Although there is much controversy surrounding Lewis Carroll's relationships and feelings with little girls, it is a simple fact that his works "Alice's Adventures in the Land of Wonders” and “Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There” were widely revered for their comedic and imaginative nature. However, his photography (often under his real name, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson), although technically and aesthetically masterful, is more criticized and certainly less appreciated than his writings. At first glance, it may seem that Carroll's various mediums convey within him a dual personality and goals, even in terms of a single muse; Alice's stories are whimsical and playful accounts of the adventures of a young "maiden", while her photographs are often seen as eroticized images depicting a vulnerable child in sometimes downright compromising positions, with the aim of serving a perverse male gaze. This misconception cannot be entertained on closer inspection, for by examining certain scenes and motifs in Alice's texts, it becomes clear that Alice Liddell's written counterpart is just as eroticized as her photographic form. The scene in which Alice's body is stretched and she encounters a pigeon raises the question of whether Alice is a little girl or a snake, whether she is innocence or temptation, or whether she is "the same thing after all” (Schanoes). Using evidence from his diaries, his poetry and mainly his texts and photographs of Alice, it can be argued that for Carroll, innocence was a temptation, and that after all, it was the same thing . Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Although it is unclear whether his goal was to sexualize Alice in the photos he took of her, Lewis Carroll does so somewhat blatantly. . In one photograph, Alice can be seen centered among what appear to be shrubs, with unidentifiable white draperies falling from her shoulder to reveal her left nipple (Carroll 280). Her hand is on her hip as she looks at the viewer mockingly, and leaves them wondering why exactly she is depicted this way (Kincaid 275). In a similar photograph, Alice's body is completely covered, again she is wearing white, and if possible, this looks more provocative than previously mentioned. Perhaps this difference, despite the difficulty posed by being fully clothed, is due to the even more mischievous and knowing smirk than in the other photograph (Carroll 279). Indeed, the knowing smile is probably evidence of a “seductive knowledge of his own reserve” allowing him “to escape even his own photographs” (Kincaid 276). Many of these photographs posed by Alice do indeed display shyness and reserve, but some others have what appears to be a crudely overt sexuality. For example, in another photo, Alice is wearing a similar large white dress, which appears to be buttoned all the way up to the collar. She is with her two sisters, dressed in identical dresses, and Lorina is feeding her cherries. Alice stands very straight, her back slightly arched and her mouth open (Carroll 282). The camera seems to linger on the position of her head and the profile of her face, which looks particularly erotic as her sister dangles cherries in the air. Such an image can only give ideas for seemingly more innocent and chaste images of Alice - (like the one where she is fully dressed, sitting on a bench and wearing a headdress, facing the camera and not throwinga lingering gaze) of a satirical or pretended, rather than real, innocence. However, Alice was very young and was most likely a typical little girl, not an erotic deviant as the photos would have you believe. The provocative nature of these photographs is a direct result of Carroll's keen and skilled eye for posing Alice, directing her movements and expressions, and capturing her in a sexual light; his fantasies came to life thanks to the camera. In later accounts of her memories of Carroll, Alice Liddell, an adult, recounts seeing him developing photographs, saying, "Besides, the dark room was so mysterious, and we felt as if any adventures could happen." 'produce there' (Carroll 278). Although reading Carroll's implications into this circumstance would be presumptuous, there is certainly an air of ominousness to what Alice recounts as an adult that she does not recognize. The admission of this recognition demonstrates at least a lack of "seductive knowledge" on his part of "his own reserve" and most likely demonstrates a naivety, which contradict the erotic nature of his appearance in the photographs. Therefore, it is cleverly constructed or specially captured by Carroll. Other visual differences inherent in the two depictions of Alice lend credence to the idea that the photographic Alice and the textual Alice are not sexualized in the same way. The real Alice Liddell, as shown in photographs, had short brown hair and dark