Alice Escape 3

8/17/2019 Alice Escape 3

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ALICE’S ESCAPE: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Final Draft

Austin Cao

Dr. Neill, FWIS 181

12/17/14

“There is nothing more to be said or to be done tonight, so hand me over my violin and let us try to forget for half an hour the

miserable weather and the still more miserable ways of our fellowmen.” -Arthur Conan Doyle

In Se!ret "ar#ens, $u%&hrey Car&enter #o!u%ents the e'ol'in( nature of !hil#ren)s

literature, #es!ri*in( ho+ the *oos +e (i'e to our !hil#ren refle!t !urrent so!ietal 'alues. nly

after %any (enerations of &u*li!ations, fro% Aesop’s Fables to Alice in Wonderland , #i# +e

finally *e!o%e a!!usto%e# to !hil#ren)s *oos +hi!h *oth satisfy the !hil#)s #esire for

e0!ite%ent an# !ontain so%e %oral truth or lesson.1 he !ontention *et+een 3o%anti! an#

Di#a!ti! s!hools of thou(ht has &rofoun#ly sha&e# !hil#ren)s literature, an# e'en to#ay, this

!onfli!t is still seen throu(h %o#ern for%s of %e#ia. Car&enter further !onten#s that es!a&is%,

the ten#en!y to see #istra!tion in entertain%ent an# fantasies, is not only 'ery &resent in all of

!hil#ren)s literature, *ut is also a *ri#(e *et+een these o&&osin( s!hools of thou(ht. If the &u*li!

+orl# +as *oth 'in#i!ti'e an# intolerant, then %en an# !hil#ren shoul# &ursue a &ri'ate

#rea% Car&enter 115, +here they !oul# *e !reati'e an# learn at the sa%e ti%e. 6s!a&is% see%s

to *e su!h an inte(ral &art of hu%an nature that it ine'ita*ly influen!es the *oos +e !hose to

(i'e to our !hil#ren. e+is Carrolls Alice in Wonderland is the 9uintessential e0a%&le of1$u%&rey Car&enter, Se!ret "ar#ens: A Stu#y of the "ol#en A(e of Chil#ren)s iterature on#on: "eor(e Allen an# ;n+in 1


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es!a&is% in !hil#ren)s literature, +here Ali!es fantasies re'eal the 'alue of a ro%anti! !hil#, the

ne!essity of intros&e!tion in a !hil#)s es!a&e, an# the !lassis% inherent in es!a&ist +or.

erha&s the %ost i%&ortant the%e to this no'el is the #uality of Ali!e)s e0&erien!e: she

tra#es #ull, Bi!torian so!iety for the ro%anti! +orl# of Won#erlan#, transfor%in( as a result of

her a#'enture. 6s!a&is% re9uires the rea#er to i%a(ine a +orl# outsi#e of reality, +hi!h is a

#istin!tly ro%anti! i#ea. In history, this %anifeste# itself as a ree!tion of the o!ean !hil#, an

a!t that Car&enter ar(ues +as ne!essary to o&en u& the (enre of es!a&ist !hil#ren)s literature. $e

asserts that raisin( an# e#u!atin( !hil#ren in the 18 th !entury +ore# alon( lines lai# #o+n *y

o!e, &ra!ti!e# %o#eration in all thin(s, an# (a'e !hil#ren 'irtually nothin( to sti%ulate their

i%a(inations Car&enter 75. Chil#ren +ere nothin( %ore than (ro+in( a#ults, an# +ith &ro&er

!are, they +oul# soon *rea out of their %oral !hrysalis Car&enter


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i%a(ination to !reate this s&a!e for herself. Further%ore, the i#ea that Ali!e +as !han(e# *y her

e0&erien!es in Won#erlan# su&&orts Car&enter)s ar(u%ent that !hil#ren)s literature is ne!essarily

es!a&ist. For Ali!e, ro%anti!is% an# es!a&is% *e!o%e inti%ately !onne!te# in Won#erlan#,

+here she *oth !reates an# e0&erien!es the !hara!ters an# a*sur#ities of her i%a(ination. She is

literally &ro'i#in( the %e#iu% for her o+n es!a&e, a !hara!teristi! uni9ue in !hil#ren. So +hat

#oes Ali!e a!tually learn fro% this a#'enture of her o+n !reation erha&s instea# of a lesson,

Won#erlan# &ro'i#es Ali!e +ith a re%in#er. She #is!o'ers her o+n Se!ret "ar#en Car&enter

