Incarnation of Alice

1. Incarnation of Alice “How is a raven like a writing desk?”

2. Lewis Carroll’s Story • “What is the use of a book without pictures or conversation in it?” -Alice • Through storytelling, Alice is placed in Dodgeson’s world. • In both Adventure’s in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass, Alice enjoys the fantasy, and doesn’t necessarily desire reality. • Awakened by sister.

3. About the Original Texts: • “so much of Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass is composed of private jokes and details of Victorian manners and mores that modern audiences are not likely to catch” -Martin Gardner • Unlike past fairy tales for girls that illustrate responsible, moral lessons, Alice is a story of exploration, where the protagonist questions such ideology. • Carroll sought to challenge children's moralizing literature. • However, Alice still contains adult appeal. • Alice is the epitome of the Victorian child heroine, and her maturation in wonderland formulate an archetype with influence as strong as any other fairy tale.

4. Walt Disney’s Alice in Wonderland • “But in my world, the books would be nothing but pictures.” -Alice • Alice’s escape into her world of nonsense. • Wonderland’s initial impression on Alice is romantic; however the nonsense quickly changes to madness. • Alice attempts to awaken herself to escape the world. The exodus from wonderland is a creation of Disney.

5. Disney’s Americanization of Alice • Received harsh criticism from literary critics. Especially those of British origin. • Carroll’s story was told to a child, then reconstructed for a large audience. Disney refocused the story for a family audience; however... • The film animates themes often debated: • Hallucinogenic drug use (The Caterpillar) • The “trippy” art style makes Disney’s film an often debated drug Film. • Alice as a “Lolita” figure.

6. Jan Svankmajer’s Alice • “This is a story for children, but…” -Alice • Alice narrates herself. • A more depressed, helpless Alice. • Alice awakens and decides to take charge. • Svankmajer conjoins a surreal, dark world with wonderland. In this way, his wonderland is more like the real world.

7. Animation as a Link • Original text included illustrations by political cartoonist John Tenniel. • Disney’s adaptation is fully animated in color. • Alice utilizes puppets and stop motion to animate wonderland.

8. Impact of Alice Lewis Carrol’s character and theme will be built on in the traditions of fairy tales in the past. America Mcgee’s darker, older Alice. Will Neo go through the looking glass?

9. In Carroll’s work, Alice is a youth that question’s social standards. The nonsense expands her thoughts. Nearly one hundred years later, Disney’s Alice realized the nonsense is something to avoid. When Svankmajer’s Alice is forced to deal with this world, she concludes that she must take charge. A young hero, maturing in different ways. Carroll’s Wonderland is composed satire of the adult world. Serves to identify adulthood, and the purpose of youth. Disney’s Wonderland is a cartoon fantasy. Comparison of nonsense to madness The Wonderland in Alice is an amalgamation of things. Adulthood, illusion (drug induced?), death. In all cases, Wonderland is in sharp contrast to youth. Who is Alice? What is Wonderland?

10. Works Cited • Alice (Neco z Alenky). By Jan Svankmajer. Dir Jan Svankmajer. Channel Four Films. 1988. • Alice in Wonderland. By Ted Sears, Winston Hibler, et al. Dir. Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson and Hamilton Luske. Walt Disney Productions. 1951. • The Internet Movie Database. 1990-2008. March 2008 www.imdb.com. • http://movies.ign.com/articles/036/036660p1.html Brian Linder • Carroll, Lewis., and Martin Gardner, ed. The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition. New York: W. W. Norton & Company; Upd Sub edition, 1999. • ---. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass. New York: Barnes and Noble Classics, 2004. • Rutledge, Amelia, et al. And Jack Zipes, ed. The Oxford Companion to Fairy Tales. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000. • Knoepflmacher, U.C.. Ventures into Childland : Victorians, Fairy Tales, and Femininity. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1998.