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Quotes from Alice

Theme:

Power was being transferred from men to women and that represents the rise of feminism in Victorian England.

Quotes:

“Seven flung down his brush, and had just begun ‘Well, of all the unjust things—’ when
his eye chanced to fall upon Alice, as she stood watching them, and he checked himself
suddenly: the others looked round also, and all of them bowed low.” -Chapter 8

“‘Well, it must be removed,’ said the King very decidedly, and he called the Queen, who
was passing at the moment, ‘My dear! I wish you would have this cat removed!'” -Chapter 8

“‘That’s very important,’ the King said, turning to the jury.” -Chapter 12

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Falling deeper into the rabbit hole

As mentioned a lot in class, there is a lot to talk about when it comes to Alice in Wonderland.  Through a child’s eye we see the world differently and think of this story as nothing more but a fun journey full of vibrant and odd characters that will capture anyone’s attention, but is this really meant for children or was Lewis Carroll’s attention something more that he only wanted adults to understand?

Many Disney movies for instance, as we brought up in class are based of a more Grimm tale that is more of a tragedy rather then something we would expose a child too, I wonder if  this was  intentional so that we grow up to uncover the real truth ourselves and learn life lessons into our adulthood.  I also agree with other peers and the professor, that movies and the books are two totally different things that portray the story in their own version of it. Books are usually more detailed, where as the movies are more sweet and not as violent because they tend to cut off a lot of scenes we read in a book to make for a movie.

I’m sure that all over the world, people continue to seek an explanation for the stories, a deeper understanding or higher level of meaning, but I believe this is to be a pointless exercise. In the end, Alice was created for children, and it requires no great intellect to fully understand and enjoy her adventures. Even though, the story consists of violence like the animals being kicked around in a game, or Alice wondering off and almost drowning, and drugs even it still captures a child’s attention because they have yet to understand the truth. Despite the bizarre imagery and dreamy tone, I think that’s what makes this story so interesting through a child’s perspective because it makes them feel as if they are almost on an adventures themselves as they watch it unfold.

There’s a lot to think about when it comes to Alice like her curiosity, but that’s how children are they are curious too and a lot of the time just trying to make sense of their surroundings, because that’s how a child learns. The argument of uncovering the truth behind the authors attentions of Alice in Wonderland has been something we been trying to figure out for years, Personally I just think as we get older we just notice things more and view it differently but that doesn’t necessarily mean it shouldn’t be meant for a child too. No matter how people judge it, I grew up watching it myself and it remains one of my favorites.

 

 

 

 

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Alice in Wonderland a Children’s tale?

When we had discussed the reading assignment of Alice and Wonderland, I could not help but think of the Disney version of the story. It always came to my mind that this story had been such a well put together children’s story. It was filled with imagination and fun, two aspects that I young child would love to enjoy and watch over and over. After a few class discussion I was able to see understand that the text version and the visual version can be viewed differently.
When asked whether this text is or should be considered a children’s book, my thoughts immediately pointed toward the answer yes, but after a few points had been made about the text I realized that it just might be a little too much for a child to comprehend. As pointed out in class, the idea of using the flamingos head to whack the hedgehog, when thought about, in fact seems very brutal for an animal to experience. Although the child is blinded by the idea of it being just a “game” being played, as an adult we are able to see the wrong doings of this act. I was able to agree with Professor Curseen’s arguments where she stated that there is a great difference in the film versus the text when it comes to the portrayal of animation, song and dance to realm and fantasy. I also think that because the child’s mind is also left as curious as Alice’s, they are able to use their imagination in the text and create a barrier between fantasy and realism. Just as they do with the film, they are able to create their own movie while reading the text themselves.

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A Few Things

I particularly enjoyed reading The Adventure’s of Tom Sawyer however I found some things to be interesting.

I recall from class how there was somewhat of a consensus about how Alice talking out loud to herself at various moments was, for lack of a better word, strange. I am therefore curious about how the few beginning scenes would be reconciled. Between page four and five Aunt Polly speaks a large paragraph out loud to no one but the reader and herself. To me it appears to be a sort of filler/introduction as to the nature of Tom Sawyer. This also happens after Tom is caught by his Aunt Polly and as he’s running away he speaks about how she always switches the color of the stitching on the collar.

