In Frank Beddor’s book The Looking Glass Wars, the tale of Alice in Wonderland is told from the perspective of Princess Alyss Heart. She is forced to evacuate from her home because of her evil aunt Redd’s attack on the queendom and ends up alone in London, but is found and brought back to the queendom to take her spot as the queen. Beddor provides many different themes that go on throughout the book, and one of them is “don’t give up hope”. Evidence of this being a theme is proved by the actions of Dodge Anders, Hatter Madigan, and Alyss Heart in many different situations in the book. One character who didn’t give up hope throughout book is Dodge Anders. Dodge is forced to watch his father get killed in battle and stays to help the queendom …show more content…
Alyss’s parents are killed by Redd’s evil army, her father King Nolan was ambushed by Redd’s troops led by her best fighter the Cat and her mother Queen Genevieve was killed by Redd. Alyss was forced to flee Wonderland through the Pool of Tears. She ends up in London and meets a man named Leopold. Leopold proposes to Alyss and she says yes. Whenever she talks about Wonderland they just make fun of her. She said “I had to turn my back on Wonderland.” But on her wedding day she sees Dodge and notices the scar on his face and realizes it’s him. Redd’s troops attack and Dodge defends Alyss and they flee back to Wonderland through the Pool of Tears. She led an army to attack Redd and her forces but they didn’t know if she was capable of leading them. They were all asking “‘But can she lead …show more content…
Hatter was Queen Genevieve’s bodyguard but when Redd attacked she told him to leave him behind and protect Alyss. Hatter jumped into the Pool of Tears with “Alyss Heart, holding tight to Hatter Madigan, plummeted toward the surface of the water below.” and ended up in Paris while Alyss ended up in London. For the next few years he searched for Alyss non stop crossing the world. “He planned to canvass the streets, search every lane and alley for the princess before moving on to another town or city.” He finally got a lead on where she was when Dodge Anders published his book Alice in Wonderland. Hatter traveled to where Alyss was and was so close to finding her but he was ambushed chased into an alley with a dead end where a puddle leading to the Pool of Tears was. He was forced to jump and ended up in Wonderland where he delivered the news that Alyss was alive and old enough to be the queen. Hatter was injured from a bullet wound so Dodge went to go rescue Alyss. Hatter helped around camp. When Alyss came back she led an army and defeated Redd with the help of the Alyssian’s including Hatter himself. This is why Hatter Madigan shows the theme don’t give up
In the book, Apostles of Disunion, author Charles B. Dew opens the first chapter with a question the Immigration and Naturalization service has on an exam they administer to prospective new American citizens: “The Civil War was fought over what important issue”(4). Dew respond by noting that “according to the INS, you are correct if you offer either of the following answers: ‘slavery or states’ rights’” (4). Although this book provides more evidence and documentation that slavery was the cause of the Civil War, there are a few places where states’ rights are specifically noted. In presenting the findings of his extensive research, Dew provides compelling documentation that would allow the reader to conclude that slavery was indeed the cause for both secession and the Civil War.
In our world today, how would one describe an American? Throughout the history of the United States, the image of an American is often portrayed as someone with fair skin, and who is of European descent. In reality, this idea is rather false, for America is greatly shaped by different racial groups from all continents—including Asia and Africa. In Ronald Takaki 's book, "A Different Mirror", he talks about how people in America are viewed through the "Master Narrative of American History", the idea that a person is an American, or not, depending on whether he or she satisfies the requirements to be considered as white (4). Takaki argues the Master Narrative left out certain groups including Asian Americans, African-Americans and Native Americans
In Frank Beddor’s book The Looking Glass Wars it retells the story of Alice in Wonderland and makes it its own new book. In this version, Alyss is the princess of Wonderland, but when her Aunt Redd who was banished from the Queendom attacks Wonderland and makes everything evil Alyss must run away with Hatter Madigan. After she ran away from Wonderland when she was seven she ended up in England. After she made it back from England she returned to Wonderland to fight Redd and her army. In this book Beddor provides many themes throughout the book that mean a lot to the characters and how they act. For example, good conquers all is evident from the actions of Genevieve, Alyss, and Hatter Madigan.
Atkinson, Rick. An Army at Dawn: The War in North Africa, 1942-1943, Volume 1 of the "Liberation Trilogy." New York: Henry Holt, 2002.
Alyss has changed and transformed throughout this novel. Alyss was introduced as a mischievous little girl playing pranks. Throughout the novel she learns how to become a strong proper young lady. Alyss went through many obstacles to prepare her for battle. In The Looking Glass Wars, Frank Beddor uses conflict to transform a naive, mischievous, and endearing little girl into a confident, leading, and boss so she can save the queendom from Redd’s rule.
Mark Danner, an editor for the New York Times magazine, recounts in The Massacre at El Mozote a horrific crime against humanity committed by a branch of the Salvadorian army. He gives multiple points of views and cites numerous eye witnesses to try and piece together something that has been tucked away by the government at the time. In December, of 1981, news reports were leaked to major newspapers in the united states about an atrocity committed and a total massacre of a hamlet in El Salvador, known as El Mozote, or the Thicket. At first, the account was of over a thousand civilians, women men and children with no guerrilla affiliation were massacred. Danner pieces together the testimonies of the survivors, and interviews with officers in the Salvadorian army.
