E349S April 17: The End is Near

Only as a Queen does Alice have the power and restraint to rule her life. 

Over the course of the Queen Alice" chapter," Alice is clearly portrayed as a mature, young lady, significantly different from the child who journeyed in Wonderland. She is challenged with a final task of outwitting the nonsensical Red and White Queens. The two queens coerce and bombard Alice with insane riddles. Looking in retrospect, during Alice's first adventure in Wonderland, she could not handle difficult situations, breaking down because of the poor nature of her state. Now, Alice can handle conflict and difficult situations with ease, holding firm to her word. Because "she's in that state of mind," she has the right mentality and perception of the encounter with the Queens, appropriately responding to their endless riddles (252). She navigates her way through encounter with the Queens smoothly. This triumph over the incessant riddles symbolizes her transition from childhood to adulthood, and she is crowned as Queen, crossing the bridge into the adult world. 

The end of the world is on the rise. Bask in its glory.

Just as the chapter highlights the inevitable end of Alice's journey to maturity, Hopkins' poem, "Spelt from Sybil's Leaves,"  depicts the end of life. He utilizes dark imagery and a depressing mood to create a somber tone and image of life and its bleak end. Man and nature alike are doomed to destruction and the end of all ends. Life itself will "disremembering, dismembering" as a result of the oncoming and unavoidable end (Hopkins 175). He utilizes dark and gritty imagery to portray the disheartening and dismal truth of life--all life comes to an end. 

Both Carroll and Hopkins portray the transitions of life, whereas one brings child to adulthood and the other from life to nonexistence. 

Our fate is sealed. Our End will come. 

E349S May 3: Eternal and Timeless

Solitude

Lewis Carroll's poem "Solitude" highlights the beauty of nature as he "love[s] the stillness of the wood/ [he] love[s] the music of the rill" for it is in nature, in solitude, here "from the world [he] win[s] release"[1]. Carroll was fascinated with youth and childhood naivety, and thus, this sense of isolation amongst nature's embrace frees him from his adulthood, as he looks towards the "golden hours of Life's young spring"[2]. Carroll's poetry helps the reader dive into the psyche of Carroll's closed mind. Through his childhood embrace and nostalgic tone, the reader finds Carroll as a simple man who attempts to find peace in an ever-changing world and appreciation for what he has.   His poem implies Carroll's inner child and his desire to return to memories of the past, to separate himself from the world he reside in, to explore his own childish instinct lost over the years. 

The Good 'ole Days

On the other hand, Hopkins focuses on the comparison of a flame to man. His poem reads "Man, how fast his firedint/ his mark on mind, is gone," for both are "in an unfathomable, all is in an enormous dark/ drowned"[3]. The imagery is almost paradoxical considering Hopkins links fire to darkness. Fire is magnificent, associated with intensity and tremendous light, whilst his imagery depicts drowning and darkness. 

Real Flame

Hopkins flame

Professor Bump's Gerard Manley Hopkins argues that "the cutting away [of the diamond], the ascetic commitment to the imitatio of Christ" made "Hopkins compress so much meaning into the seemingly endless echoes and extraordinary allusive metaphors of his poem, with the result that they do indeed seem to shine like multifaceted diamonds"[4]. Prior to the depiction of the magnificent diamond, Hopkins describes "a beacon, an eternal beam/ flesh fade and mortal trash"[5]. Thus, the diamond and fire are very similar, illustrious in quality, immortal and eternal, neither destroyed by the test of time and man. The poem praises the multi-faceted mysteries of God, and his universality in the world, for God is timeless, eternal and immortal like the fire and diamond. While Carroll implies that fond memories are timeless while Hopkins is triumphantly resurrected, illuminated. 

Diamonds are Forever.

Works Cited

1. Jerome Bump, "Gerard Manley Hopkins," Carroll and Hopkins, (Austin: 2012), 478.

2.Jerome Bump, "Gerard Manley Hopkins," Carroll and Hopkins, (Austin: 2012), 479.

3.Gerard Manley Hopkins, The Major Works Including all the Poems and Selected Prose (New York: Oxford University Press, 2002), 181.

4. Jerome Bump, "Gerard Manley Hopkins," Carroll and Hopkins, (Austin: 2012), 441.

5. Gerard Manley Hopkins, The Major Works Including all the Poems and Selected Prose (New York: Oxford University Press, 2002), 181.

E349S May 1: A Pig's Death and A Man's Spiritual Death

And these little piggies jumped and died.

Sylvie and Bruno features the poem, "The Pig-Tale," which tells the story of a sorrow-stricken, plump pig "that sat alone" because "he could not jump"[1].  Only once the Frog teaches the Pig to jump does the enormous character "[rush], full whack/ Against the ruined Pump" and die due to the "fatal jump"[2]. The poem features an act of death, and given Carroll's role as a children's author, he has no restrictions with discussion death. The pig foolishly ignores the rules of nature because he is too large to jump, and thus, he dies. His death ties back to Alice in Wonderland and the theme of childhood naivety. Children live in a sheltered reality, with no adherence to the laws and rules of man.