15, a &la!e +here !reati'ity an# !uriosity ha'e no *oun#s. his is ar(ua*ly her hi(her state of

s&iritual &er!e&tion Car&enter 85, as #es!ri*e# *y Wor#s+orth an# Bau(han. he ulti%ate

the%e of es!a&ist literature is that the rea#er %ust *e +illin( to for(o their so!ial an# &ra!ti!al

e0&e!tations an# e%*ra!e a fantasti!al, ne+ +orl#. hrou(h s!enes lie the >a# $atter)s tea

&arty an# the Du!hess)s it!hen, Ali!e is for!e# to !onfront the fa!t that the Bi!torian so!iety she

is use# to no lon(er e0ists. S&e!ifi!ally, +hen she atte%&ts to re!ite nursery rhy%es or

%ulti&li!ation ta*les, her e#u!ation fails her. hus in Alice in Wonderland , es!a&is% &ro'i#es a

re%in#er that it is often our %ost !hil#-lie 9ualities, the ones not tau(ht in the !lassroo%, that

are the %ost i%&ortant to our (ro+th as &eo&le. his is the the%e that Car&enter ar(ues is !entral

to !hil#ren)s literature.

Ali!e in Won#erlan# also !a&tures a %oo# of intros&e!tion that is ey to es!a&is%, +here

truth !an *e foun# in the %essy, a*sur# #rea%s an# fantasies that Ali!e !reates. 6s!a&e is not ust

a self-ri(hteous #rea%, *ut a tool +e !an use to learn a*out oursel'es. It *e!a%e i%&ortant to

tea!h !hil#ren that in or#er to li'e in this +orl#, +e so%eti%es ha'e to turn a+ay fro% it.

1$u%&rey Car&enter, Se!ret "ar#ens: A Stu#y of the "ol#en A(e of Chil#ren)s iterature on#on: "eor(e Allen an# ;n+in 1


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Car&enter states that a %o'e%ent +as e'ol'in( to ree!t the &u*li! +orl# ?as@ 'in#i!ti'e an#

intolerant an# assert that the %an of 'ision %ust &ursue a &ri'ate #rea% Car&enter 115.

his senti%ent see%e# to s&illo'er to !hil#ren)s literature in the for% of intros&e!ti'e or

fantasy stories Car&enter 1E5, +here i%&ossi*le e'ents are use# to se&arate fi!tion fro%

reality. his is of !ourse the &re%ise of es!a&is%, an# the reason that Won#erlan# e'en e0ists.

Ar(ua*ly, Won#erlan# is Ali!e)s &ri'ate #rea%, a &la!e +here she !an isolate herself fro%

so!iety an# allo+ her true i#entity an# hi##en #esires to !o%e to the surfa!e. For e0a%&le, +hen

Ali!e is fallin( #o+n the +ell, she thins to herself, Dinah)ll %iss %e 'ery %u!h to-ni(ht, I

shoul# thin Carroll 145. It is stran(e that Ali!e +oul# only thin of her !at +hile she &lun(es

into an a*yss, an# not of her sister or her &arents. While in her nor%al life, she has little !ontrol

o'er herself, the &ri'ate #rea% (i'es Ali!e in#i'i#ual a(en!yG thus in Won#erlan#, Ali!e %ust

se&arate herself fro% her fa%ily. Intros&e!tion also see%s to *rin( the su*e!t)s su*!ons!ious to

the surfa!e. When Ali!e !hooses to thin of Dinah *efore her fa%ily, she re'eals ho+ %u!h she

lo'es her !at, a senti%ent she %ay not e0&ress in front of her fa%ily an# in her nor%al life. he

rea#er also see a &ronoun!e%ent of Ali!e)s su*!ons!ious in her ina*ility to re&eat the no+le#(e

she (aine# in s!hool. $er un#erstan#in( of the &oe%s an# %ath &ro*le%s she has *een tau(ht to

re!ite is su&erfi!ial at *est, an# are !learly not un#erstoo# on any %eanin(ful le'el. Instea#,

Won#erlan#)s a*sur# !ast of !hara!ters re'eals that Ali!e &refers to *e i%a(inati'e, as #is!usse#

in the &re'ious &ara(ra&h. In !on!lusion, Won#erlan# sho+s that intros&e!tion is a !riti!al &art of

es!a&is%, an# truths a*out Ali!e !an *e #is!o'ere# in its a*sur#ities.



