Analysis of Alice Chapters 1-6

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland holds many allusions and archetypes that serve as puns on serious topics, which contribute to Alice's journey. To start with the beginning of the book Alice encounters the Rabbit. While the Rabbit is a seemingly random animal his wristwatch and coat give him an air of nobility and authority. The superiority of the Rabbit is made clear later on in the novel when Alice is stuck in his house. Death is also referenced as when Alice is falling in the rabbit hole she places an object she had been looking at back on a shelf for fear of killing someone and when she is first trying to go through the tiny door she comments that her head "would be of very little use without her shoulders." This is also foreshadowing when the queen tries to have Alice beheaded. The placement of the object back on the shelf also puts a limitation on Wonderland as despite all of the astonishing things that Alice sees later on death is still possible. Alice also fits the archetypal hero as she starts the novel as very innocent and makes foolish blunders, which endear her to the reader, however, Carol is emphasizing the possible dangers of growing up. Alice's growth and shrinking due to the food and drink she consumes is also reminiscent of the changes the body endures on the way to maturity.

Later when Alice is on the shore of the tears she shed while gargantuan the animals assembled to hear the Mouse's story is also reminiscent of a plebeian assembly and the Caucus Race is another pun on political election. As every one of the animals goes in a different direction without knowing what to aim for and each wins although, Alice representing the common man is left without any prize since the thimble she receives belonged to her before the race even though the animals make a big show of bestowing her with this great honor.

When Alice moves on from the Caterpillar to the Duchess' house she encounters more references to coming of age. The disagreeable baby that transforms into a pig represents becoming an unpleasant adult, which Alice later plays on by thinking "of other children that would make good pigs. Alice also comes up with good arguments against the Duchess. Earlier in the book she was bewildered by the nonsense of Wonderland, however, in the scene where she argues that the world spinning any faster would not make any difference she is amazingly composed.
-Jasmine