Children live in a world without rules.

In essence, because children have innocence and naivety, their world is far more dangerous than meets the eye due to their irresponsibility and lack of understanding of the rules that construct the real world. His novel, Alice in Wonderland, also features references to death during her fall down the rabbit-hole, whereupon Alice thinks "after such a fall like this, [she] shall think nothing of tumbling down stairs" [3]. Carroll tends to treat death as a humorous topic, as seen in both Alice and Sylvie and Bruno.

Hopkins felt isolated after his familial loss and religious exile.

Whilst Carroll discusses the death in a humorous method throughout his children's literature, Hopkins poem "To seem the stranger" focuses on alienation and Hopkins' "depression and inner anguish"[4] he faces during a darker period in his spiritual and personal life. The title itself strikes an image of isolation as he is the stranger depicted in the poem;  "to seem the stranger lies [Hopkins'] lot, [his] life"[5].Because of the "social stigma he felt as a Roman Catholic," Hopkins moved to Ireland after "his family disowned him" because many in England "took a similarly negative and suspicious view of Catholics"[6]. Not only does Carroll face religious persecution and doubt in his religious devotion, but in "To seem the stranger," "Stragirius's problem "is exacerbated by the fact that he is exiled from his family"and a sense of "exile, estrangement, and impotence"[7] is expressed throughout his work in Ireland. This same sense of isolation is paralleled in Hopkins' personal life from the church and his family. The poem evokes darker imagery and tones focusing on his trials and tribulations in Ireland just as Carroll speaks of darker topics such as death in his children's literature. 

Loss of family.

Works Cited

1. Jerome Bump, "Gerard Manley Hopkins," Carroll and Hopkins, (Austin: 2012), 503.

2.Jerome Bump, "Gerard Manley Hopkins," Carroll and Hopkins, (Austin: 2012), 504-505.

3. Lewis Carroll, The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition, (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc, 2000), 13.

4. SparkNotes, "Hopkins Poetry: "Carrion Comfort"." Accessed May 13, 2012. http://www.sparknotes.com/poetry/hopkins/section7.rhtml.

5. Gerard Manley Hopkins, The Major Works Including all the Poems and Selected Prose (New York: Oxford University Press, 2002), 166.

6. Meglio, Leila. The Victorian Web, "Stranger Among Strangers: Hopkins' Isolation from Society and God." Last modified April 19, 2011. Accessed May 12, 2012. http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/hopkins/meglio.html.

7. Jerome Bump, "Gerard Manley Hopkins," Carroll and Hopkins, (Austin: 2012), 439.

E349S April 26: Sylvie's Perfection and God's Imperfection

Dead Hare

Lewis Carroll's "Sylvie and Bruno" portrays motifs of perfection and its inescapable grasp. Sylvie is undeniably perfect, aiding everyone, chastising gently yet sternly, and never does anything wrong. She is essentially the embodiment of good, and thus, an unchanging character. However, once Sylvie approaches the dead hare, she "[flings] herself down at its side in such agony and grief" that was rare in "so young a child" [1]. 

Sylvie is perfect. Mankind is not.

Sylvie's perfection and innocence affects her, leading to her grief, for it is not death that moves Sylvie but her inability to realize the world cannot be as perfect as she is. Even in the case of hunting, Sylvie feels disgust towards those who hunt animals for sport, just as Lewis Carroll chastises animal cruelty. Sylvie seemed "so good and gentle"[2] and the harsh realization that mankind can be so cruel stirs her soul to its very core. Being so young and naive, she is unable to comprehend the idea of hunting as a sport, considering its cruel consequences, and thus, I believe Carroll parallels his own beliefs through Sylvie, a young and naive girl who dislikes animal cruelty. 

Hopkins' Loss of Faith

Hopkins takes a different route with his perfection, that being the perfection of God and all his creation. Whilst most of his poetry praises the natural world and its association with the Almighty and divine creation, his darker poems such as "Carrion Comfort" portrays the imperfection and doubt associated with God. As described in our course anthology, "Carrion Comfort" depicts Stagirius as "a passive victim of various tortures and one who battles with God Himself in nightmares"[3]. Stagirius is "wresting with ([his] God)"[4] just as Hopkins struggles internally with his isolation from God. In essence, Religion "brought Gerard Manley Hopkins conviction and inspiration throughout his life"[5]. Due to his religious doubt as a Roman Catholic and familial exile, he wrote this sonnet "at a time when he had just emerged from a long period of depression and inner anguish"[6]. The poem is designed to dramatize the speaker's recognition of his own spiritual struggle. Both authors create a sense of desired perfection and lack thereof in different forms. 

Hopkins must have felt despair during his dark isolation.

