Analysis
Lewis Carroll exhibits his skeptic mentality in Alice in Wonderland as he mocks Victorian culture using diction, contradictions, and situational irony.
Carroll begins his exposition of the Victorian age by portraying Alice as a young, innocent, youth who does not have the ability to rationalize well enough to discover an exit from Wonderland. He repeatedly reports that Alice “sat down and cried,” and habitually refers to her as a “poor little thing”. He describes her as someone who “generally gave herself good advice” (6), which is contradictory to the plotline, as Alice continually finds herself in situations in which she is unable to use logic and reason to escape from. Carroll’s use of the effect of a world without reason on Alice provides a monumental effect on his idea that the Victorian Age was without reason as well. This irrational world that Carroll has created also exposes the poor education that young females received during the Victorian Age, as Alice claims that the mouse she has just met has “come over with William the Conqueror” (13). Later, Carroll reveals that “poor Alice” had no real knowledge of when anything happened. Carroll further enunciates his point by presenting Alice as literally struggling not to drown in her own sea of tears, saying “I wish I had not cried so much!” (12).
Incidentally, as Alice’s delirious decisions guide her to the ultimate destination, a court case about the queen’s tarts, she struggles with her size. Alice’s height fluctuations leave her dismayed. Carroll presents a scene in which Alice grows to such an extent that she becomes trapped in a house, almost completely filling it up, stating “She went on growing and growing, and very soon had to kneel down on the floor: in another minute there was not even room for this, and she tried the effect of lying down with one elbow against the door, and the other arm curled round her head” (24). Carroll’s description of Alice’s awkward growth depicts the similar awkwardness of puberty in adolescents, and the discomfort one feels while the body changes. To offset the negative effects of Alice’s growth, Carroll then produces a scene of childlike optimism, in which Alice announces that she will “never get any older than [she] is now”, and that it “will be a comfort, in one way, never to be an old woman...” (25-26)
This optimism dies when Alice first encounters the Queen of Hearts, who undoubtedly represents Queen Victoria. The queen of wonderland, ironically named the Queen of Hearts since she “turned crimson with fury and, after glaring at [Alice] for a moment like a wild beast, began screaming “Off with her head!...”” (65) the first time she met Alice, is the precise portrait of Queen Victoria. Her impulsive death proclamations symbolize what Queen Victoria’s independence over England was like, while her dominance over everything in wonderland, including the King of Hearts, depicts her obsession with absolute rule. The queen’s ludicrous actions result in allowing Alice to come to the conclusion that everything she engages with in Wonderland is fallacious.
Carroll’s depiction of Alice’s travels, constantly evolving size, and encounters with the queen all embody his attitude toward the Victorian Age: incredulity.
Carroll begins his exposition of the Victorian age by portraying Alice as a young, innocent, youth who does not have the ability to rationalize well enough to discover an exit from Wonderland. He repeatedly reports that Alice “sat down and cried,” and habitually refers to her as a “poor little thing”. He describes her as someone who “generally gave herself good advice” (6), which is contradictory to the plotline, as Alice continually finds herself in situations in which she is unable to use logic and reason to escape from. Carroll’s use of the effect of a world without reason on Alice provides a monumental effect on his idea that the Victorian Age was without reason as well. This irrational world that Carroll has created also exposes the poor education that young females received during the Victorian Age, as Alice claims that the mouse she has just met has “come over with William the Conqueror” (13). Later, Carroll reveals that “poor Alice” had no real knowledge of when anything happened. Carroll further enunciates his point by presenting Alice as literally struggling not to drown in her own sea of tears, saying “I wish I had not cried so much!” (12).
Incidentally, as Alice’s delirious decisions guide her to the ultimate destination, a court case about the queen’s tarts, she struggles with her size. Alice’s height fluctuations leave her dismayed. Carroll presents a scene in which Alice grows to such an extent that she becomes trapped in a house, almost completely filling it up, stating “She went on growing and growing, and very soon had to kneel down on the floor: in another minute there was not even room for this, and she tried the effect of lying down with one elbow against the door, and the other arm curled round her head” (24). Carroll’s description of Alice’s awkward growth depicts the similar awkwardness of puberty in adolescents, and the discomfort one feels while the body changes. To offset the negative effects of Alice’s growth, Carroll then produces a scene of childlike optimism, in which Alice announces that she will “never get any older than [she] is now”, and that it “will be a comfort, in one way, never to be an old woman...” (25-26)
This optimism dies when Alice first encounters the Queen of Hearts, who undoubtedly represents Queen Victoria. The queen of wonderland, ironically named the Queen of Hearts since she “turned crimson with fury and, after glaring at [Alice] for a moment like a wild beast, began screaming “Off with her head!...”” (65) the first time she met Alice, is the precise portrait of Queen Victoria. Her impulsive death proclamations symbolize what Queen Victoria’s independence over England was like, while her dominance over everything in wonderland, including the King of Hearts, depicts her obsession with absolute rule. The queen’s ludicrous actions result in allowing Alice to come to the conclusion that everything she engages with in Wonderland is fallacious.
Carroll’s depiction of Alice’s travels, constantly evolving size, and encounters with the queen all embody his attitude toward the Victorian Age: incredulity.