| Why
'Alice' Endures
What is
the Enduring Appeal of
Alice's Adventures
in Wonderland?
Fame
Next to the Bible
and the works of Shakespeare the Alice books are the literature
most widely translated and quoted. Alice has been translated
into over 70 languages with, naturally, a Braille edition.
Alice and Wonderland
are a part of adult political, intellectual and daily life
expressions..
The Alice books
have never been out of print for the century and more since
first published (135 years). The computer system of a major
book chain recently listed seventy seven (77) Lewis Carroll
book editions in print and orderable with sixty one (61)
of them being Alice books.
The Alice books
forever broke the 1800's mold of how a children's book should
be. Virtually none of the most popular children's books
of Carroll's time remain in print today, even in merely
one edition. There is something special about the Alice
books even today. What is it?
Breaking the Mold
Here are the
molds or traditions of children's books in the 1800's that
Carroll broke:
Not written
for the upper classes
Not full of
lofty purpose and instruction or morals
Not preaching
or teaching to fear sin
Not full of
the virtues of discipline and compliance
Not written
down to mere children but instead has full rich quotable
text
Not deliberately
dull or dour
New Standards
These molds
deserved to be broken, and have stayed broken. Carroll replaced
these traditions, in his books, with:
Tales in which
children feel themselves recognized as well as the hurdles
they confront.
Someone writes
who understands the fears, anxieties and disappointments
of childhood.
Growing up isn't
just serious dullness.
Big words are
fun.
Give the child
credit for sensitivity, imagination and intelligence.
The writer is
sharing miseries and holding out a hand.
Alice gives
children hope for survival as they pass through the dark
chaotic halls from
childhood to
adulthood.
The benefits
the children gain are:
They see Alice
experiencing the kinds of painful and damage prone experiences
in life
that children
have in all societies, and Alice survives and thrives.
Validation of
their feelings of struggle, disappointment and uncertainty
by sharing those of Alice.
Helps children
to see themselves anew.
A grand readable
example of the theme of survival and struggle, reinforced
with laughter, satire and amusement.
Appeal
Children, in
all societies, daily experience fear, condescension, rejection,
bewilderment, disappointments and violence - much of it
adult related. The Alice books show a child surviving these
experiences and overcoming them. These books fill a deep
emotional need in children and adults who remember childhood.
In Wonderland,
Alice starts off confused in a strange, weird and out of
control place. But she struggles and improves. In Wonderland,
Alice finally stands up to, and overcomes, the feared Red
Queen who constantly threatens to chop off her head. In
Looking Glass, Alice again starts with a new confused chaotic
world and ultimately earns the right to be a Queen herself.
Both Alice
books resist the romantic ending where a charming Prince
or grand romantic rescues Alice. Instead, Alice visibly
gains confidence, strength, acceptance, recognition. advancement
and a way of dealing with the wold. Alice inspires, amuses
and fills emotional needs. She is still alive.
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