Works Cited

1. Jerome Bump, "Gerard Manley Hopkins," Carroll and Hopkins, (Austin: 2012), 500.

2.Jerome Bump, "Gerard Manley Hopkins," Carroll and Hopkins, (Austin: 2012), 491.

3. Jerome Bump, "Gerard Manley Hopkins," Carroll and Hopkins, (Austin: 2012), 439.

4. Gerard Manley Hopkins, The Major Works Including all the Poems and Selected Prose (New York: Oxford University Press, 2002), 168.

5. Meglio, Leila. The Victorian Web, "Stranger Among Strangers: Hopkins' Isolation from Society and God." Last modified April 19, 2011. Accessed May 12, 2012. http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/hopkins/meglio.html.

6. SparkNotes, "Hopkins Poetry: "Carrion Comfort"." Accessed May 13, 2012. http://www.sparknotes.com/poetry/hopkins/section7.rhtml.

E349S April 19: God-Fearing and Snark-Fearing

Hopkins' Isolation

What to do?

In the poem "No worst," Hopkins creates a very dark and negative atmosphere as the poem opens with "no worst, there is none" and ends with "life death does end and each day dies with sleep"[1]. The reader can clearly see the shift in the author's mentality as his spiritual essence has departed, leaving him as an empty vessel of God's supposed will and testament. Hopkins questions Mother Mary and God, wondering, "where is [God's] comforting" and "where is [Mary's relief"[2]? The poem's questions imply Hopkins has been abandoned by God. As stated by Leila Meglio, Hopkins "terrible poems emerged from [a] period of despair,"  and Hopkins utilized his "isolated situation in life to echo his internal feelings of isolation from God"[3].  

In God, We do not trust.

Thus, unlike Hopkins' earlier poems, his darker "terrible" poems creates a clear dichotomy between Hopkins the poet and Hopkins the man. As described in our class anthology, the "ultimate result of God's withdrawal from the soul and consequent darkness" [4]is the temptation to despair. Hopkins' poetry throughout his isolation provides a reader with a glimpse into the internal struggle he felt in regards to his religious devotion and identity.

SNARK!

Like Hopkins, Carroll also takes a darker route with The Hunting of the Snark. Of course, Carroll's work is nowhere near as dark and gloomy as Hopkins "terrible poems," but death is a clear theme within the Snark. Carroll's work tends to be light-hearted and whimsical, yet this poem is disturbing, especially during the last Fit. After countless misadventures, the hunters find the Baker had "softly and suddenly vanished away- For the Snark was a Boojum, you see"[5]. A character dies, one supposedly based on Carroll himself. The poem takes a darker route than the majority of Carroll's work, following similar paths as Hopkins' dark poetry follows. 

What do you fear?

As Chris had mentioned, Carroll did not know what  a Snark was, though Carroll supposed it was a fusion of a snail and shark with snake features as well. Given the unknowing nature of the snark, it is increasingly scarier for the audience, especially since man fears the unknown. In essence, the ambiguity of the Snark gives it a strong undertone of mystery and resulting fear from readers. Each individual perceives fear differently, and thus, each reader will picture a different creature, specific to his or her own fears. 

Works Cited

1. Gerard Manley Hopkins, The Major Works Including all the Poems and Selected Prose (New York: Oxford University Press, 2002), 167.

2. Hopkins, The Major Works, 167.

3. Meglio, Leila. The Victorian Web, "Stranger Among Strangers: Hopkins' Isolation from Society and God." Last modified April 19, 2011. Accessed May 12, 2012. http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/hopkins/meglio.html.

4. Jerome Bump, "Gerard Manley Hopkins," Carroll and Hopkins, (Austin: 2012), 440.

5. Lewis Carroll, The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition, (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc, 2000), 477.

E349S April 10: A Knight's Tale

In Lewis Carroll's chapter, "It's My Own Invention," Alice encounters the White Knight. The hero attempts to save Alice from the Red Knight, who is mistaken for taking Alice's position on the chessboard. In reality, the White Knight perceives the situation incorrectly but still comes to Alice's rescue. The White Knight and Red Knight essentially fight over nothing, emphasizing the incredulity and nonsensical nature of the setting and series of events. In my opinion, Carroll's White Knight represents adulthood. Alice has never seen such a "strange-looking soldier in all her life"[1].

The White Knight

Whilst Alice journeys throughout Wonderland without any necessary inventions or protective means, the knight is overly-prepared. Historically, a knight is tied to a code of chivalry, as he "promise[s] to defend the weak, be courteous to all women, be loyal to their king, and serve God at all times"[2]. Given the societal pressures and demands, a knight must be prepared for anything, ready to take arms or find religious strength to overcome any obstacle he must face. Just the same, the White Knight is covered in armor and carries countless inventions in preparation for any trial or tribulation. As adults, we prepare ourselves for every situation possible. Through innovation and invention, humans attempt to prevent any sense of loss, failure, injury, etc.

You can never be too prepared.