I also think it’s really important to mention the words being used here. The slang used by the characters speaking such as: nuff’, lick you, singed cat, pumped on our heads… and many more examples. These can be compared to the language of the narrator which at times is simple but also contains what appears to me to be extravagant words for children such as: ambuscade, adamantine reposeful, ponderously, daintily… and many more examples. This brings me back to the beginning of the year when we had to read that text about an intended reader for specific works. If the group of people in the authors group had deemed the poem they’d read inappropriate for children since it had contained two made up words, how would parents reconcile this novel? These days the slang would not be well known, personally I had to do a google search to understand some of the things that were being said, and the large words I can only assume not all children would know without asking or looking them up. I also think that this combination of words make an interesting comparison. Through comparing both slang and high profile words we get somewhat of a muddling between understanding these characters and attempting to relate to them while being fed differently worded descriptions [perhaps coming from an elite of people not used to the slang].

Another thing, all the talk about curiosity in Alice also got to me as I was reading about Tom Sawyer and his “adventurous, troublesome ways,” [5]. Is being adventurous or curious ever considered a good quality for children or is it solely bad leading to mischief and connoting of something absolutely negative?

The last thing I really wanted to bring up was the paragraph on pages nineteen and twenty. Not because I really wanted to discuss it more so I thought that it was a really cool statement by Twain and an amazing example of what I believe to be satire. It shows the master of satire doing what he does best. 

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Tom Sawyer’s Mischief

In Mark Twain’s novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, the story opens with Tom Sawyer’s Aunt Polly yelling his name “TOM!” over and over again. Aunt Polly threatens Tom “Well, I lay if I get hold of you I’ll-.” This opening to the story lets the audience know that Tom is a troublemaker and that Aunt Polly is the disciplinary figure in his life. However, I think that despite Aunt Polly’s threats, she does not feel happy about having to punish Tom. Tom’s aunt, I can tell is actually really fond of her nephew, for example she says “my old heart most breaks,” in reference to having to hit him. This quote shows the audience that Aunt Polly does not really want to hurt Tom at all, but has to in order to assert her authority and show Tom that he can not keep misbehaving. She even “broke into a gentle laugh” when she witnessed Tom trying to escape from her. This shows even further how much Aunt Polly seems to adore her nephew.

Since Aunt Polly seems to be softhearted in her treatment of Tom, it can explain why Tom has such a large degree of autonomy. Tom seems to not be too worried by the threats of his aunt. This is shown when despite getting discipled by Aunt Polly, Tom still resorts to more mischief soon enough. For example, he engages in a verbal banter of insults with another neighborhood boy and even starts wrestling with him. When Tom returns home and Aunt Polly notices his appearance, she punishes him by ordering him to whitewash the fence. Tom then convinces any boy that passes by his fence, to do the whitewashing for him, in turn leading him to not have to do any work at all. Tom does this by convincing the boys that whitewashing is something enjoyable. Tom is so convincing to the boys that they even end up giving Tom one of their belongings, in turn for him letting them whitewash his fence for him. Tom’s ability to convince other boys to do his work for him establishes him as a leader and mastermind. He has a knack for talking his way through his problems and finding ways to escape his punishment.

I found it very relatable when Aunt Polly was trying to discipline Tom, but admitting that it broke her heart to have to do so. For example, when my younger cousin was small, I had to scold her for doing something bad, but I felt bad for having to do so. Tom’s continuous misbehavior is probably encouraged by the fact that he is usually successful in his endeavors. When he is punished by his aunt, he still finds ways to escape her wrath and lie his way through. Even when he is caught in his lies, he still manages to find a way to escape his punishment, such as convincing others to do his work for him.

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Tom Sawyer’s Cunning Ways

First, I would like to say that this book was somewhat hard to read because of the language, but that’s besides the point. After reading some of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, it felt like an enjoyable book. There were funny moments Tom had playing hooky, always trying to get out of trouble with his aunt, and hanging out with the neighborhood kids. Then I realized that even though Tom likes to play hooky, he’s actually pretty smart! Street smart, that is. There was a point in the story where he got other kids to do his work for him. They even gave him objects to do it for him. And it was all because he changed his way of thinking. At first he felt like painting the fence was the worst job ever. But then when Ben came over, he figured that making it seem like a very important job would make others want to do it. To Tom, it was still work. But to everyone else, he made it seem like it was a special job only he could do. In the end, he tricked all of them into doing his hard work for him, and  he received rewards in return. It’s something I would not have expected him to think of. It also happened again when he traded objects for tickets before Sunday School and handed them in for the prize Bible. Of course that plan backfired on him, which was kind of like karma for his past trickery.