eyes, like straight bangs. Hairstyle and color may not initially seem like an important factor, but it is one of the main ways in which Tenniel's Alice designs are distinct, and there is a clearly big difference, at this point. title, between the Alices. The Alice depicted in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass has long, flowing blonde hair, and it is brushed back to reveal her entire forehead. The hairstyles are almost as opposite as they could be, and another important physical distinction is in their eyes. Obviously a drawing will be less accurate than a photograph, but Tenniel's depiction of Alice's eyes shows them as large, wide open, and almost considerably larger. curious and less mischievous than those of the real person in the photo. Once again, Carroll had to pull the strings and get exactly what he wanted as the final product of the photographs, but with that in mind, one wonders why the fictional Alice has these physical distinctions if the Alice doesn't. fictional does not have one. If the image of the real Alice can be manipulated in this way, then the fictional Alice is a clearly heavy construction of Carroll's, and with much deliberation. Carroll himself stated that he would like his books to be read “gently and lovingly,” the same way they were written (Kincaid 218). Therefore, one can easily understand why Carroll created his vision of Alice in this way, because since the child is "artificial", then there is no reason why this would not particularly please anyone, and according to Kincaid, gentleness can be made to order” (Kincaid 219). Since gentleness and modesty were characteristics that Carroll particularly valued, he created an Alice in this image; By taking the Alice he so admired and refining any qualities that might have detracted from her "sweetness" or purity, Carroll has created an Alice who will be adored by the masses. Alongside this, his constructed Alice can be seen as a blank slate; she is small, young, impressionable, fair-skinned, light-haired, with wide circular eyes, and "aesthetically indistinct" (Bruhm and Hurley). These “soft” and indistinct qualities serve tofurther eroticize Alice, even if they may seem, on the contrary, to emanate from innocence. This version of Alice, more than anything else, may be the form of a psychological construct by Carroll, of his own desires, or those anticipated desires of the reader. The complexion, hair and washed eyes, which, unlike her character, convey no expression, are all means by which Carroll can make Alice erotic, by creating emptiness (Bruhm and Hurley). Such luminous elements are not inherently more attractive, but they mean nothing and therefore do not “obstruct projections” (Bruhm and Hurley). Equally important, the embodiment of the erotic child, which is every reader's model for projecting their own preferences and desires, also tends to be sporadically stupid in some cases, and bourgeois in the background. This is precisely why Carroll posed Alice in generally all white for his photographs. He clearly couldn't change her physical appearance and loved her just the way she was, so he wouldn't have wanted to; To ensure her attractive appearance, while still keeping her modest, Carroll captured her almost exclusively in white. Controlling the color of her outfit was the most Carroll could do to make her Alice as empty as possible and, therefore, attract as many stares as possible. In creating the image of a child so malleable and so susceptible to external projection, Carroll has also created a child who is entirely exploitable. He mocks this idea, in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, when Alice finds the bottle that says "DRINK ME" (Carroll 56). Sarcastically, Carroll calls her "wise little Alice" when she searches for a sign marked with poison. While the humor of this scene can be appreciated, there is something very disturbing about it. Although the liquid simply changes size, the potential danger in drinking from an unfamiliar bottle, particularly contrasted with Alice's false sense of security when she cannot find the word poison, demonstrates the ease with which Alice could be put into danger and possibly exploited. even sexually. This humor is rather dark, as Alice could be put in imminent danger, but given that this is not the case and Carroll has direct control over this, the humor is a manifestation of his own mixed feelings of adoration latent and sexual frustration. , desire for Alice and slight resentment of not being able to have her as he would like. Alongside these feelings, and to more fully depict Alice in light of the "erotic child", Carroll writes Alice as passive and often denies her of her feelings, such as anger, indignation, hunger and loneliness (Garland ). Carroll liked children to be modest, polite, and not excessive in any way, especially when it came to hunger. A well-known