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Car&enter ar(ues that es!a&is% is fun#a%entally !lassist, a line of !ontention re'eale# in

Won#erlan#)s royalty an# Carroll)s fra%e &lot, +here Ali!e lea'es an# e'entually returns to the

!o%forts of u&&er-!lass so!iety. With the onset of in#ustrialiHation in the 1< th !entury, the (a&

*et+een e!ono%i! !lasses only +i#ene#. Car&enter #es!ri*es this effe!t on !hil#ren)s literature

*luntly +hen he +rites, !o%forta*ly off &arents *ou(ht Ali!e an# he Water-a*ies for their

!hil#ren, +hile the !hil#ren of the &oorer !lasses ha# to %ae #o +ith the &ious trash ?of@ Sun#ay

S!hools Car&enter 175. In its shift to+ar#s intros&e!tion, !hil#ren)s literature ha# finan!ially

!ut off a!!ess for lo+er !lass fa%ilies. n one han#, it is une!ono%i!al to &ur!hase *oos lie

Alice in Wonderland for entertain%ent 'alue onlyG stru((lin( &arents +oul# %u!h rather (i'e

literary !lassi!s or reli(ious te0ts to their !hil#ren. n the other han#, Car&enter also ar(ues that

the hi(h *irth rate of the lo+er !lass !ontri*ute# to a tou(her attitu#e to+ar#s !hil#ren, +hile

the %i##le !lass enoye# a fallin( *irth rate, the result of +hi!h +as !loser attention ?to@ their

offs&rin( an# a senti%ental i#ealiHation of !hil#hoo# Car&enter 185. his i%&lie# that s%all,

ri!h fa%ilies fa'ore# ro%anti! an# es!a&ist !hil#ren)s literature, +hile &oor, lar(er fa%ilies

+oul# ne'er (et the o&&ortunity to %eet an i%a(inary hooah-s%oin( !ater&illar sin!e they

si%&ly ha# %ore &ressin( issues to +orry a*out. Further%ore, the !lassist nature of es!a&is% !an

*e foun# throu(hout Alice in Wonderland. While Ali!e !an es!a&e Bi!torian so!iety *y #rea%in(

u& Won#erlan#, she !annot es!a&e the ine'ita*ility of so!ial !lass #i'isions. he !hara!ters of

royalty Jin(, Kueen, an# Du!hess5 are (i'en %any of the a!tual !hara!teristi!s that histori!al

fi(ures of &o+er ha'e *een !riti!iHe# for: the e0!ess *ehin# the !ro9uet (a%e, the Kueen)s

non!halant use of e0e!utions, the Court)s fo!us on &etty !ri%es lie tart theft5, an# the

&la!e%ent of the senten!e *efore the 'er#i!t. ehin# all of this a*sur#ity is the si%&le i#ea that1$u%&rey Car&enter, Se!ret "ar#ens: A Stu#y of the "ol#en A(e of Chil#ren)s iterature on#on: "eor(e Allen an# ;n+in 1


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those +ith %oney ha'e the lu0ury to enoy their ti%e in Won#erlan#G es!a&is% an# the

entertain%ent that !o%es +ith it5 is only a!!essi*le to royalty, or the u&&er !lass. Contrast this

+ith the !hara!teriHation of the >a# $atter, +ho +e infer +ent insane *e!ause of %er!ury

&oisonin(, a !o%%on sy%&to% foun# in those of his tra#e. $e s&en#s all of his #ays at his o+n

tea &arty, an# he offers +ine to Ali!e e'en thou(h he has none. ie the lo+er !lass, he #oes not

ha'e a!!ess to the lu0uries that the other !hara!ters e0&erien!e, an# his role in the *oo is

isolate# to a sin(le !ha&ter. So +here #oes Ali!e fall on Carroll)s !lassist s&e!tru% of !hara!ters

Ali!e returns to the sa%e Bi!torian so!iety that she (re+ u& in, an# her sister tells her to run in

to your tea: it)s (ettin( late Carroll 12=5. She is a #efiniti'e !hil# of the u&&er !lass. his is

further su&&orte# *y her sister)s i%a(inin( of Ali!e)s future !hil#ren: ?she@ +oul# %ae their

eyes *ri(ht an# ea(er fin#in( &leasure in all their si%&le oys, re%e%*er her o+n ha&&y

su%%er #ays. Ali!e)s a#'enture in Won#erlan# is si%&le, ro%anti!, i%a(inati'e, *ut ulti%ately

&ri'ile(e#. It *e!o%es a&&arent that es!a&ist !hil#ren)s literature lie Alice in Wonderland %ay

*e *iase# to+ar#s !hil#ren of hi(h so!iety, *ut it ulti%ately *rin(s to(ether *oth the 3o%anti!

an# Di#a!ti! s!hools of thou(ht.


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Alice Escape 3