On Realism of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Background introduction about the author and his works
In fact, the well-known ‘Lewis Carroll’ is the real name of the author; that is, it is his pen name. His real name is Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, instead. Carroll is a famous mathematician, who worked as a math lecturer in Christ Church College in the renowned Oxford University. During his life time, Carroll published several math books. Since he stammers badly, he is not good at getting along with people. However, Carroll is interested in many things and is talented in writing novel, poet and logic. What is more, he is also an excellent children photographer.
Even though Carroll is a brilliant mathematician and a beloved lecturer, his greatest fame comes from two novels, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass. The Alice series was adapted several times into movie, music drama and cartoon. It tells that Carroll’s works are incredibly influential. In general, people say that his works are charming to people from all walks and all ages. From literature elites to naive kids, everyone is crazy for his word games, logical reasoning and imagination. This great artist influences successors in modern art and literature, with his model works.
Early life and education
Born in the year 1832, he was named Charles Lutwidge Dodgson. He is the first son of minister Charles Dodgson and Francis Jane Lutwidge and the third kid among the eleven kids. Carroll has a happy childhood. His mother is kind and patient. His father is a teacher for them, always educating them to be a good man. At the same time, Carroll usually created games, and wrote stories and poets for his seven sisters and three brothers. Some of the works are similar to his published works.
Although Carroll was not so happy during the time when he was in Rugby School ( 1846-1849), he was considered a good student. In 1850, Carroll was elected into British Oxford University Christ Church College and got further education. Graduated in 1854, he became a math lecturer in that college. This long-term job not only recognized his academic ability but also gave him decent salary. Also, it required that Carroll should takeover the Holy orders of Anglican Church and not marry all his lifetime. He agreed all the requirements and became a deacon in 1861.
Photographing and early publication
When faced with adults, Carroll is silent and wordless. However, he is not so alien like some materials described. Actually, Carroll usually went to the cinema and was keen on photographing and writing.
Soon after he started photographing in 1856, Carroll figured that his favorite theme was kids and famous people. Although photographing was only a hobby for Carroll, he still spent a lot of time on it until 1880. At that time, people said that he is one of the most excellent photo takers and had great effects on modern art photographer.
In mid 1850s, Carroll started to write humorous stories and math books. In 1856, he translated the first two words of his name into Latin, switch their position, translated them into English again and finally created the pen name, Lewis Carroll. By the way, he used his real name when published his math books.
The Alice series
In 1856, Carroll met the daughter of dean of Christ Church college, a four-year-old girl, Alice Liddell. In the following years, Carroll usually wrote stories for Alice and her sisters. In 1862, when he went picnic with Liddell ans her sisters, Carroll told an adventure story about a little girl falls into a rabbit hole.
Alice asked him to write this story down. When he finished it, Carroll named it Alice Adventures Underground. After some modifications, the work was published in 1865 with the name, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and had Sir John Tenniel illustrating for it.
The book was so popular that Carroll was inspired to write a second story, Through the Looking-Glass (1872). Based on the experience of Carroll and Liddell’s kids playing international chess, the book contains some materials before Carroll met them.
Unlike other children’s books at that time, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass did not try to express obvious moral doctrines and did not contain something that some critics insist are there -- underlined meaning about politics and religion. They are just bright and happy adventure stories, telling that how a smart and healthy girl reacts to the reality in adult world. The reason that why these stories let so many kids and adults addicted is that, Alice can react wisely to ridiculous words and behaviors.
Other works
Alice series are the most famous works of Carroll. However, he has wrote numerous poets, stories and papers, such as a book not so widely-known, The Hunting of The Snark. It is a history story about a big boat, with long length.
In addition, he published a series of novels with two books, SylvieandBruno and the Final SylvieandBruno. However, the two books are far not so popular as Alice series and did not get any recognition from critics.
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson PK Lewis Carroll
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson minister is a silent, wordless and picky single man. In his time, Britain experienced a series of political and religious changes but he was not influenced by that. On the other hand, Lewis Carroll was a good friends for kids. He wrote many ridiculous stories and poets. For a long time, biographers and historians are confused that, why a person can have two totally different sides ?
