150 Years of ALICE
by Chris
Pavesic
2015 marks the 150th
Publication Anniversary of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
The story itself originates in 1862 when a girl named Alice Liddell and her two
sisters rowed from Folly Bridge, Oxford, to Godstow with Lewis Carroll (Charles
Dodgson) and his clerical friend, Robinson Duckworth. During this journey the
girls were told the first version of the story to keep them entertained. Later
the work was expanded and published in the version we now know and love.
For me, the character of
Alice has always been a remarkable one in childhood literature. She displays an
inner strength in every situation, no matter how bizarre it may be (and in
Wonderland the situations are never normal!). In an interview for ScreenCrave,
Tim
Burton explains his attraction to the character of Alice:
It’s a story about somebody
using this kind of imagery and this kind of world to figure out problems and
things in their own life, and what’s fantasy and reality and dreams and reality
— how they are not separate things, that they’re one thing. It’s how we use
those things to deal with our issues in life.
For example, when she falls
through the earth, Alice does not react with terror. She thinks, she talks to
herself, and she analyzes what is actually happening and what may happen in the
future. Even though it is a bizarre situation, Alice deals with it in a logical
way:
'I wonder if I shall fall
right through the earth! How funny it'll seem to come out among the people that
walk with their heads downward! The Antipathies, I think--' (she was rather glad
there WAS no one listening, this time, as it didn't sound at all the right
word) '--but I shall have to ask them what the name of the country is, you
know. Please, Ma'am, is this New Zealand or Australia?' (and she tried to
curtsey as she spoke--fancy curtseying as you're falling through the air! Do
you think you could manage it?) 'And what an ignorant little girl she'll think
me for asking! No, it'll never do to ask: perhaps I shall see it written up
somewhere.'
Alice retains this quality
throughout the novel and its sequel. She is curious, logical, and prepared to
give as good as she gets in arguments. It doesn’t matter if Alice speaks to a
caterpillar, a rabbit, a footman, a grinning cat, or a queen; she works to make
sense and to analyze the situation.
It is this type of boldness
that attracted me to the character and the tone I tried to emulate in my story,
Wonderland, which is based on parts of both Alice’s
Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking
Glass. Wonderland is set in a version of
modern-day America, but still maintains the fearlessness, strength, and
curiosity of the original character. One reviewer
on Amazon.com writes:
Chris Pavesic’s
Wonderland is set in the U.S. and references modern events.
You will see all of the characters that you know and love from Carroll’s work,
but they are in relatable forms for those of us “across the pond.” For example,
the Tea Party takes place at a sorority house during pledge week. The dormouse
is a pledge from a near-by fraternity who has overindulged in alcohol. One of
his “brothers” has used a Sharpie marker to draw a mouse nose and whiskers on
his face.
There have been many versions
of Alice’s story through the years, including (but not limited to) the Disney
animated version, the Resident Evil franchise, and the most recent version by
Tim Burton. The character of Alice has appeared in many different television
programs, including Warehouse 13. The images of Alice and her Wonderland
compatriots appear almost everywhere on household goods, clothing, and
technology.
Artists have taken
inspiration from the works to produce vivid and beautiful interpretations of
the characters and the world. For example, the “Alice in Wonderland” works are
considered to be one of the rarest and most sought after Salvador Dali suites.
If you are interested in
attending an event celebrating anniversary of this, please check out the
following information at the Lewis Carroll website.
The site lists 95 events in 11 countries.
For a free copy of
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, check out the
Project Gutenberg edition online.
Here is a brief introduction
to Wonderland, the latest fantasy book by Chris
Pavesic. Enjoy!
You may think you
know her story.
You don't.
Click here
to watch the YouTube video.
Read excerpts from all of the books
written by Chris Pavesic on Amazon.
Chris
Pavesic is a fantasy author who lives in the Midwestern United States
and loves Kona coffee, steampunk, fairy tales, and all types of speculative
fiction. Between writing projects, Chris can most often be found reading,
gaming, gardening, working on an endless list of DIY household projects, or
hanging out with friends. Learn more about Chris on her website.
1 comment:
Thank you for hosting me in your Friday spotlight!
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