K. Rowling uses the fantastical element of magic to enhance Harry Potter's world and present him with circumstances that allow him to not only deal with difficult situations but learn from them. The writer shows how each author approaches the child audience with a unique perspective that includes allowing the child reader to grow along with the child protagonist. While "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" may be considered different in style and structure, they are successful in teaching children important lessons that deal with educational and spiritual growth.
From the Paper "Lewis Carroll's technique is unique in that it is not straightforward in its ambitions. Many times, the child reader will be challenged along with Alice in her adventures and learning experiences. This is a deliberate action on Carroll's part, who with his Alice books, created a new way of writing children's literature. In his essay, Lewis Carroll and the Child in Victorian Fiction, Robert Polhemus (1994) claims that Carroll "became a master of what we might call a stream of unconsciousness that others could tap into and use" (Polhemus 1994). His books are significant because they illustrate the "emergence in the nineteenth century of children as subjects in the enterprise of fiction--a key cultural fact that deserves recognition and attention" (Polhemus). In this alternate realm, Carroll is able to teach the child reader by allowing him or her to experience the same challenges that Alice experiences."
An exploration of how personal space is created, and how the concept of space in dreams has been presented in "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland," in "Waltz with Bashir," and in Edgar Allan Poe's tales.
Abstract This paper explores how different types of personal space exist and are also created, both by society as a whole and by private individuals, focusing on personal spaces that allow for the suspension of reality and the experience of temporary freedom from time and death. The writer explains how through both literature and the world of dreams and fantasy it is possible to escape from the fears and letdowns of reality. However, the problem with both literature and dreams is that it is difficult to find a structured space that is free from contortion. Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland," as well as the Disney film version of his story, the movie "Waltz with Bashir," and some of Edgar Allan Poe's tales, are used as examples to show how space in dreams, in memory, and in the mind can be nightmarish and distorted.
From the Paper "When we leave the world of the tangible, it becomes harder to define ourselves by the space around us. Spaces that can be defined as sacred, profane, public, private and personal no longer apply because all space lies in the realm of the imagination. Despite this being a world of the imagination, there are still certain criteria that defines the space and sets up the potential for possibility. In the moment that we are captivated within a dream or a piece of literature, we can only exist within ourselves and within our own creation. Throughout history, intolerance and hatred of others has brought about the need to define space and define those who are allowed to be a part of it. All around, these conventional borders exist and are meant to separate the "other" and it is too often that there is a sense of placeless-ness because there is no one space that can be regarded as belonging to a person. Perhaps this is why such spaces like that of literature, dreams and imagination need to be created. In this world, unnatural borders do not exist and the body can be released from conventionality."
Abstract The paper relates how adventures used to be something for a select few men, usually of the upper class, who were able to go off and explore exotic places. These were real adventures and some of them never came back. However, the paper explains that adventures these days are often very different. For example, adventures are prescribed as part of therapy for mental health patients, adventure is incorporated into the concept of some educational systems, such as the Outward Bound movement and adventure is increasingly used as a product for people with an excess of disposable income.
Abstract This paper compares Flannery O'Connor's short story,"Good Country People" with Alice Walker's story, "Everyday Use" in terms of character, family and relationships.
From the Paper "In Flannery O'Connor's Good Country People and Alice Walker's Everyday Use there are some striking similarities to be observed with regard to such elements of literature as relationships, specifically with family place ..."
Tags: Flannery O'Connor, Alice Walker, short stories
Abstract The purpose of this paper is to provide a summary of the basic plot and thematic elements in Alice Walker's "Meridian". A basic overview of the text is provided and also the context within which it was written. The primary focus of the report will be to situate Meridian Hill, the text's protagonist, within the context of the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, in which the character fictitiously participates. Some of the structural considerations of the text are also discussed.
From the Paper "The purpose of this paper is to provide a summary of the basic plot and thematic elements in Alice Walker's Meridian. To that end, I will provide a basic overview of the text and the context within which it was written. The primary focus of the report will be to situate Meridian Hill, the text's protagonist, within the context of the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, in which the character fictitiously participates. I will talk somewhat about some of the structural considerations of the text, but will focus mostly on Meridian's role within the civil rights movement. In this regard, we should be able to see some of the attitudes that the author possessed regarding the Civil Rights movement and the importance of personal action as opposed to political action. Meridian is set in the American South during the 1960s.."