One of the many explanations is that he had dual characters. The symptom of dual characters are the split characters, Lewis Carroll and Dodgson minister. He has some strange points -- from his childhood, he stammered a lot; he was picky to what he would eat; he must walk 32 km every day. However, another explanation: Dodgson and Carroll are two parts of a character. Because he experienced a happy childhood and painful time following that time, a character could shine only in an environment similar to the one he miss in his growth.
Social and reality background
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was created in late 19th century, that is the Victoria Period, a period when Britain is strong and powerful in the world. One of the characteristics of this period is that, the value held by most people then is that “ money is paramount”. The great gap between the rich and the poor leads to the fact that girls chose their husbands according to material conditions. Love is nothing in the face of money. Under such occasion, marriage match is the most important thing in the eyes of people. According to some documents, society in Victoria Period is a patriarchal society. When girls grew up, they did not have any right to choose their husbands but their fathers did. When they got married, those girls had to follow what their husbands told them to do, accept what husbands said and became totally obedient accessories.
To be more precise, Carroll uses Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to satirize 19th British society : at that time, the UK was in the most powerful “the sun never set” period. Industry and business blossomed fast and the country entered a blundering transformation period and the accumulation of wealth increased the gap between the rich and the poor. Marriage was arranged based on material condition, needing the so called perfect match. At that time, in terms of law, whenever female got marry, it means they would lose their basic rights, including property right. Males control and ensure the material basis of their families; whereas female only were attached to their families. Because of the economic dependence of female, they must totally obey male and patriarchy. Patriarch society led female have very low social status. Beauty was all what they can rely on, since it means those pretty girls can marry nobles, enter noble families and get happiness in life and marriage. This is the social rule, which everyone had to follow and accept. The whole country followed this set rule to run -- this is what the author Lewis Carroll wants to blame and condemn.
From the very beginning of girls’ life to the end of girls’ life, females did not have any rights or freedom. Every time Alice thinks about this, she feels upset and down. Since her mother and older sister married the men chosen by their fathers and started unhappy life, based on such social condition and climate. In the eyes of Alice’s mother and older sister, women should choose better spouse with their pretty face; however, they did not realize that beauty can fade away as time goes by, and that beautiful face can not last permanently. When beauty and youth fade away, what should women use to grasp happiness ? For Alice, she is born with independent personality and always resists the unfair fate for women. At that time, most females dress tight camisole and long stockings, wishing to utilize this kind of dress to appeal to males. However, Alice chooses not to dress like that, since she has free personality and desires urgently emancipation. To remarked contrast, Alice usually imagines what it will be if male and female switch their clothes. Although she was born in this period, Alice has totally different characteristic; however, because of many consideration and hesitation, she did not dare to make a decision. This is what the story reflects about real social situation.
Resistance of reality in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
When Alice is lost and do not know what to do next, the fairy tale world calls her to start a journey for change. The rabbit holding a pocket watch in hand leads Alice to a pathway about growth. Finally, either in reality or in fairy tale world, Alice breaks orthodoxies bravely.
As for the eleven main characters, people say that they have their own meaning and their own mission. The wonderland described by the Carroll implies the imperialism climate and condemning social situation in 19th century the UK. On the other hand, in dream, Alice is full of sense of justice and amazing courage. She bravely take the responsibility to fight against vicious power. Carroll uses Alice, who is positive and brave, to condemn the British imperialism in 19th century and satirize the Victoria empire.
In fairy tale, animals and plants can speak and their thinking logic is contrary to that in reality. This is the fairy tale style of stories. However, if we think more deeply and more carefully, we can find that many things and mirror images are related to reality and are not totally separated from reality. In fairy tale, the queen represents power; whereas Alice represents weakness. She has to obey the queen and even herself doubts whether she have the ability to fight against vicious power. White queen and many advocates have ever doubted that “ Is she the Alice we need to find ?”. Eventually, under the encouragement and help from others, Alice gets her courage and the real ego. Also, she finds the courage to chase after happiness.
