Victorian Insanity In Lewis Carroll's Alice In Wonderland

Alice’s Victorian Insanity In Alice In Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, Alice is a simple girl on the surface, with a complex persona. Nothing in the story goes smoothly, and Alice acts strangely in some cases. This is not by accident. In 1856, Carroll wrote in his diary that when we are dreaming, and we know we’re dreaming, we partake in insane actions. He continues to ask that because of this, why shouldn’t insanity be considered an inability to discern what is real and what is a dream? (Schatz 95). Alice shows signs of insanity as she falls down the hole. “Well! After such a fall as this, I shall think nothing of tumbling down-stairs! How brave they’ll all think of me at home!” (Carroll 8). This is a blatant disregard of the seriousness of

A quote from Samantha Pegg’s work ‘Madness is a Woman’: Constance Kent and Victorian Constructions of Female Insanity sums this up. “Morally purer, but vulnerable and weaker than men, women were then placed into a position where a fall from grace could easily be related to their inherent femininity” (Pegg 212). This quote serves as an insight into why Carroll chose to make Alice a weaker, and seemingly lesser character. Moreover, Alice seems to fit that “morally pure” peg, at least by Victorian standards, as well. This is shown when she is talking to the mouse about his tail. “It is a long tail, certainly, by why do you call it sad?” (Carroll 23). Here Alice portrays that childhood innocence that plagues her throughout the story. Instead of realizing that the mouse is talking about the tale he just told, and not his physical tail, Alice childishly doesn’t get it. This is perfect as it keeps up with her Victorian ideals; she’s an unknowing child, making her morally delightful by Victorian standards. This then leads back into Carroll’s portrayal of Alice as insane. She is again missing a piece of the puzzle that is right in front of

She is never able to fully comprehend the divide between the world she is in and reality. Moreover, Alice fails to notice all of the queues that would lead any rational, sensible person to realize that something might be wrong. Even when her logic fails her, and she can’t do math, she doesn’t bother to really question it. Based off Lewis Carroll’s definition of insanity, not being able to tell the difference between reality and the dream world, Alice is most definitely insane. Saying Alice isn’t insane is like saying that four times five is