Alice I DB

Such a Curious Dream

There are times when I feel like I will wake up after college is over and say to myself, "Oh, I've had such a curious dream!"[4] Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" parallels the college experience in such a sharp way, especially in a very personal sense. The characters are easily comparable to the myriad of personalities in both authority figures and friends that one meets in a college environment.

In fact, the intensely personal nature of the story and the incredible insight offered through the descriptions of the characters allows the story to relate to almost any occasion on an extremely self-exploratory level. It's no wonder, then, that bands such as Jefferson Airplane in their song "White Rabbit" (depicted left [1]) chose to use the story as a mirror image of the psychedelic experience. From the very beginning it's entirely obvious that Alice is the quintessential example of a wide-eyed collegiate-style mind. Though young, Alice represents the inner sense of exploration and adventure present in almost all malleable minds on their way to college. "Wonderland" is much like the physical place of college itself, but its the characters and what they represent that makes the comparison so striking. Consider a selection of the cast of characters below [2]:

From the dormouse to the queen to the Mock Turtle, undoubtedly everyone has encountered someone much like each individual in that picture. Some people are difficult to get along with and put others down, like the Gryphon put Alice in her place for asking simple questions. Others are ardently assured that they are in charge and consciously act as cruel tyrants, like the queen. Occasionally, I have encountered some very strange and very unique characters much like the very philosophical hookah-smoking Caterpillar. The philosophical argument of the Caterpillar's inquiry as to what size Alice wanted to be in and of itself could be translated into a metaphor for who one wants to make of himself or herself in the college process:

"'What size do you want to be?' it asked.
'Oh, I'm not particular as to size,' Alice hastily replied, 'only one doesn't like changing so often, you know.'
'I don't know,' said the Caterpillar." [5]

By virtue of our experience only then can we determine what is right for us. The Caterpillar itself is a conduit for Alice's change, yet Alice seems uneasy to experience it. The unique nature of this encounter is much like that of college. While sometimes we are not necessarily prone to change often, college is the paradigm of constant change. I, for example, am a compendium of the changes I have undergone in the past three years. When I will change next is up in the air.

Another great character that I believe greatly parallels the college experience is the Cheshire Cat (depicted left [3]). During the course of my college experience already I have encountered a great number of philosophically confusing and at times deceiving characters. The Cat itself seems to be a metaphor for some philosophy which has attained a fluency of being high above that of the physical world. For example, when they attempted to execute it, it could not be beheaded, because it was above the world in which they were living. Such is the guide by which we live out our college experience. The Cat is that person that helps us find ourself and what we want to do with our life:

"'That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,' said the Cat.
'I don't much care where--' said Alice.
'Then it doesn't matter which way you go,' said the Cat."
'Oh, you're sure to do that," said the Cat, "if you only walk long enough.'
Alice felt that this could not be denied, so she tried another question. 'What sort of people live about here?'"[6]

Like the Cat, many people have explained to me that in order for me to come out of the college experience alive I have to find my own way. Like Alice, I came into college having no idea what sort of people live about here. I have encountered some Mad Hatters and crazy March Hares. The compendium of characters in this novel have all helped Alice find her own way through Wonderland. Their personalities have been an integral part of her experience just as how the people I meet here in college have, are, and will be an integral part of my own personal, intellectual, and spiritual experience.

[1] Image sourced from: http://www.hedweb.com/hedethic/jefferson-airplane.jpg
[2] Image sourced from: http://www.fb10.uni-bremen.de/anglistik/kerkhoff/ChildrensLit/Bibliography/AliceWonderland.JPG
[3] Image sourced from: http://www.alice-in-wonderland.net/alicepic/disney-movie/cheshire-cat-5.jpg
[4] Lewis Carroll: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Ed. Martin Gardener. Norton: New York. 2000. Page 125.
[5] Lewis Carroll: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Ed. Martin Gardener. Norton: New York. 2000. Page 52.
[6] Lewis Carroll: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Ed. Martin Gardener. Norton: New York. 2000. Page 65.