The first plot that reflects the resistance of reality is that after coming back from the rabbit hole, Alice bravely refuses the marriage arranged by her family. She does not neglect the voice from her heart and compromise to reality with set rules. To the contrary, she pursues her own life. The main body reaches perfect combination.
Another plot that shows the resistance of reality is that Alice’s dragon-killing action. In western legend, dragon-killing is a symbol of male right. In the story, Alice’s dragon-killing action is a challenge to patriarchy. It is this reversible plot that indicates the value and power of female are improved and recognized. In this process, Alice breaks limitation and rules. She find the her value as an individual, disobey strong power, although in reality she still faces stable and old society rules and the limitation of patriarchy. However, the experiences in dream help her gain the courage to fight against these unsatisfactory things and be more stronger. This is another evidence of Alice’s resistance of reality.
Ihab Hassan have ever said that, fantasy may be innocent in philosophy, simple in morality, subjective or rough in aesthetics; however, in terms of the best aspect of it, it seems to touch the nervous centralis of human general dream, and relive the deeply underlined imagination of the machine named human. In dream, the rabbit with a pocket watch in hand bring Alice into the hole. After experiencing a lot, under that encouragement of her kind friends, and in her desire of realizing female value, she help white queen to win against vicious power. These things and images are unreasonable in reality since those animals and plants who can not speak do not exist. Not mention that there is the fight between white queen and red queen. The author illustrates serious social problem with the form of fairy tale. Although this form full of imagination and legend, this story roots in social reality. It is corresponded with reality.
The dependent value of female
The change of Alice’s recognition of her dependent value as a woman is illustrates by the change between the thoughts at the very beginning of the story and after she leaves wonderland, with a abundant experiences. The plots in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland are simple. This novel does not have many complicated relations. In this story, the author utilizes clear and light style to tell the story about a girl named Alice. Following the rabbit with a pocket watch in hand, Alice enters a world of wonders. In this world, everything could be very exaggerating. One drinks a little water can shrink to as small as a mouse. One eat a bit of cake can turn into as big as a giant. In this world, there are many strange ball games. Alice takes part in strange ball games, participates in crazy tea party and even witnesses a trial. Eventually, she interferes with the queen and wakes up from the dream. The story ends.
In the series of strange experiences, it is Alice who relates all these characters and makes the image of wonderland more and more specific and connect with real world. In this world, there are many amazing things. People say that it is in this dream that Alice gradually recognizes the existence of her ego, that is, the journey in wonderland is also the process of Alice’s growth and getting mature.
Although the author describes wonderland as imaginable, the creation still has relation with real life. In fact, what Alice experiences is the process of a kid gradually building up his/her recognition. Firstly, when Alice enters wonderland, she is confuse. Gradually, she knows who she is and what should she do. This indirectly indicates the idea course during her being mature, and her growth process. As a result, when she is faced with difficulties in real life, she does not fell fear and flee. What is more, Alice recognizes that difficulties in real life are not so impossible to overcome. After she leaves from wonderland, Alice grows up and utilizes the skills and techniques she learns in wonderland in reality life. Consequently, the change of Alice’s recognition tells how she realizes her value as an adult.
Also, when it comes to the process of Alice enriching her personality and gaining her value as a woman, we should talk about the background of this novel. In real life, Alice is miserable for being in the contradiction she faces in reality. To be more precise, it is because in Victoria Period,when patriarchy dominated British society that Alice feels the contradiction from her heart and her surroundings. On one hand, she is against the actions to please male, such as dressing tight corset and long stockings. On the other hand, she follows what her family tell her to do. For example, she attends the engagement party. She deeply resists patriarchy society because she does not believe true love will exist under such occasion and arrangement. There is one thing that strengthens her belief : she witnesses that her sister’s husband has a love affair with another woman. She thinks that it is the result of patriarchy. Alice is concealed about the engagement ceremony and walks in it. As a result, people think that she will follow the decision, since all these things are gained for Alice’s beauty and her prominent family. In fact, she is early unwilling to obey this kind of arrangement but she does not have the courage to refuse. We can see
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