When I began my review about Alice’s book, I doubted whether I should summarize the book, this was a difficult issue because there is a crowd of strange characters, or I ought to write about Alice’s personality.
At the time, I was feeling as puzzled as Alice when runs away from the rabbit’s house.
And when the Cheshire cat is asked by her about which way she should go, the cat answered: ‘That depends a good deal on where you want to get to.’
Alice said: ‘I don’t much care where.’
‘Then it doesn’t matter which way you go’, replied the cat.
Alice made the decision to confront the adult world only armed herself with some limited history and geography knowledge and some strict politeness rules.
All kind of people and social classes are passed through the sieve which is the little child’s mind. And the lack of understanding was only achieved.
Your child’s mind sinks again and again in this relation or is it the adult world what is sinking?
The mouse that had a long and sad story, the self-centred caterpillar who only listened to himself, the white rabbit, only worried about his business, the tea party, when we could know the true meaning of time, wasted time, of course. The movie Groundhog Day was inspired in this chapter, I believe.
I wish I hadn’t met the Queen, because she's too similar to a lot of people I know. She’s the centre of the little universe that is Wonderland. The adult’s world view is perfectly captured through her behavior and the likely author's misogyny.
In short, the book is a great parody of the society of that time but it is effective today. We should read again the dialogue between Alice and the Duchess and think:
‘Thinking again?’ The Duchess asked.
‘I’ve a right to think’, said Alice.
‘Just about as much right’, said the duchess, ‘as pigs have to fly’.
Have you no ever felt this way?
By Paco, 2º Intermediate level of English
Great review, well done!
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