The Looking Glass Wars Analysis

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.
Hatter Madigan is one of the characters that takes responsibility. After being told by Queen Genevieve to look after Alyss until she is ready to rule, Hatter Madigan takes the young princess to the Pool of Tears, “Alyss Heart, holding tight to

Throughout this story the characters, especially Dodge and Alyss, grow and mature into, in Alyss’s case a young warrior queen, and in Dodge’s case an outstanding guardsmen. Sadly, Hatter has to sacrifice much to fulfill his promise to the former queen, although he still remains loyal to the light side of the Heart family. These characters take great responsibility to protect, help, and guide the people around them. The significance of the taking responsibility theme is the maturity that comes when responsibility is taken for one’s actions and duties or