Britt’s Weblog

I’m focusing on question # 3 from Friday’s discussion that asked “What is realistic?” and “What is fantastical?” in Alice In Wonderland.

I think there are several aspects of this story that portray fairly realistic ideas. For instance, Alice seems like a believable character in that she is impulsive, curious, and tries to act independent- as many children also behave. She seems to accept the fantastical events and inhabitants of “Wonderland” with a childlike faith that seems typical of young, naive children. She also seeks to demonstrate her knowledge whenever possible, much like a child who excitedly tells his parents what he learned in school that day.

Obviously, there are many aspects- probably too many to mention here- of Alice In Wonderland that are fantastical and imagined. First, Alice is able to change sizes from her usual height to very short or very tall. She is able to converse with and understand the talking animals. Objects and beings- such as mice, rabbits, and playing cards- that are ordinarily inanimate and/or unable to talk are suddenly endowed with the human characteristics of speech, motion, and reasoning.

These aspects of fantasy and reality blend together in Alice In Wonderland to tell a very interesting and imaginative story. I enjoyed reading this book.