Julia Balder

3/9/15

808

                                                      Alice in Wonderland Essay

The book, Alice in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll is written in an era that is focused on being proper.  It was a time period of peace, prosperity, but along with that came the strict rules and guide-lines that the population had to follow.  There was never any talk about puberty, growing up and sexual tension, the monarch, Queen Victoria,  used her power to  enforce strict rules to create a certain mindset for her subjects (the commoners).  Lewis Carroll wrote, Alice in Wonderland, in my opinion, to mock the rules that were set in the Victorian Era.  

First, Carroll has a queen in the story, she uses over uses her powers for selfish purposes.  In the story the queen always uses her power as queen for her won personal purposes.  The text  says, “If the queen was to find it out, we should all have our heads cut off, you know.”  This shows that the creatures in Wonderland are afraid of the queen.  She uses her power to execute people or creatures that didn't ‘behave properly’.  Carroll is making fun of the way the Queen Victoria has ruled.  She was very strict and if anyone went out of line there would be consequences.  Carroll is using irony by when ever any creature in the story does even something as little as a walking the wrong way.  He is describing the society very strictly. Carroll uses irony to make Queen Victoria look like a strict  ruler.  

Second, Carroll uses that fact that it wasn’t common to talk about the physical changes the body undergoes.  He chooses the is topic to show how frowned upon it was to witness and how ‘strange’ it was to go through these changes, even though everyone goes through them.  The book says, “‘I ca’n’t help it ,’ said Alice weary meekly: ‘I’m growing.’ ‘You’ve no right to grow here,’ said the dormouse.”  This quote is saying how growing, or your body changing was almost shamed upon.  Carroll chose this so he can show how life was in the Victorian era and how they had rules that made no sense.  Carroll uses this topic about changing body because anyone can relate to physical growth or mental growth.  Carroll is showing how distorted the ideas were during the Victoria Era. 

Finally, Carroll use that fact that people don't really know what they want for themselves because they don't know the outcome.  The text says, “‘Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?’ ‘That depend a good deal on where you want to get to,’ said the cat.” The book is saying how Alice doesn’t know where to go. The cat is telling her does it matter, no one knows the outcome of life and until go yet past that point you are always confused.  This also relates to the book because Alice is saying that she doesn't know, and since it was based in the Victorian Era nobody really knew anything of value because many topics were never talked about with children and teens.  Carroll is making fun of the lack of knowledge about personal topics in the Victorian Era.  

Overall, the book, Alice In Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll is making fun of the strange rules, too much power, and lack of knowledge in the Victorian Era.  He talks about changing physically and mentally in his book and then also talks about how the people in the Victorian Era not really knowing about key details that are important in life because it is ‘improper’ to discuss.   Through out the book Carroll mocks the Victorian Era.