Is Alice in Wonderland and Absurd Book?
Lewis Carroll’s novel, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, has been interpreted as an absurd and nonsense book for children. It is a nonsense book, but it is also so much more. Carroll has intertwined nonsense and logic therefore creating sense with nonsense. By looking past the absurdities of this book you find new meaning. You find that the novel is full of references and parallel aspects of the Victorian era in topics of etiquette, education and prejudice. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is also a tribute to a child’s ability to adapt and accept a hostile environment. Carroll has cryptically satirized adults’ and their treatment of children, by portraying them as authorarian and strange creatures. This work of fiction was written in the Victorian era, a time now remembered for its stifling propriety and constructive morals. Carroll has mirrored these aspects of Victorian society through Alice’s behavior in Wonderland. In chapter one, when Alice is falling through the air, she tries to curtsey. Alice has always been taught to curtsey before she speaks, showing that even whilst falling through the air; etiquette is one of her main priorities, like it was in Victorian society. In those times, education was not as imperative as being socially adept. Alice, being brought up with these standards, believes that by saying words such as ‘latitude’ and ‘longitude’ would make her seem highly intellectual and create a fantastic first impression.
Education was very limited to young girls such as Alice, in the Victorian era, and we see this through her behavior and encounters with the creatures in Wonderland. Alice thinks that to create a good first impression she should use words such as ‘latitude’ and longitude’. The fact was that Alice actually had no idea what these words meant, but thought they would be ‘grand’ words to say. We see this behavior once again when Alice is talking to the Rabbit and states that “four times five is twelve” and that “London is the capital
Education was very limited to young girls such as Alice, in the Victorian era, and we see this through her behavior and encounters with the creatures in Wonderland. Alice thinks that to create a good first impression she should use words such as ‘latitude’ and longitude’. The fact was that Alice actually had no idea what these words meant, but thought they would be ‘grand’ words to say. We see this behavior once again when Alice is talking to the Rabbit and states that “four times five is twelve” and that “London is the capital