A few days before graduation, an eighth grade classmate came to school with letters I and the other children had written to him years earlier while he had been recuperating in the hospital after a car accident. He thought it would be interesting to us to see the things we had thought and then wrote about when we were only in the fourth grade. No surprise to me, a voracious reader, the letter I had written was full of the book I had been reading at that time. My friend did not know what book I had described but liked what I had written about the Duchess' baby that later turned into a pig and ran away. I knew, of course, that the passage I had written about was from one of my favorite books, Alice 's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.
Throughout my life, although I have read countless books, there are some I have read and re-read because they resonate in me on some emotional or intellectual level. The story of Alice, who in following a white rabbit falls down a rabbit hole and into a land full of wonderful beings is one such book. To me, Alice in Wonderland is a timeless classic, not just for children but adults as well.
Thanks to the Disney movie, many are familiar with the basic story. One sunny afternoon, a bored young girl named Alice wakes suddenly from a nap to see a white rabbit run by, carrying a pocket watch and worrying about being late. Alice follows the rabbit down a rabbit hole and into a strange land where she has many adventures, alternately shrinking and growing large from the things that she finds and eats.
Along the way, she talks to a slowly vanishing Cheshire cat, meets a caterpillar sitting on a mushroom smoking a hookah and attends a tea party with the Mad Hatter, the March Hare and the Dormouse. Ultimately, she meets up with a pack of cards who take her to play croquet with the Queen of Hearts. After the Queen threatens to chop off her head, Alice eats a bit of mushroom that she finds in her pocket, growing so large that she knocks the cards down. At that point, Alice wakes up to find herself back in her own world.
To me, the story of Alice and her adventures is a true example of classic literature. Of course, what constitutes a classic can differ from one individual to the next. Essentially, however, a classic book is one that meets the test of time. Generally written as a representation of its own era, a classic work has merits that continue to be recognized through the ages. It also has universal appeal. It contains themes of love, hate, greed, envy, mercy and justice that hold value to society on every level, despite cultural, generational or political divides. A classic work resonates emotionally with each individual, who can see in its ideas a reflection of his or her own life.
Clearly, Alice 's Adventures in Wonderland has met the test of time. Written by the Reverend Charles Dodson, it was published under the pen name Lewis Carroll in 1865. Its first edition consisted of only 2,000 copies, but by the end of 1866, over 5,000 copies had been sold. Since then, hundreds of editions have been published in over 125 different languages. Succeeding generations, adults and children have read about Alice 's adventures now for over 140 years. The book has also been adapted for film twelve times, first in 1901 and including the Disney animated version in 1951. Next to the Bible and the works of Shakespeare, it is the most often quoted book in the world.
Although written during the Victorian era, the adventures of the little girl who fell down a rabbit hole continue to have universal appeal today. Essentially, Alice in Wonderland is the story of a little girl who must face the challenges of growing up in an increasingly out of control world. Throughout her travels, Alice is faced with difficult situations. Her curiosity in seeing a pocket watch carrying white rabbit and following it into the strange world is what initially lands her in the predicament. Having done so, however, Alice accepts the consequences and sets about finding her way, making decisions on where to go, what to eat and how to act. Like any individual on the path to maturity, she does not always make the right choice, as when, in the white rabbit's house, she eats the biscuit and grows too large to get out of it. Despite the challenges and setbacks, however, Alice perseveres, facing the threats and intimidation of the Queen of Hearts during the croquet game to grow large enough to overcome adversity and find her way back where she belonged. Her story, in facing challenges and overcoming them, maturing in the process is familiar to child and adult alike and accounts for its decades of continuing appeal, across continents and cultures, societies and social divides.
Even though I am now a mature adult with grown children of my own, Alice 's Adventures in Wonderland stills resonates with me on an emotional and intellectual level. Often, during the trials and tribulations of my own day, I find myself quoting passages from the book. "Curiouser and curiouser!" I say, faced with a seemingly inexplicable situation. When falling behind schedule, I quote to myself "Oh my ears and whiskers, how late it's getting!' At times, when I am confused, I say, "I can't explain myself you see, because I'm not myself." Finally, when confusion reigns supreme in my life, I throw up my hands and cry, "We are all mad, here!" As you can see, to me the appeal of Alice 's Adventures in Wonderland is timeless and universal and one that I will always enjoy.
Rosanne O'Malley is passionate about books and could talk about them all
day long (when she is not reading them, of course!) To find a good book
to read, visit her website at www.agoodbook.zlio.net. Feel free to leave a
comment or recommendation of your own!
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