 Adult tend to prepare for the unknown, constantly living in the future rather than the "now". In contrast, Alice lives in the present. She acts like most children, lacking in preparation for the future. Alice continues along her journey, taking it one step at a time. The Knight has difficulty maintaining his balance because he is so distracted by the obstacles and future challenges he must face. He is focused on the future rather than the present, and thus, he constantly falls. He prepares for what may happen rather than what is.

The Mother Mary

In Hopkins poem, "The Blessed Virgin compared to the Air we Breathe," the author utilizes metaphors to emphasize the depth and beauty of the bond between Mary and man. He references Mary "As if with air; the same/ Is Mary, more by name"for "her life [is] as life does air"[3]. Hopkins emphasizes that the Mother Mary is as necessary to humans as air is to our lungs. Mary is referenced as a metaphor for holy providence, implying Mary's influence on man and her subsequent universality in our lives. Just as the this poem implies the need for religious sentiment in our lives, the poem "Ad Matrem Virginem" acts as a communion hymn to Mother Mary. The poem celebrates Mary's undying love for her son and her religious loyalty. only Mary can "teach [us] about [God]  and "teach [us] to love"[4] . In both cases, Mary acts as a figure of praise and influence significant to Mankind's religious devotion.

Nature's Dependence on Mother Mary

1. Lewis Carroll, The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition, (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc, 2000), 236.

2. Oracle ThinkQuest, "The Medieval Knight." Accessed May 13, 2012. http://library.thinkquest.org/10949/fief/medknight.html.

3. Gerard Manley Hopkins, The Major Works Including all the Poems and Selected Prose (New York: Oxford University Press, 2002), 159.

4. Hopkins, The Major Works, 329.

Alice’s Adventures in Reality

            Robin Williams once said, "You're only given a little spark of madness. You mustn't lose it." In essence, reality is a multi-dimensional idea, stretched and skewed uniquely by one's experiences. There are approximately seven billion people on Earth, so how can one exhibit individualism amongst the billions? Given the impossibility of this situation, humanity still aspires to define its existence and purpose. Therefore, the pressures, demands, and pains of going through puberty are universal to every young person. Nirvana and identity are lost in this whirlwind time. This is the ultimate journey: the search for self-realization. Tim Burton's film adaptation to Lewis Carroll's classic children's novel, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, extrapolates the essence of Carroll's child Alice and presents an accurate depiction of a maturing, adolescent Alice by paralleling each Alice's persona and actions within her different discourses in Wonderland. 

            Prior to understanding the development of Alice's persona, one must comprehend discourse theory and its impact on Alice's paralleled journeys from childhood to adolescence. Discourse is the generalization of conversations attached to a given type of social practice. In Ernest Laclau and Chantal Mouffe's Hegemony and Socialist Strategy, they establish that it results from articulatory practices; their political theory analyzes the relations between class, identity, and self-realization.[1] The subjects of discourses are fragmented, meaning they are never positioned or restricted by one disquisition. Thus, when an individual, like Alice, experiences conflicting discourses, he or she is over-determined. Laclau and Mouffe define over-determination as a "field of identities which never manages to be fully fixed.[2] Identity is created when the subject of a disquisition forms relations with elements, unfixed within the discourse. These elements are then fixed into discursively stable moments. However, both argue that "no discursive formation is a sutured totality and the transformation of the elements into moments is never complete.”[3] Hence, elements and moments within a discourse can change and develop new meanings. 

            For Alice, there are several sets of discourses, resulting in her over-determination. Her Victorian society, connected to Wonderland by a rabbit hole, is presented as a setting of domestic tranquility in both novel and film. Alice comprehends the discourses found within Victorian society; she abides by the formalities, strict traditions, and etiquette expected of a young lady. She fits into her discourses more or less. Once Alice crosses over into Wonderland, she encounters discourses, which are drastically different from those experienced in her world. Because Alice struggles to adapt to her new discourse, the reader sees the similarities between Alice's youth and her adolescent persona. Most importantly, since Tim Burton's film adaptation focuses on Alice's return to Wonderland, she must relate herself to discourses from her past. Alice's similar elements found within different yet overlapping discourses are known as floating signifiers. Laclau and Mouffe define elements within overlapping discourses as "incapable of being wholly articulated to a discursive chain, “which subsequently, "penetrate every discursive identity."[4] In other words, Alice is experiencing overlapping discourses between her Victorian society, and her discourses in Wonderland's past and present. 

In Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Alice personifies the naivety and innocence of youth, portraying an intrigued individual with all the curiosity and potential of a child. Carroll's original text begins with young Alice, seven years of age, "beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank,"[5];  her sister is reading a book, which bores young Alice. She wonders what is the purpose of a book "without pictures or conversations?"[6] The literature does not feed Alice's imagination, hinting at her young age and respective maturity. Alice needs visually-stimulating pictures and dialogue to pique her interest, as does any young girl of her age. Children's literature predominantly serves to attract youths with colorful illustrations, simple concepts, and topics that expand a child's imagination. In contrast, Alice's sister reads a novel pertaining to materials beyond Alice's comprehension. Complex literature requires one's capacity to analyze and interpret deeper texts. Alice's impatience and immaturity prevent her from enjoying the novel alongside her older sister. As a result, Alice's concentration and focus is misplaced, and she notices the presence of a white rabbit. She takes special interest as the rabbit "[takes] a watch out of its waistcoat-pocket."[7] Alice is described as “burning with curiosity"[8] when she follows the rabbit down into a rabbit hole. Alice acts like any other child, chasing after something peculiar. Her curiosity gets the best of her.  

Alice’s curiously peers into the rabbit’s hole, in pursuit of the white rabbit.[9]

With no thoughts of consequence or danger, she leaps into the deep abyss of the rabbit hole, "never once considering how in the world she was to get out again."[10] Her impulsive decision and disregard for consequences suggest Alice has a carefree and adventurous nature. Lewis Carroll characterizes the young Alice as an audacious, free-spirit, intrigued by the peculiar world around her. Children are naive, and thus, their curiosity grows in the presence of the unknown. As a result, when Alice spots the most peculiar of rabbits, her curiosity kicks into overdrive. 

Similarly, Tim Burton evokes Alice's childish nature through the adolescent Alice's coy and inquisitive attitude. Once the older Alice blossoms into a beautiful young lady, she partakes in a party with her mother at the Ascot Estate. Given the historical context of the Victorian Era, she is of marriageable age. Consequently,  Hamish will propose to her at this festivity, but Alice "doesn't know if she wants to marry him."[11]  Just as the Carroll's Alice has no interest for complex literature without pictures and conversations, Burton's Alice has no interest for complex formalities such as marriage. Older Alice's interest is piqued by her curiosity, and thus, she chases after the white rabbit with the same burning curiosity young Alice had. 

See Video Clip 1[12]

            In the film adaptation, Alice is mesmerized and perplexed by the white rabbit and his stopwatch. She is so entranced, she leaves Hamish with no answer for his wedding proposal. Although the film projects an older, maturing Alice, she has the same tendencies the child Alice has. Rather than succumb to the societal pressures at the dinner party, Alice avoids the whole ordeal by slipping away. Given the historical context of the time period, the far majority of Victorian ladies would be quick to respond to a proposal, considering the overbearing, societal pressure for women to marry. Tim Burton's adolescent Alice personifies curiosity because she focuses on what she wants, rather than what society dictates. 

Hamish’s proposal to Alice at the Ascot Estate[13]

Alice’s Shrunken State after her experimentation with size[14]

            The children's book then brings Alice to a hallway with locked doors. In relation to the movie, Alice differs in "her age and what she experiences on her side of the border prior to entering Wonderland."[15] Alice initially explores the confined hall, walking "all the way down one side and up the other, trying every door," only to return to the table centered in the hall, "hoping she might find another key."[16] Because of her adventurous nature, she searches relentlessly for an alternate route from the locked hall, perplexed by her current predicament.[17] In the film, Alice undergoes the same process of guess and check with each door. More importantly, she faces difficulty  regulating her size to appropriately fit within the smaller-set door found. Tim Burton's Alice  partakes in a different literal journey than Carroll's Alice. Burton's Alice parallels the same behavioral patterns and nature of the younger Alice. Whilst Alice searches for an escape, several characters look at Alice through the keyhole, wondering "‘You'd think she'd remember all this from the first time.’"[18] These anonymous characters reveal Alice is actually returning to Wonderland eleven years after her initial exposure to the Wonderland discourse. In the past and the present, Alice faces difficulty adapting to distinct yet similar discourses in Wonderland. Because she faces the same task, her journey overlaps discourses. Her large size confines her within the hall. Only through exploration does Alice enter Wonderland in both cases. Because of the similarities in both discourses, the reader can imply the adolescent Alice enters Wonderland with the same instinct of her childish state. 

Alice's exposure to different discourses within Wonderland implies she will face unique yet similar questions regarding her identity. Alice's encounter with the Caterpillar, Absolem, highlights the identity crisis Alice faces. In the book, the Caterpillar presents Alice with the most essential question of her adventure: "'Who are you?'"[19] The theme of  Alice's developing identity is the focal point of the story. In response to his question, Alice answers,"[she] hardly know[s], Sir, just at present-- at least she [knew] who [she] was when [she] got up this morning, but [she] must have changed several times since then."[20] Alice refers to her continuously changing physical appearance as the source for her confusing identity. Throughout the story, Alice has difficulty achieving the proper size necessary, implying her difficulty in establishing her subject position within the Wonderland discourse. Alice is a young girl trying to understand her place and purpose in society, foreshadowed by her inability to fixate herself within her discourse in Wonderland.

