Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, a writer, mathematician, and a practicing deacon of the Roman Catholic church, was at the least an interesting person. He was an “eccentric and an eclectic” (Biography of Lewis Carroll), even from an early age. This fact shows more in his works than anyplace else. Carroll had an interest in little girls that “has raised more than a few eyebrows” (‘Alice in Wonderland’), and this passion also was the reason for him writing the ‘Alice’ stories: “His muse, Alice Liddell, was the young daughter of the Dean of Christ Church, who he wrote Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland for” (Biography). But to Carroll, Alice was a very important figure. As a symbol, “she is more than a Victorian girl…she is the symbol of the Victorian world, and of the Victorian attitude towards children.” (What Was Found There) Feeling constantly awkward and perhaps isolated in his society, but “happy and at peace when around children” (Biography) was the foundation on which he built an empire of emotions -so to speak- into his stories. These emotions played a huge part in the writing of ‘Alice in Wonderland’. In this work, Carroll focused on similar points and themes. He focused on growth into adulthood / size change, death, games/learning the rules, and the logic/illogic of language.

Growing up, in Alice’s dream, was a constant challenge. She was faced with more difficulties with growing up than any other theme. “Alice’s adventures parallel the journey from childhood to adulthood.” (Main Themes) Her patience, intelligence, and courage - among other things - are being tested and tempered literally, almost every step she takes. “Alice’s shifts in size and inquiries into her own identity reflect the difficulties of growing up…the abrupt, almost violent physical changes…suggest the sudden physical changes that come with the onset of adolescence.” (Full Summary ch.2)

The “sudden changes of adolescence” are very real, and sometimes they seem to happen as rapid and as unexpected as portrayed in Alice’s dream. As put metaphorically and literally, “[Alice] entered Wonderland as a tiny version of herself, but she will leave a giant.” (Full Summary ch.11) There were many examples of her rapid physical growth and regression in size that also symbolized her gradual emotional growth throughout the book. For instance, when she met the giant caterpillar, he told her that by eating one side of the nearby mushroom, she could grow taller. Eaten from the other side, the mushroom would make her reduce in size. She cleverly used this advantage to aid her in getting what she wanted and also to get where she wanted to go. By the end of the story, “she has grown, in all senses: in size, but also in her capacity for thinking independently…and the waking world continues with this theme of growth, as Alice’s sister imagines Alice in the years to come, a strong adult who retains some of her child-like innocence and compassion.” (Full Summary ch.12)
Of all of the ways Carroll could have written Alice’s tales, why were they portrayed in the fashion they ended up in? Like most things, the story line probably came together gradually. Pieces of the story were most likely written because he was affected by similar situations in real life. Hypothetically speaking, perhaps someone close to him died. Something like that would affect anyone badly, and therefore he thought of life as temporary. Coupled with his social situation, maybe he thought death could be more peaceful and relaxing. Therefore, in his stories, Alice goes through moments where she faces death - narrowly missing it in some cases. Her survival and growth from the conflicts might reflect how he escapes embarrassing situations by “laying low” and becoming skilled in avoiding confrontation. According to the ‘Biography of Lewis Carroll’, “these books brought Carroll great fame and renown during his lifetime, but the shy Dodgson made a great effort to distance himself from the fame of his alter ego Carroll.” Another example of the recurring theme of death is, in the Alice book, when the melancholy and pessimistic Mock Turtle is singing a song about turtle soup: “Though a real turtle need not be eaten, a Mock Turtle probably knows how he will end up.” (Full Summary ch.10) Then there’s the Queen of Hearts, and her obsession with ordering beheadings. “The undisputed Queen…of Wonderland is a…tyrant who’s fiat is ‘Off with his head!’” (Bloomingdale 381) “Since the Alice books are at root about change (the transition from childhood to adulthood, the passage of time), mortality is inescapable as a theme. Death is the final step of this process of growth.” (Main Themes)

“Every new encounter is something of a game for Alice; there are rules to learn, and consequences for learning or not learning those rules. Games are a constant part of life in Wonderland…and learning the rules is a metaphor for the adaptations to new social situations that every child makes as he/she grows older.” (Main Themes) “The game in Wonderland is change and transformation.” (Full Summary ch.5) Alice learns, sometimes unwillingly, about survival in Wonderland in lessons such as one the Caterpillar gave her, in which “she must keep her temper.” (Full Summary ch.5) The term ‘growing up’ implies literal and figurative meaning in that she grew in size and stature, but also that “her true ‘growing up’ came with her adaptation to each new challenge” (Full Summary ch.4). ‘Adaptation’ here refers to her intellectual growth, as well as physical alterations to her constantly changing environments. For a more specific example of the kinds of problems she faced, there were the confusing, insane characters that she met and had dealings with such as the Mad Hatter, the White Rabbit, the Cheshire Cat, the Caterpillar, and the King and Queen of Hearts. Of course there were many others that she met along the way, but these were the main characters which taught her what she learned. Chapter eight in ‘Alice in Wonderland’, is a major chapter when it comes to the theme of games and learning the rules. It is when Alice meets the King and Queen of Hearts. The two of them are very hard to get along with for her, let alone understand, so she has to adapt to the situation, once again. However, even though Alice is more confident in herself than when the story began, she grows increasingly anxious around the Queen of Hearts because of her perplexing behavior, as well as the increasing threat of becoming beheaded. The Queen of Hearts character is perhaps a symbol of the English monarchy in Carroll’s time, mocking the apparent disorder that reigned.

In conclusion, “The central theme of ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’ is Alice’s struggle to adapt to the rules of this new world; metaphorically, it is Alice’s struggle to adapt to the strange rules and behaviors of adults.” (Full Summary ch.1) She, in her dream, was captured by a whirlwind of confusing and intimidating situations and circumstances. Her making it through Wonderland and back into reality was an accomplishment that earned her a stronger, more mature and prepared mind while still maintaining her childlike innocence. Here we learn, from Full Summary ch.4, the moral of the story is that “Alice’s size is juxtaposed to her naïve comments and worries; these moments emphasize that growing up is more than a matter of size.” Throughout the book, Alice is caught in a whirlwind of challenges. These trials make possible both an outward and inward growth because she finds the strength to persist. Personally, I think ‘Alice in Wonderland’ was such a success because most of the trials that the main character Alice faced and conquered were ones that everyone has experienced. This leads to an author-reader relationship and also introduces sentimentality, since it is a children’s book that has been around for ages. And it seems to be an ever-living book that has every intention of ‘hanging around’ for your children, their children, and for many generations to come.