The feminist and Marxist interpretations of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, a popular story among adults and children, first came to this world as a short novel, written by Lewis Carroll in 1865. The novel was written during the Victorian era, during Queen Victoria reign. In this novel, a girl, named Alice, falls down a rabbit hole and discovers a fantasy wonderland of strange creatures. Through the context, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland can be interpreted differently by feminist and Marxist readers since it reflects upon the role of women and social hierarchy that was present in the Victorian era.

In the view of a feminist, one may interpret Alice’s character as a rebel, or a slave. Alice is perceived to be rebellious against the stereotypical women during the Victorian era, when women lacked freedom and rights. Her curiosity breaks free of the common woman into an ideal model, boldly opening themselves to society. Alice shows this curiosity when she “started to her feet […] ran across the field after [the rabbit]”, and jumped into the rabbit hole (Carroll 2). Her actions are sparked by her curious mind. She assumes her right to do anything she pleases without restrictions. Alice shows her freedom through her youthfulness as she is an adolescent. She still has the adventurous mind of a child, allowing her curiosity to take rise in her thoughts and actions. In another perception, however, Alice is seen as a slave, conforming to the traditions of society. She possesses a passive role when she is asked, by the Caterpillar, to eat a mushroom. Knowing that “one side will make [her] grow taller, and the other side will make [her] grow shorter”, Alice doesn’t have a choice as she doesn’t want to shrink to nothingness (Carroll 51). Without knowing what will happen to her, Ali...

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...ponse towards Marxism; Alice believes that being a part of the elite may not necessarily be the “American Dream”. Alice is led to follow the American Dream, but in the end, she realizes that she is better off the way she is.

From the feminist and Marxist perceptions of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, the context of the novel, the Victorian era, is greatly represented. This story reflects upon the role of women and social classes in contemporary society: what was happening at the time and what would be better for society. Alice, from these views, is an adventurous young woman who experiences the fantasies of women and social class involvement in a wonderland, allowing her to make her own choices of where she wants to be.

Works Cited

Carroll, Lewis, John Tenniel, and Chris Riddell. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Revised ed. London: Puffin Classic, 2008. Print.