Absolem, the wise Caterpillar with his hookah[21]

See Video Clip 2: Absolem[22]

The film portrays Alice's first meeting with the sagely insect much the same way the book does. After a decade, the adolescent Alice is still confused with her true identity. Her concern with persona and identity comes from the forest animals. Many of the creatures know young Alice. They are uncertain the returning Alice is the same as the Alice from the past. Thus, they take her to the Caterpillar to verify her identity. The wise Caterpillar, who knows the Alice of the past, does not believe the current Alice is the same as the one from the past, nor the one they need in the future. The caterpillar asks her the same question, "Who are you?" but in the movie she answers, “‘I’m not who you think I am.’”[23]  Absolem believes Alice can change and become the right Alice; the older Alice is no longer part of the old discourse established in Lewis Carroll's books. She must adapt to the new discourse set in the current disposition of Wonderland. Tim Burton portrays Alice as an unknowing adolescent, confused with her identity as well as her purpose in reality and Wonderland. The young Alice parallels this same internal conflict. Just as Carroll's Alice does not fit into the discourse of Wonderland, neither does Burton's Alice.   In essence, the young and the adolescent Alice find difficulty adapting to societal pressures and demands, resulting in losses of innocence. Neither Tim Burton’s Alice nor Lewis Carroll’s Alice as a sense of identity.

The Wise Caterpillar[24]

The Caterpillar's impact on Alice reinforces Tim Burton's parallel depiction of classic Alice. Absolem plays a vital role in helping Alice regain her sense of identity. In the book, Alice is unable to manage her fluctuating size. This prevents her from adapting to the Wonderland discourse.  Thus, the Caterpillar provides Alice with a way to alter her size-- the mushroom he was sitting upon. The Caterpillar helps Alice to form her identity. With his help, Alice can continue her journey towards self-discovery. In Tim Burton's movie, Alice has a flashback during her second encounter with the Caterpillar. The flash back is a direct reference to Lewis Carroll's Adventures of Alice in Wonderland and Alice's childhood adventures. This flashback presents Alice with her previous experience in Wonderland as a child. Thus, her childish discourse merges with the adolescent discourse she resides in. Because Alice's past and present converge, Alice's identity adapts, so she can defeat the mighty Jabberwocky. Alice no longer has conflicting discourses which muddle her perception. The new discourse of Wonderland changes yet again. Her flashback aligns elements such as the key characters and her persona from her past and present. Only in Absolem's presence does Alice finally form a discourse suitable to defeat the Jabberwocky. By merging the two discourses, Tim Burton molds Alice into a product of her environment, slowly discovering who she truly is. 

            Following her encounter with the Caterpillar, the young Alice confronts the Hatter, March Hare and Dormouse at the tea party in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. When she approaches the tea party, she is unwelcome. Thus, she is not properly invited to sit with them. After they all exchange formalities, Alice attempts to instruct the Hatter, March Hare, and Dormouse on proper etiquette. By doing so, Alice attempts to influence the discourse she is in. Considering Alice's strict and proper upbringing, Alice views tea parties as formal events. They require polite behavior and rigid rules. Unfortunately, the nonsensical nature of the tea party prevents Alice from changing the Wonderland discourse. 

            Alice is over-determined because she adheres to the standards of the Victorian society. Just as she fails to change her tea party environment, she fails to fit in the Wonderland discourse. Similarly, the young and old Alice both fail to adapt to their Victorian discourses. Alice cannot change her surroundings. Instead, she must change, foreshadowing her loss of innocence and maturity. One day, the older Alice must put her childish ways behind her. One day, the older Alice must choose her path in life. 

            In Tim Burton's film adaptation Alice in Wonderland, Alice encounters a different scenario because she is  returning to Wonderland. Alice arrives at a dormant tea party. The Hatter immediately recognizes Alice. He walks over the tea table, in disbelief that Alice has returned. The Dormouse and the Hare question whether Alice is from the correct discourse. Alice's inability to conform to Wonderland's discourse is highlighted by constant doubt amongst  her peers. Burton's Alice struggles to fit into Wonderland's new discourse just as Carroll's Alice struggled to fit into Wonderland's past discourse. The adolescent Alice experiences a similar journey to that of her younger self, preparing herself to put her childhood behind her.

See Video Clip 4: Mad Tea Party[25]

            The young Alice is the precursor to the adolescent Alice. Tim Burton's Alice is mature, exposed to the harsh realities of the world. Carroll's Alice is the naive and innocent discourse. The young Alice will mature into the girl who faces demands of marriage. Lewis Carroll's Alice was naive and young, innocent and pure. Linda Woolverton, screenwriter for Alice in Wonderland, took the essence of young Alice's persona, and meshed it with an adolescent Alice, who faced a loss of innocence. The result was a young lady, "facing imminent choices about life and who she's going to be."[26] Alice is an adolescent slowly losing her childhood, so  Linda Woolverton brings her back to Wonderland for a "chance to find that inner strength she lost when she lost her father."[27] Woolverton's depiction of Alice embodies the lively energy of young Alice but fails to exist in a surreal world of innocence. Thus, Tim Burton's film adaptation accurately depicts the maturing Alice.

