Alice in Wonderland has always been a source of fascination and wonder to me. While as a child I adored the magical storylines and the memorable characters, I recently studied it at university as part of my Victorian module, introducing me to a whole new way of seeing the beloved 'Alice' books.
Having to re read the entire novel was something I'm so glad I had to do, I admit that I had fallen victim to the simplicity of the storyline and characters that is sometimes the result of such a well known phenomena. Not having seen the recent films entirely I clutched onto my childhood interpretations of Carroll's much celebrated stories and retained an all too simplistic reading of what I now feel is an incredibly rich and rewarding reading experience for both adults and children.
I read both the 'Alice' stories in just over one evening, Alice in Wonderland tells the story of an inquisitive and confident young girl and her adventures literally in a land of wonder. As she experiences a plethora of nonsensical and slightly disturbing adventures (I never realised how almost scary the concept of being faced with a lifesize Dodo was...) the reader is truly rewarded with a myriad of memorable characters; I'm sure we've all heard of the Mad Hatter and the Queen of Hearts. 'Off with their heads!' The sequel to Wonderland: Through the Looking Class is equally as enjoyable - tracking Alice's progress through a metaphorical chess game as she tries to reach the end and become a queen herself.
What struck me as I read the stories as an ever analyzing literature student was the way in which Carroll cleverly weaves and intertwines philosophical musings and universal feelings. While one may see Alice's frustrating conversation with the Duchess mere silliness: 'flamingoes and mustard both bite. And the moral of that is - Birds of a feather flock together' we could see this as a deep exploration of the position of morals and their weight in a modern society. Should we take things for concrete evidence just because they are steeped in rhetoric and value, taking them literally when really they are nonsense? The courtroom scene while is a humorous portrayal of the King and Queen of Hearts, leads the reader into considering the role and use of the justice system - should someone be punished for something they haven't done? Obviously not, but Alice makes us question the leadership and authority of people in power - even a child would recognize the tyrannical qualities of the Queen!
For me, I see the 'Alice' stories as a musing on growing up - Alice is stuck between a limbo of being too big and too small, I see her in a constant state of flux and unease at the changing state of her body and mind. She is getting to the stage where she is stuck between childhood and young adulthood, something that is often overlooked. Perhaps I'm being a bit too metaphorical when I see the chessboard as her movement through growing up? Maybe, but I think this is the lovely quality of Alice as Carroll creates a wonderland not just for Alice, but so too for the readers. We can interpret Alice just about any way we like, and constantly read it in a different light.
Have you read Alice? What are your thoughts?
Rose x
