Literary Analysis Essay on Alice in Wonderland and Influence of Science on Book

Introduction

In many of the literary texts both written today and in the earlier times, there is the main idea that is aimed at being portrayed. In addition to the main idea, the author may also touch on several other concepts that affect the story or text that they are writing. In most cases, the authors may major in the areas that they are well aware of. If for example, a person works as an engineer, their articles may greatly portray engineering knowledge. Such a case makes it easier for the person to explain their ideas well and in a manner that the readers can easily relate to. This paper is a critical review of the book Alice in Wonderland and how the several scientific principles are involved in his book.

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Lewis Carrol Background Information

Charles Lutwidge Dodgson commonly known as Lewis Carrol is one of the most significant writers in the history (Mocktefi,187). He is known for his fictional work Alice In Wonderland which was followed by several other sequels such as Through the looking glass and other poems such as Jabberwocky, The Hunting of The Snark among others. In addition to his writing skills, he also did photography, mathematics and was an Anglican deacon. He joined Rugby school but was not happy with it as he later wrote. He also mentioned that he knew several big boys who used to bully those who were smaller than them during his school life. Later in the years, 1849, he left Rugby school and joined the University of Oxford as a member of his Father's old college Christ Church. Just two days after he was admitted to Oxford, he was summoned home after his mother died due to inflammation in the brain at a tender age of 47 years. His academic record was good and he excelled in many of the things that he set his mind to. In 1852 he attained first class honours in Mathematics Moderations and was nominated for a studentship. He was known to have a record in church throughout his life. He drew different illustrations and was famous for his artistic skills which were seen in many of his books. Among his most famous works are the Alice books, The Hunting of the Snark and Sylvie and Bruno. After he wrote the books, he took up a new activity - photography between 1856 and 1880 (Tylor and Wakeling). It is believed that he died of temporal lobe epilepsy which alters the consciousness of an individual.

Main Ideas in Alice in Wonderland

In his book, there are several main ideas that keep coming up. On critical evaluation, the ideas are applicable in everyday lives even in the modern world. They express some of the society feels that existed during his time and how relevant they are to making a person either comfortable or uncomfortable. Some of the situations are used symbolically to represent deeper meanings. They are discussed below.

One of the major themes that are seen in the book is death. Death in most cases is saddening and marked as a great loss especially when the person had a particular influence on another individual. It is also evident in the way that the storyline highlights several incidences that are close to death. This is seen from the beginning of the book when Alice finds a container that has poison and is written: "Drink me". When Alice saw the bottle of poison, she remembered several incidences that she had read about children getting burnt, eaten up by wild beasts and many other unpleasant things that had happened to them simply because they could not remember the simple instructions that their friends had taught them.

In addition to that, the theme of death is seen when Alice falls through the rabbit hole. At the rate that she was going down at, there was a likely chance that she would not make it after the fall and would probably be dead after hitting the bottom of the hole. As she falls through the hole, she thinks that she would never say anything about falling off her house as it would probably kill her. In the early stages of her wonders, she did not seem to recognize the dangers that came along with her day to day moves. As a result, she did actions without thinking about the effects that came with her actions. It is evident in the way that she followed instructions even when they seemed fatal such as following the rabbit into the rabbit hole simply because she was fascinated by the little animal. She also follows the instructions on the poison and the other on the cake that tell her to take it. As a result, she becomes bigger or smaller which put her in different dangers that would make her close to death.

In another instance, the idea of transformation that comes with moving into different environments with an attempt to fit in is evident. The transformation may not necessarily mean moving from one place to another but it may also imply the changes that occur in the body as one is growing (Cara, 115). The loss of childhood innocence is seen in the individual as they mature and become more sophisticated in terms of thinking and the behaviour that they portray. The loss may be uncomfortable and the affected person may find it hard to fit in the new person that they grow to become with each transition bringing about both advantages and disadvantages. It is essential that one embraces the idea of change with each result that comes with it as it would make the person more comfortable in the state that they are in instead of looking for better ways to enhance themselves. In this way, the person can accommodate some of the challenges or even look for ways that they may use to reduce the errors that come with the new status.