The young Alice's confrontation with the Queen and consequent loss of innocence mirrors the adolescent Alice's defeat of the Red Queen and her tragic, yet inevitable loss of childhood. Both discourses are rites of passage that lead Alice to adulthood. The most pivotal connection between the two Alices is the interconnected endings. The book and the movie function as complementary facets of Alice's growth and maturation. 

Alice alongside her formidable enemy[28]

            To be more specific, at the end of the Lewis Carroll's book, Alice meets the Red Queen for a second time. Alice is summoned to a trial. The Knave of Hearts is charged with stealing some of the Queen's homemade tarts. When Alice Arrives, "the King and the Queen of Hearts were seated on their throne."[29] Because Alice has studied legal discourse in her world, she proves her knowledge of the discourse by analyzing the legal discourse of Wonderland. She finally starts adapting to her surrounds. She finds similarities and interconnected elements within her reality and Wonderland. However, Alice realizes the law system within Wonderland was flawed; the Queen possesses the true power within the court room, meaning she holds authority as both judge and jury. The Queen governs all of Wonderland. During the trial, Alice "begins to grow larger,"[30] to "nearly two miles high,"[31] and the King declares "all persons more than mile high to leave the court."[32] Alice refuses to leave because she becomes aware of her size and the physical protection and power it provides. Alice has taken control of her experience in the Wonderland discourse. She has overcome her conflicting discourses between reality and Wonderland. Furthermore, when the Queen provides enough evidence to prosecute the Knave, Alice objects against the court because "she had grown so large in the last few minutes that she wasn't a bit afraid of interrupting."[33] The young Alice overcomes surroundings and societal pressures. She no longer struggles within the confines of the court case. She leaves Wonderland with a close eye on her cherished childhood innocence. She would eventually lose but always remembers to never forget her youth.

The mighty Jabberwocky Alice is destined to slay[34]

 Throughout Tim Burton's film adaptation, Alice constantly refuses to accept her responsibility of slaying the Red Queen's Jabberwocky, "a deadly creature," on "Frabjous day.”[35] On this day, Alice will free Underland from the oppressive rule of the Red Queen. As Alice journey’s through Wonderland, she struggles to adapt to her new surroundings and fails to find her inner strength and courage. She must realize this before she can do the impossible, what is just; to bring down the oppressive rule of the Red Queen. This struggle parallels her inability to define her own identity. She needs to muster the strength and decisive force necessary to break away from her presumed marriage to Hamish Ascot. Her true desire lies here. 

The epic battle ends with the defeat of the Jabberwocky. Alice saves Wonderland, and her journey comes to an end. The Hatter pleads for Alice to stay, but she cannot. Alice understands she has responsibilities and business to take care of in her world. Alice finally takes charge of her life, finally recognizing her identity. After bittersweet goodbyes, Alice departs from Wonderland. She drinks the blood of the jabberwocky, which sends her back to her world. She climbs out of the rabbit hole, only to find Hamish in demand of an answer to his proposal. Alice reminisces on her adventures in Wonderland and declines the proposal. She joins her father's trade company, and explores as she intended. Throughout Alice's journey, she faced Herculean difficulty in order to take grasp of her destiny. She stood up for what she wanted, not what society demanded. By merging her previous and present discourses in Wonderland, Alice forms a new identity suitable to face her own demons. The older Alice overcomes her inability to fit in Wonderland and in reality just as young Alice does. Burton projects a paralleled path of self-discovery through Alice's over-determination, as a child and adolescent.

Lewis Carroll's story and Tim Burton's film adaptation are predecessors of Alice's adulthood. In an interview with the Writer's Guild of America, Linda Woolverton spoke of the duality of her screenplay's ending. The adolescent Alice is "leaving the childhood behind" and "facing the unknown, facing the world, going out into the world.”[36] The younger Alice must cherish her childhood innocence, for it is fragile and easily tarnished. The older Alice must embrace her passage into adulthood and the real world; she must let go of her childhood to move on. 

            Tim Burton's film adaptation of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland extrapolates the essence of the child Alice and accurately depicts an adolescent, maturing Alice. The film paralleled emotional attributes as well as the encounters faced by both the young Alice and adolescent Alice. Regardless of her age, regardless of her location, Alice will always remember her youth and all the glory of Wonderland. Her search for identity is finished. Burton utilizes discourse theory in order to portray a similar persona with the essence of young Alice. Alice transitions from her youth to her adult life, letting go of her childhood, and faces the unknown. She faces the world. The movie preserves her wit and endless curiosity. Both  parallel similar encounters which mold Alice into the dominant figure in the Wonderland discourse. Alice holds her memories of her childhood close, but embraces her passage into the adulthood world. 

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[1] Ernest Laclau, and Chantal Mouffe, Hegemony and Socialist Strategy: towards a radical democratic politics, (London: Verso, 2001), 105.