From those events, the book reveals morals about not tricking people. Otherwise, there might be consequences (such as the embarrassment Tom experienced). I would recommend this book to children. It seems enjoyable to read so far!

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You Don’t Need to Fall in a Rabbit Hole to Experience Wonderland

My original title was going to be, “You Have Got to be High if You Think Lewis Carroll Could Write something like this High!,” but that was too long and a bit abrasive. But of course, that is subjective, which—would you look at that—is the perfect segue because Subjectivity is a theme I’d like to discuss from this book. I’ve noticed a trend of linking creativity to drug use, when the only real link between them is that the government discourages the use of both. As my almost-title so kindly says, I don’t think Lewis Carroll was on drugs while writing this book, what he did with his spare time is not important. This book is so articulate and packed with very interesting parallels that I will discuss.

I want to talk about subjectivity because that’s a major theme in this story. When you read this book and think, what the heck are they doing down there in wonderland, you’re actually pulling an Alice. She goes to this place where she is not from and labels things as normal or not, civil or not, never really taking in account WHO CARES WHAT SHE THINKS. She’s lost not because she’s a child but because she’s in a culture that is totally different from her. Reading this book now, it’s obvious that this tale is a criticque on western imperialism—but with the kiddie-bumpers up! Alice, you’re a child, you have an excuse; but no, not you, westernized civilization!

I feel it is his intention for us to read this and be, what I referred to as, “pulling an Alice” the whole time. He doesn’t have to be on any drug, but he must be on something to speak up against our values—that’s why it’s veiled as a child’s “adventure.” Take for example the Mad Tea-Party. Mad like crazy? …no, Alice..  Mad like everyone in Wonderland when you step on their way of life (“Mad” means something totally different to the inhabitants of Wonderland, and it does not have the same stigma attached to it as it does in westernized civilization). I like especially the part when the March Hare, Dormouse, and the Hatter  all sit “crowded” at one corner and Alice comes around demanding and taking space for herself. Now sure, that table wasn’t completely covered up—or cultivated ;)—as well as Alice thought it should be, but it’s their table, it’s theirs, and she took it on her own…why is this all sounding so familiar?  The exchange between Alice and the tea-party guests was very amusing:

‘Have some wine,’ the March Hare said in an encouraging tone.

Alice looked all round the table, but there was nothing on it but tea. ‘I don’t see any wine,’ she remarked.

‘There isn’t any,’ said the March Hare.

‘Then it wasn’t very civil of you to offer it,’ said Alice angrily.

‘It wasn’t very civil of you to sit down without being invited,’ said the March Hare.

‘I didn’t know it was your table,’ said Alice; ‘it’s laid for a great many more than three.’

‘Your hair wants cutting,’ said the Hatter. He had been looking at Alice for some time with great curiosity, and this was his first speech.

‘You should learn not to make personal remarks,’ Alice said with some severity; ‘it’s very rude.’

The Hatter opened his eyes very wide on hearing this….

Like how much faster does imperialistic thinking need to be shot down for this message to be any clearer. She is unable to be objective in a case that calls for just that. She is constantly judging everything she sees based off of her own experience and culture. Culture should not be viewed subjectively and that is what Lewis Carroll intended with his book, I feel. One thing will mean something totally different to someone else, and that’s ok.

So, when you think about it, it my post really late? because late sounds a bit subjective and what is Time really? Lewis Carroll really punched out quite a few ideals that are highly valued by our western civilizations. Reading this solely as a children’s book is a big mistake, and with the right emphasis this book could be a tool in educating our future generations—dare I be so subjective—correctly.

 

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Alice In Wonderland, Story of a dimwit?

