Tactics Used to Capture Attention in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Lewis Carroll subtly indicates his attitudes toward children and his understanding if children in several ways. Many of the motifs he uses are the main reason why this story has such an abundance of versions and maintains its popularity. There are many tactics that Carroll uses in his writing that capture and maintain a readers attention, many of which involve his unrealistic situations that his main character finds herself in as well as subtle connections to historical figures. Carroll's use of illustrations, preposterous wordplay, and overall disregard for order has given the world a storyline that has been used many times in different types of media.

There are many childhood fantasy motifs that are listed in module three, which Carroll uses quite well and also appeal to a child audience. The most important motifs to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland are magic, secondary worlds, fantasy objects, and good versus evil (LeGier, 3:4.1). Carroll uses magic at many points of his story, such as with the Cheshire Cat, the baby that transformed into a pig, human-like playing cards, and talking animals. His use of a secondary world is a very direct and obvious motif, and is the main point of the story line. Fantasy objects are fluent throughout the story as well with cakes that make one grow different sizes, potions that do this as well. Good versus evil is not a very large part of this story, but it does have a role to play once the Queen of Hearts is introduced.

Carroll's use of magic is an important aspect to both capturing the attention of children and to this story. LeGier (3:4.1) states that magic is fantasy literature's most basic element, and is incorporated into the other motifs associated because it is part of the setting, pl...

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...erland near the ending because of the conflict that arises over the stolen tarts. The Queen holds a trial to determine who has stolen the tarts in question. After some exchange between the characters regarding who is and is not guilty, the Queen sentences Alice to lose her head. As the playing cards surround her and begin to attack her, her sister wakes her up just in time to essentially save her. Alice changed during her time in Wonderland, because in the beginning she was a shy and polite girl who did not have rude utterances. As the story went on, she began to get more inconsiderate with her word choice and responses to some of the characters. Children would find her audacious words amusing because talking back is a normal part of childhood, but majority of children resist the temptation choosing to be respectful in their conversation with others.

Fantasy objects