[2] Ernest and Mouffe, Hegemony, 111.

[3] Ernest and Mouffe, Hegemony, 106-107.

[4] Ernest and Mouffe, Hegemony, 113.

[5] Lewis Carroll, The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition, (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2000), 11.

[6] Carroll, The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition, 11.

[7] Carroll, The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition, 12.

[8] Carroll, The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition, 12.

[9] Image. <http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i120/skailagise/TLF/sneak-preview-of-alice-in-wonderlan.png>

[10] Carroll, The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition, 12

[11] Woolverton, Linda. Alice. 2007. Print.6.

The script opens with a matured Alice at the Ascot Estate amongst party members, soon to be proposed to by Hamish Ascot, son of Lord Ascot, Alice's deceased father's good friend. Lady Ascot brings young Alice into the garden to discuss serious matters regarding Hamish and his upkeep and responsibilities as his wife, only to be distracted by a white rabbit ravaging the bushes. Immediately after the conversation, Hamish proposes to Alice in front of the mass of guests; Alice, perplexed and confused, provides no answer, catching sight of the mysterious rabbit. She takes no interest in pressure-stricken situation, immediately chasing after the rabbit into the woods. From here, Alice trips and falls into a rabbit-hole, endlessly plummeting into the world of Wonderland.

[12] Linda Woolverton. Alice in Wonderland. DVD. Direct by Tim Burton. England: Walt Disney Pictures, 2010.

[13] Image. <http://geektyrant.com/storage/post-images/Alice%20in%20Wonderland%20Proposal.png?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1265262308871>

[14] ]Image. <https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib0FhWprq_VGbY53N84ghBS5fg-sZ-m6b4T3PY7ect0XqABl_k7d_dc1xzlLW3zrLwWlNdzSs3xLCJFvxjbEFqK2l7io5kG5VhygDAIYlelfQTrWh6-jZDiw7RFbyAQYkY-OmaBC8xOB-2/s1600/alice-tiny.jpg.png>

[15] Finn-Henning Johannessen, , "Alice in Wonderland: Development of Alice's Identity within Adaptations"(Masters thesis, University of Tromsø, 2011). 20.

[16] Carroll, The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition, 15-16.

[17] Carroll, The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition, 15.

[18]  Johannessen, "Alice in Wonderland", 20.

Alice finds herself within the round hallway, unable to unlock the doors all around her. She finds a key to a miniature door, hidden by the curtains and a subsequent key that fits just right. She cannot fit into such door, but finds a potion with inscription "drink me," which undoubtedly shrinks her. She realizes the key is still on a three-legged table, and she notices cake which inscribes "eat me." The cake forces Alice to grow at unexpected rates, as she must balance both potion and cake to provide the proper size to enter Wonderland. 

[19] Carroll, The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition, 47.

[20] Carroll, The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition, 47.

[21] Image.<http://media.photobucket.com/image/absolem%20smoking/Pete-SSS/absolem.jpg>.

[22] Linda Woolverton. Alice in Wonderland. DVD. Direct by Tim Burton. England: Walt Disney Pictures, 2010.

[23] Woolverton, Alice, 49.

[24] Image. <https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPrus0qKm4oAnh6YVJVhzZe9Cql7YVNZXs-CtlGqFL2TjEtJggQH6VG0yUK33aDTkhf5MxWfDdO2Aob4lD94ansH8TB0IU13iidJ4wj8A89B_xRm-nT6epf_9chhyphenhyphen8u0Q2cG28io9SFxY/s1600/aliceinwonderland_caterpillar1.jpg>.

[25]  Linda Woolverton. Alice in Wonderland. DVD. Direct by Tim Burton. England: Walt Disney Pictures, 2010.

[26] Linda Wolverton, interview by Dylan Callaghan, "Wonder Woman," , April 8, 2012, http://www.wga.org/content/default.aspx?id=4004.

[27] Linda Wolverton, interview by Dylan Callaghan, "Wonder Woman," , April 8, 2012, http://www.wga.org/content/default.aspx?id=4004.

[28] Image.<http://jimhillmedia.com/mb/images/upload/alice-book-200-web.jpg>.

[29] Carroll, The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition, 110.

[30] Carroll, The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition, 113.

[31] Carroll, The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition, 120.

[32] Carroll, The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition, 120.

[33] Carroll, The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition, 122.

[34] Image.<http://images.wikia.com/aliceinwonderland/images/2/27/Jabberwocky_Concept_by_Michael_Kutsche.jpg>.

[35] Woolverton, Alice, 1.

It is foretold in the Oraculum, the calendar of all days of Underland, each day having its own title and illustration, that Alice is destined to slay the mighty Jabberwocky, bringing the oppressive reign of the Red Queen to an end. 

[36] Linda Wolverton, interview by Dylan Callaghan, "Wonder Woman," , April 8, 2012, http://www.wga.org/content/default.aspx?id=4004.