When she enters London, she changes into her own person who makes her own decisions. Alyss says, “Yes, it was a solution: Give up her so-called ridiculous, fantastical delusions and enter wholeheartedly into the world around her. Become just like everyone else.” (Beddor 89) Alyss was first being thought of as a crazy person with a story that no one believed. Then, she finally gave in to the people around her and agrees with them. She thinks that being like “everyone else” is the solution to her problem. When Alyss sees Dodge for the first time in 13 years, she thinks, “It couldn’t have been him. The man with the scars. It couldn’t have. He didn’t exist.” (Beddor 116) Since Alyss had become free from her fantasy world, she was overwhelmed when she first saw Dodge. Even though she had forgotten her past life, the memory of Dodge was still there. Her mixed emotions and memories of Dodge caused internal conflict within Alyss: “And as she torpedoed up toward the surface, having worked impossibly hard to convince herself that the place about to be seen by her disbelieving eyes didn’t exist, she said the man’s name- Dodge Anders- and water filled her lungs.” (Beddor 120) Alyss tried convincing herself Wonderland did not exist, as she went through the Pool of Tears, but she knew it was real. The only reason she let go of Wonderland is because she wanted to fit in with her other world.
Many times readers lose interest in stories that they feel are not authentic. In addition, readers feel that fictitious novels and stories are for children and lack depth. Tim O’ Brien maintains that keeping readers of fiction entertained is a most daunting task, “The problem with unsuccessful stories is usually simple: they are boring, a consequence of the failure of imagination- to vividly imagine and to vividly render extraordinary human events, or sequences of events, is the hard-lifting, heavy-duty, day-by-day, unending labor of a fiction writer” (Tim O’ Brien 623). Tim O’ Brien’s “How to Tell a True War Story” examines the correlation between the real experiences of war and the art of storytelling. In O’Brien’s attempt to bridge the gap between fiction and non-fiction the narrator of the story uses language and acts of violence that may be offensive to some. However some readers agree that Tim O" Brien's "How to Tell a True War Story" would lack authenticity and power without the use of crude language and violence.
In The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor, the sweet nonsensical story of Alice in Wonderland is retold in an interestingly strange way that includes everything from war and rebellion, to love. Towards the beginning of the story Alyss is forced to leave Wonderland after having her castle ambushed by her evil Aunt Redd. Hatter Madigan, her mother’s trusted bodyguard, is told by Queen Genevieve herself to look after the young princess but is separated from her when they enter the Pool of Tears. He eventually finds her in england where she had been staying for the duration of her time on Earth, and takes her back to wonderland where she reclaims her throne. By altering this story, Bedder adds a more significant twist to what was a children’s book, creating many meaningful themes to go along with his version that develop throughout the novel. One example is taking responsibility, which is evident in many of the actions involving the characters Hatter Madigan, Alyss Heart, and Dodge Anders.
In The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor, the story of alice in wonderland is modified and changed to where Alyss is the Princess of Wonderland, who is forced to leave wonderland when her evil Aunt Redd takes over and kills alyss’ parents. When hatter madigan and alyss are separated in the pool of tears, Alyss ends up alone in England. Eventually returning to take back her throne. When changing the story he developed new themes like how Dodge, Jack of Diamonds, and Alyss can not stay children forever.
Alyss Heart was changed after Dodgson showed her the book he wrote about her. She gave up on being Alyss Heart. She thought to herself, “...No more. Erase it all. I will no longer be Odd Alice. Odd Alice must die. Yes it was a solution: Give up on her so-called ridiculous, fantastical delusions and enter whole heartedly into the world around him.” (Beddor 149-150) , now she was Alice Liddel. Everyone was surprised at her transformation. “...so well well had she adapted to the customs and beliefs of the time, so well had she adopted the inclinations of other her age, that she’d befriended those who use to tease her mercilessly.” Alice was showing that she could be the prim, proper, and beautiful woman that her adoptive parents wanted her to be. Alice had many suitors, one being a prince, Prince Leopold. He thought that “... her beauty was undeniable.” that’s one of the reasons why he asked for her hand in
“History followed different courses for different peoples because of differences among peoples’ environments, not because of biological differences among people themselves.”(Diamond 25) This statement is the thesis for Jared Diamond’s book Guns Germs and Steel the Fates of Human Societies.
Here, Alyss learned that she would need to live up to the real world responsibilities that people have to live up to everyday. Once in England, she was staying with a family that constantly tormented her about her claims of living in Wonderland, which caused her to lose faith in the place where she grew up and had to treat her beliefs and childhood as if they did not exist in order to live a normal life. Alyss even said, “Yes, it was a solution… Become just like everyone else.” (148) She began to accept the life of a normal girl and took on responsibilities like getting married. “If she’d had time to think about it, Alice might have stopped herself, considering the idea too whimsical. But the words had a force of their own, and only after she said them aloud did she realize just how appropriate the idea was. ‘Let’s have a masquerade.’” (172) At this point in time, Alyss Heart, or Alice Liddell, had just begun to take on the responsibility that any young adult would take at her
Fussell believes that the soldier of world war two, "suffers so deeply from contempt and damage to his selfhood, from absurdity and boredom and chickenshit, that some anodyne is necessary", and that the anodyne of choice was alcohol. I would argue that Fussell is correct, especially regarding the connection between the absurdity of the war and the associated damage to soldiers image of themselves as good and patriotic, and the use of alcohol to block out the reality of the war. I think this connection is evident in the interviews presented in Terkel’s "The Good War", especially those of John Garcia and Eddie Costello.
An Eye for an Eye was written by Stephen Nathanson. Mr. Nathanson, like many, is against the death penalty. Mr. Nathanson believes that the death penalty sends the wrong messages. He says that by enforcing the death penalty we “reinforce the conviction that only defensive violence is justifiable.” He also states that we must, “express our respect for the dignity of all human beings, even those guilty of murder.”