Term Paper

Indecision
When it came time to finally decide on a topic for this term paper, I was experiencing some very intense issues of indecisiveness. First I wanted to write about portals and where they lead to and why they are needed. Then I thought I might be more interested in the move from innocence to experience. But then again I realized that the notion of nonsense and the compelling intrigue of magic left me even more confused and stressed as to what I really wanted to focus on for my final “observation” almost of the material in the class. Finally, I decided on a topic that was broad enough to encompass each of the aforementioned elements, yet still complex enough and focused to help me refrain from too many tangents, not that that is a bad thing. Therefore, I have entitled my paper:

Alice versus Dorothy versus Lyra; Child versus Adolescent versus Adult
Falling down rabbit holes, getting caught up in tornados, cutting through time, each resulting in experiencing a new world be it a nonsensical land of backwards and portmanteau or a colorful land with yellow brick roads and emerald cities or a world or the underworld where the dead need to be set free. To say that Alice represents the child, Dorothy the adolescent, and Lyra the adult is to say that despite each books similarity to the others, there lies an obvious difference in the lasting impression and magnitude of the experience each girl undertakes. This difference and the defense for my title, lies mainly in each girl’s response to the “dream” that consumed them and took away their reality.
Nearly everything about Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass helps emphasize the notion that Alice represents the child when compared to the other two females. From her seemingly juvenile portal (a rabbit’s hole) to the nonsensical lessons she tries to recite that come out “how doth the little crocodile” and “Twinkle, twinkle, little bat” the evidence of pure childhood imagination exudes from every page. Even Alice’s contemplation over whether she is the same at a different height and if not than whom is she during the second chapter remains unresolved. Children often leave complex thoughts unanswered after trying frustratingly to come to a “realistic” conclusion. The question as to what is a child and where is the differentiating change I feel is best answered in Phillip Pullman’s notion of Lyra in His Dark Materials as the second Eve. That is to suggest that perhaps the fall occurs because of the acquirement of knowledge more so than sin.
If that is the case, which I do believe it is, then the move from innocence to experience and child to adult is accompanied by the move from ignorance to knowledge. For that reason, I believe that although the end of Through the Looking Glass leaves Alice asking many good questions, she is unable to produce an answer to her curiosity as to “Which dreamed it?” This seems to suggest that although Alice may have experienced Wonderland, little knowledge was gained from her adventures. Her assertion that she prefers the dream world to the “real” one reveals how her childhood fantasies still live freely within her with little to no limitations.
Dorothy on the other hand undergoes a few more life altering experiences in her voyage through the wonderful Land of Oz. She discovers a sort of self awareness much like that we acquire during puberty or adolescence. Throughout her quest for home, Dorothy stumbles across various other unaware characters in search of their brain, (the scarecrow), their heart, (the tin man), and their courage (the cowardly lion). However, in the final scenes of The Wizard of Oz, after all the others have discovered their missing parts, Dorothy is left with a very superficial realization that “there’s no place like home” and she would rather stay in the world of reality. Her experience and knowledge gain does not venture much further past the top most layer of understanding that is the layer of self awareness. Although important in reaching adulthood, I do not think that this alone can qualify one as an adult. Therefore, Dorothy is the adolescent of the group.
However, the experiences and knowledge demanded of Lyra in His Dark Materials are more along the lines of sexual awareness, self sacrifice, and an understanding of the bigger picture. Through her relationship with Will and her sacrifice of that relationship, I believe that Lyra gains almost too much knowledge for her young age as she transcends rapidly into adulthood. For that reason, I believe that Lyra represents the woman in the equation that was initially established. Her dream can never again happen, or so it seems.
As much as I would like to think that the majority of the women in the world are dwelling in Wonderland with Alice, the tragic truth remains that there are far too many Lyras that have to assume a role to quick for themselves or are forced to make decisions they almost feel unprepared for. And unfortunately, not everyone’s knowledge is of the same scope and magnitude as Lyra’s and can end up making the “right” decision. As for me, I would much rather join Alice at the mad tea parties or even Dorothy on the yellow brick road than have to stand there and watch as Lyra says goodbye to her one true love. That is far too adult for me.