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29
The Grotesque and Chaotic in Alice in Wonderland
The chief difficulty Alice found at first was in managing her
flamingo: she succeeded in getting its body tucked away, comfortably
enough, under her arm, with its legs hanging down, but generally, just
as she had got its neck nicely straightened out, and was going to give
the hedgehog a blow with its head, it would twist itself round and look
up in her face, with such a puzzled expression that she could not help
bursting out laughing; and, when she had got its head down, and was
going to begin again, it was very provoking to find that the hedgehog
had unrolled itself, and was in the act of crawling away: besides all
this, there was generally a ridge or a furrow in the way wherever she
wanted to send the hedgehog to.
It is no accident that the grotesque style in literature tends to be
prevalent in eras marked by radical change and stress. Such was the
Victorian period, within which a whirl of social, economic and reli-
gious change took place that pulled the rug from underneath the Brit-
ish people, then struggling to find meaning in a world they no longer
knew. The French revolutionaries, who guillotined the last noble head
before the advent of the eighteenth century, continued to impress the
British world during the Victorian age and are thought to have «cer-
tainly influenced the thought and the works of every major English
author for the remainder of the eighteenth century and beyond». In the
nineteenth century came Industrialism and, in the eyes of Victorians,
its predominantly negative consequences; then, the discovery of scien-
tific proof relating to evolution, which forced the people to question
the existence of God, a solid cornerstone of British history; and the
Reform Acts, a set of unprecedented laws that gave voting privileges
to the deserved
These events and more uprooted all that had meaning to the
Victorian, leaving him with a world of chaos, a grotesque world de-
void of meaning. Lewis Carroll, greatly frustrated by this chaotic na-
ture of existence, endlessly and futility sought for order, just as his
character Alice searches for order in this grotesque Wonderland.
Referring back to the above passage, Alice must learn to play croquet
in this grotesque and ridiculous fashion, with flamingos as mallets and
hedgehogs as balls.
30
Whereas the game of croquet itself possesses meaning, this ab-
surd way of playing in Wonderland leaves Alice struggling to find or-
der: as she finally «succeeds in getting its [the flamingo's] body tucked
away, comfortably enough», it would untwist itself. And time after
time, after Alice establishes and re-establishes order with one facet of
the game, another would break down again into its chaotic state.
These futile efforts only end in greater frustration and finally submis-
sion. Although the tone of this passage seems light and comical, its
message is wholly serious. This scene, one of many in Alice in Won-
derland, perhaps symbolizes the author's hopeless struggle and conse-
quential anxiety in his quest to discern meaning in a world that has
reduced itself to the chaos and perhaps the absurdity comparable to
that of Wonderland.
3) What are the traits of authority and royalty? Read the text
about the qualities of adults in ‘Alice’ and find the examples in the
chapter.
Prejudice and Perception in Alice in Wonderland
Alice in Wonderland relates directly to Herbert Spencer's argu-
ment that «the intellectual traits of the uncivilized. . . are the traits re-
curring in the children of the civilized». In Lewis Carroll's presenta-
tion of reality from the point of view of a child's hyperbolic fantasy,
adults are cruel, childlike, irresponsible, impulsive, and self-indulgent
-- the exact five adjectives Wohl asserts that Victorians attributed to
the Blacks and to the lower classes. Carroll manipulates these preju-
dices and shows, through Alice's eyes, how these characteristics also
apply to adults, authority figures, and even royalty.
Wohl tells us that the Victorians felt that the childlike qualities
of the «lower races» paralleled the frequent references to the «imma-
ture working class». Carroll turns this perception of an «immature
class» around by presenting his readers with two irresponsible, child-
like figures in the forms of an adult «authority figure» and member of
the upper class. With these images, Alice in Wonderland, at once
views the adult world on a child's level, questions the authority of
adults and of royalty and mocks commonly held prejudices of its day.
The Grotesque and Chaotic in Alice in Wonderland Whereas the game of croquet itself possesses meaning, this ab-
surd way of playing in Wonderland leaves Alice struggling to find or-
The chief difficulty Alice found at first was in managing her
der: as she finally «succeeds in getting its [the flamingo's] body tucked
flamingo: she succeeded in getting its body tucked away, comfortably
away, comfortably enough», it would untwist itself. And time after
enough, under her arm, with its legs hanging down, but generally, just
time, after Alice establishes and re-establishes order with one facet of
as she had got its neck nicely straightened out, and was going to give
the game, another would break down again into its chaotic state.
the hedgehog a blow with its head, it would twist itself round and look
These futile efforts only end in greater frustration and finally submis-
up in her face, with such a puzzled expression that she could not help
sion. Although the tone of this passage seems light and comical, its
bursting out laughing; and, when she had got its head down, and was
message is wholly serious. This scene, one of many in Alice in Won-
going to begin again, it was very provoking to find that the hedgehog
derland, perhaps symbolizes the author's hopeless struggle and conse-
had unrolled itself, and was in the act of crawling away: besides all
quential anxiety in his quest to discern meaning in a world that has
this, there was generally a ridge or a furrow in the way wherever she
reduced itself to the chaos and perhaps the absurdity comparable to
wanted to send the hedgehog to.
that of Wonderland.
It is no accident that the grotesque style in literature tends to be
prevalent in eras marked by radical change and stress. Such was the 3) What are the traits of authority and royalty? Read the text
Victorian period, within which a whirl of social, economic and reli- about the qualities of adults in ‘Alice’ and find the examples in the
gious change took place that pulled the rug from underneath the Brit- chapter.
ish people, then struggling to find meaning in a world they no longer
knew. The French revolutionaries, who guillotined the last noble head Prejudice and Perception in Alice in Wonderland
before the advent of the eighteenth century, continued to impress the
Alice in Wonderland relates directly to Herbert Spencer's argu-
British world during the Victorian age and are thought to have «cer-
ment that «the intellectual traits of the uncivilized. . . are the traits re-
tainly influenced the thought and the works of every major English
curring in the children of the civilized». In Lewis Carroll's presenta-
author for the remainder of the eighteenth century and beyond». In the
tion of reality from the point of view of a child's hyperbolic fantasy,
nineteenth century came Industrialism and, in the eyes of Victorians,
adults are cruel, childlike, irresponsible, impulsive, and self-indulgent
its predominantly negative consequences; then, the discovery of scien-
-- the exact five adjectives Wohl asserts that Victorians attributed to
tific proof relating to evolution, which forced the people to question
the Blacks and to the lower classes. Carroll manipulates these preju-
the existence of God, a solid cornerstone of British history; and the
dices and shows, through Alice's eyes, how these characteristics also
Reform Acts, a set of unprecedented laws that gave voting privileges
apply to adults, authority figures, and even royalty.
to the deserved
Wohl tells us that the Victorians felt that the childlike qualities
These events and more uprooted all that had meaning to the
of the «lower races» paralleled the frequent references to the «imma-
Victorian, leaving him with a world of chaos, a grotesque world de-
ture working class». Carroll turns this perception of an «immature
void of meaning. Lewis Carroll, greatly frustrated by this chaotic na-
class» around by presenting his readers with two irresponsible, child-
ture of existence, endlessly and futility sought for order, just as his
like figures in the forms of an adult «authority figure» and member of
character Alice searches for order in this grotesque Wonderland.
the upper class. With these images, Alice in Wonderland, at once
Referring back to the above passage, Alice must learn to play croquet
views the adult world on a child's level, questions the authority of
in this grotesque and ridiculous fashion, with flamingos as mallets and
adults and of royalty and mocks commonly held prejudices of its day.
hedgehogs as balls.
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