Additionally, the book highlights the sorrows that people face and the effect that they have on them in a symbolic way (Pendlebury, 46). It is seen in the way that Alice shifts from a big girl who cannot fit through the door to a tiny girl. The transformation has both an advantage and a disadvantage. To begin with, she almost drowns in her own tears that she had shed when she was bigger in size. This scene is symbolic as it shows the identity issues that one may be going through as they try to be similar to those who are around them. It also shows that one may, in turn, get lost in their sorrows as Alice was about to drown in her own tears. It shows the grief that the people have and how it affects them in case it grows too big. In that case, the troubles that affect some people in a small manner may have a significantly great effect on others. The book majors on the transformations and they later have a toll on the other books that he wrote. In the book Through the looking glass, Lewis focuses on the grown-up Alice who is no longer as clumsy as she used to be in Alice in Wonderland.

Life always has the means to frustrate humans. This is a phrase that has been highly confirmed in the book. It is clear that on whichever side that one is, there are bound to occur some heartbreaks that may seem too big even for the people who see most powerful. Alice has an expectation that she would understand how wonderland worked an, In turn, would be able to solve some of the mysteries that were in the land if they ever came later in her encounters. However, she does not make it decipher the way life goes on in the land and ends up frustrated by most of her actions (McFadden,108). Several encounters in the book signify this. To begin with, what she thinks is a mere rabbit hole ends up to be deeper than she thought and she ends up falling for a long time. In addition to that, she is seen to have problems both adjusting to her small and her large size. In her large size, she can't fit in some places as she is too big while in her small size, she seems to face several troubles such as drowning in mere tears. In addition to that incident, she shrinks herself down in the woods and gets into a small house where she finds a duchess and a cook arguing and placing the life of a baby in danger. She does what seemed right and saves the child. However, the unexpected happens when she walks out and the baby turns into a pig and trots away into the forest. Another surprise that she finds in Wonderland is the croquet game that she is invited to play with the queen. The game uses animals as play tools which makes it hard to play (Young, 54). The act shows the surprises that life offers in our everyday encounters. The game does not last long after the Cheshire cat appears and the king of hearts hates it. The trials in the place are way out of line as it is seen in the trial against the Knave of hearts who is accused of stealing tarts from the queen. The offence is not worth such a trail. It is also evident when the queen sentences the workers to execution simply for planting flowers that are white instead of red.

The book also highlights the idea of identity and self-realization. Alice asks herself who in the world she is in chapter two of the book. She tries to find her nitch in the world and what she was meant to do. With such a determination to know how wonderland works, she found out that she was not only discovering the place but also finding her gap in the place. The place is full of constant changes that made it even harder for her to figure out the true gap that she can occupy. Wonderland being only a product of her imagination makes it relatable to some of her actions in real life and how they affected her. Life is a puzzle that plays by its rules. With such lack of assurance, it is hard to find out where one is welcome and the places that may seem unwanted. The confusion makes Alice move from one place to another in search of her way home.

Moreover, Lewis insists on the theme of rules and the importance of playing by them. The book shows several games such as the caucus race. The game involves the people going around in a circle and Alice tries to join in and play too and she fails. The rules that are set for each game have to be followed failure to which, one is not bound to succeed. One also needs to take time to evaluate the situation before they take a decision. In this way, the person avoids any chances of failure. The choices of life may seem difficult to make especially when a person is in the puberty stage of life. This is seen in the changes as Alice shrinks and becomes bigger in the second chapter. It signifies the changes that one undergoes they are in the process of maturing. One may seem like an adult in one span and the next the same person is a child with little or no control over what is happening around them. The changes may make the person upset as it is seen in the case of Alice crying most of the time when she is faced with a situation. In making the consideration that the book was written for three teenage girls who Lewis liked, it is was a means that he used to teach them about the essential lessons and the challenges that may come with maturity and puberty.

The storyline also highlights a major aspect of life in a sarcastic manner - the quote by the mad hatter that everyone in Wonderland is crazy. It shows that the people that one faces in the real world al have problems that they intend to solve no matter what it may cost them. It is due to this reason that they will not mind breaking other peoples hearts all in a means to find their aspirations. The mad hatter is not straight in his dealings and is seen to have mental issues. He creates riddles and appears restless throughout the time that he is seen in the book. In his dealings, he asks Alice a riddle which she is unable to answer and it hurts her that she could not solve the riddle. For him, the time has stopped and every time is 1800hrs meaning that it is always tea time. His quotes and riddles make Alice uncomfortable and eventually drives her away.

On a scientific basis, the hatter is most likely affected by the mercury that is used in the manufacture of hats and it causes him neurological damage (Fine). In that age also, there was a big poss...