Through out Alice in Wonderland,by Lewis Carroll Alice is always found in an odd situations. These situations cause her question everything that occurs around her and find an explanation if necessary. While her attempt at trying to figure out what is happening to her is a sign of intelligence, her thoughts themselves end up being just as nonsensical or odd as the situation she is in. Alice’s thoughts begin in a reasonable place but she loses focus and her thoughts stray from their origin. Worse yet when she encounters a problem she failed to solve on her first attempt she becomes discouraged and cries.On the other hand even while she is in this state she actually still tells herself to keep a level head and think things through. This could be attributed to her age(which is believed, by scholars, to be seven based on her age in the sequel stories) but since her age is never explicitly stated one could argue against this. There is one scene in particular that shows just how dysfunctional Alice’s thoughts are. When she is at the white rabbits and she grows enormous, she takes talks about growing up but thinks that because her height is already larger than it should be she assumes she has already grown up. This shows she attributes aging to her height and nothing else. This scene immediately made her appear like a dimwit.

While Alice does not regularly have brilliant thoughts, or the ability to keep one thought in her mind for too long, she does display at least one good trait: the ability to learn. This is shown whenever she is in a situation that alters her physical height. When she first turned small she knew that she had to find something else to eat in order to change to her normal height. This is the only consistent thing in her thinking. Whenever she finds her height changed she knows she must eat something to alter her height.

 

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Alice in Wonderland

Before reading Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, I did some research on Lewis Carroll himself. I found that “Lewis Carroll” is a pen name for Charles Lutwidge Dodgson. Carroll chose a pen name because he valued his privacy. He was  a man with many interests, including religion, mathematics, photography, science, and children literature. It is said that he lit up around children, having an immense love for children’s stories. Alice in Wonderland was Carroll’s biggest success, and Alice herself is based off a real child that Carroll loved; his dearest child friend, Alice Pleasance Liddell. There is much debate over his relationship with young Alice, as well as his mental state while writing Alice in Wonderland. After researching Carroll further, my sources state that the well known rumour that Carroll had written Alice in Wonderland while under the influence of hallucinogenics is false.

It isn’t farfetched to assume that Carroll may have been on shrooms or LSD while writing Alice in Wonderland. Alice jumps from situation to situation quite bizarrely, and it is sometimes hard to keep up with the conversations she is having with the Wonderland animals. While reading Alice in Wonderland, I found myself thinking that this was nonsense. Alice would answer questions in a way that made no sense, things would happen randomly, and everything seemed to be unorganized and scrambled. But, also while reading, I found myself liking Alice’s character. She is creative, witty, and almost relatable in a strange way. I believe Alice could represent the inner nonsensical child in each of us, but she is not my favorite character.

My favorite character is the Cheshire cat. At first I was confused what a Cheshire was, so I looked it up and found it is defined by Mariam Webster as: Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England, in the United Kingdom. The western edge of the county forms part of England’s border with Wales. This concept of coming from another country could play into the whole idea if imperialism in Alice in Wonderland. The Cheshire cat has a huge grin on his face, and often poses philosophical questions to Alice. Carroll must have had a love for cats, because cats mentioned by Alice in the first chapter, as she has one herself, whom she loves. Cats represent mischievous charters in not literature.

 

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Alice’s Transition to Adulthood

Lewis Carroll’s story of  Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is jam-packed with situations in which Alice must make a simple decision.  This “simple” decision oftentimes involves mysterious foods and liquids; and whether or not to consume them.  Alice tends to eat/drink whatever is offered to her just because she was told to do so.  She doesn’t consider the consequences and more often than not has to deal with them.

As Alice ingests these foods she would either shrink or grow by tremendous amounts.  This growth/decrease in size represents Alice going through puberty in real life.  As Alice’s size constantly changes throughout the story so does her mindset.  Alice is not ready to become an adult just yet and regularly cries as she keeps changing from big to small and then back again.

Since Alice cannot  come to terms with becoming an adult and all the responsibilities that go along with that, she shows typical adolescent behaviors.  She is insensitive to the feelings and anxieties of others.  She demonstrates an over inflated sense of self and superiority, when comparing herself to others.  She is also moody, temperamental, and cries in response to change.  At length Alice seems to come to terms with the challenges that she is facing.  She realizes that she is in the middle of a dream and that she will eventually wake up to a new and familiar sense of normalcy.