`I’m sure I’m not Ada,’ she said, `for her hair goes in such long ringlets, and mine doesn’t go in ringlets at all; and I’m sure I can’t be Mabel, for I know all sorts of things, and she, oh! she knows such a very little! Besides, SHE’S she, and I’m I, and–oh dear, how puzzling it all is! I’ll try if I know all the things I used to know. Let me see: four times five is twelve, and four times six is thirteen, and four times seven is–oh dear! I shall never get to twenty at that rate! However, the Multiplication Table doesn’t signify: let’s try Geography. London is the capital of Paris, and Paris is the capital of Rome, and Rome–no, THAT’S all wrong, I’m certain! I must have been changed for Mabel! I’ll try and say “How doth the little–“‘ and she crossed her hands on her lap as if she were saying lessons, and began to repeat it, but her voice sounded hoarse and strange, and the words did not come the same as they used to do.”
- How does Alice’s confidence affect her and how does it change throughout the novel?
- Does the time period have anything to do with her confidence, and how she is told to grow up?
Alice had always felt like she did not quite belong. She was always attempting to please someone else, when she didn’t even know what she wanted herself. She had continually compared herself to every other girls and wanting to meet expectations of others and society. That is something with lots of girls struggle with and that is why an ideal body shape runs our society. Women are told we need to be one way, and men expect us to be. Alice’s adventure through wonderland teaches her more about herself than she thought she would learn. “Who are you?” the caterpillar asked Alice, yet she had no idea who she really was. This world she had suddenly fallen into has begun to teach her who she really is and that she can be confident. It is debatable that this book is focused on the sexualized expectations that society has for women and the potential affects, like eating disorders, that can come from trying to achieve them. This book can appeal to children since many kids do feel lost in life and are attempting to find their purpose, to really find out who they are. The book is all about exploration and self-identity. But confidence plays a huge role in Alice’s life and her journey along the way. Her confidence is shaken when she doesn’t feel like she knows who she is or where she is going, but she starts to gain confidence back throughout the book and can stand up for herself. She ends up taking on wonderland’s challenges and winning. Alice is proving to herself that she can be strong and defend herself. This book breaks the stereotypical fantasy novels since it does not require a man to take care of Alice or come to her rescue, Alice must figure everything out on her own and decide on who she wants to become.
English 302 Blog 