I loved to read as a kid, but I didn’t read Alice in Wonderland all the way several years later when I was well into adulthood. I made plenty of attempts as a child, but the book stressed me out. This most recent reading was my third time through the book. I’d say I got over my aversion.

When I was young, during the first attempt, I do remember Alice changing sizes really stressed me out. This happens well before I’d meet the Caterpillar, Cheshire Cat, or the Mad Hatter- all characters I’ve come to really enjoy. I never made it very far into the story because I got so uncomfortable with Alice’s fluctuating height.

Alice isn’t exactly comfortable during these shifts either. She often seems too big or too small to get where she’s going. It occurred to me that I didn’t like when I was  a kid because Alice couldn’t be the right size the situation. She was either too big or too small; she was either too much a child or too grown up. It’s hard for Alice to know what’s expected.  On this most recent reading I got the impression that, like Alice, I got treated like was supposed to be more “grown up” when I was little. I also got treated like was I was “too little” when I knew I was capable of more. As I got older, matured, I started to learn how to act my size.