quirk of Carroll's is that he was repulsed by a voracious appetite, which explains the character of the Duchess, but also of the Red Queen, and why both characters were so despicable (Garland). To accompany their abhorrent depictions, Carroll was very fond of little girls, but tended to hate women, and thus their transition into women. Speaking of the much-admired child Alice Liddell, Carroll wrote in a newspaper article: “Alice seems to have changed greatly and hardly for the better – she is probably going through the usual and delicate stage of transition” (Carroll 246). As a result, adult women were written as unsympathetic characters and are linked to gluttony and large appetites (Garland). Therefore, it stands to reason that Alice would be opposed to many of these women. In doing so, Carroll indirectly demonstrates his belief in sexual superiority and higher desirabilitygirls compared to women. Alice has composure, manners, and is illustrated to appear pretty, while the few women in both Alice texts tend to be hideous. The way in which Carroll stifles any ugliness, excess, or unwanted feelings in Alice fiction—and, in doing so, manages to somewhat stifle her voice, deprive her of free will, and objectify her entirely—is seen as desperate manipulation on the part of Carroll, due to his anxieties about Alice reaching adolescence (Garland). Another instance in which Alice is completely out of control is when she is very small and talking to the caterpillar. Alice is extremely reduced at this point and feels very vulnerable, as evidenced when the caterpillar asks her who she is and she replies, "I...I hardly know, sir, just at the moment"... "I can't." I can't explain. I'm afraid, sir, because I'm not myself, you see (Carroll 84). When the caterpillar finally answers how it can grow and he tells it to bite off one side of the mushroom, she can't hear him and he doesn't specify which side. This leaves Alice as confused as before, if not more, and she has to do something, because she can't stay that way. This part is particularly interesting, because the caterpillar's behavior seems intentional. He seems to want to be evasive towards Alice, perhaps leaving her in the lurch, because he seems somewhat embarrassed by her current naivety or insecurity. The caterpillar's responses to Alice can be read as ambivalent. Although he seems less stupid and (perhaps) wiser than the rest of the crazy creatures in Wonderland, he is also undoubtedly argumentative and desires to leave Alice helpless. However, the helplessness he bestows on Alice is most likely his singular faith in her maturation. However, if this is the case, it is equally crucial to note that the caterpillar has only a minor, perhaps important, but non-recurring role. More importantly, Alice leaves the caterpillar still relatively vulnerable and helpless, which is how Carroll likes to keep it most of the time in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. When there are deviations of any form (such as when Alice retains some control), the reader senses Carroll struggling with his own feelings, accepting Alice's inevitable eventual "transition" and relinquishing his control . There is a subtle power struggle between the fictional Alice and Carroll, in which Carroll comes out on top, having elaborate dreams about Wonderland and the looking glass. In a different, more closely sexualized scene, Alice relinquishes all control and falls victim to her strange circumstance. When Alice falls down the rabbit hole, she can't see in any direction because it's dark, so she can only wonder what will happen. She anticipates, but has no idea what will happen to her at the bottom of the fall (Carroll 52). Alice falling through this hole is a parallel to her going through a birth canal and being reborn as a woman. Wonderland (although the reader doesn't know it yet, and neither does Alice) is full of heightened awareness and realization for Alice, after long periods of confusion. Therefore, the “fall” brings him to a place of greater wisdom and knowledge; since this fall is part of her dream, it represents her passing through her own body to arrive "at the other end" or in a different form, the hole alluding to her sexual awakening. The reality of falling through the hole, characterized above all by lack of control, speaks to the lack of control she has over her own sexual identity. This lack of control over one's sexuality (including over one's body, one's desires and one's confidence in the face of advancesunwanted) resurfaces in a more conventional but disturbing way, further in his adventures in Wonderland. When Alice and the Duchess walk together after croquet, the Duchess curiously continues to rest her chin on Alice's shoulder (Carroll 122). Carroll clearly makes this scene strangely repugnant, even if the sexuality aspect is not extremely striking. However, the mood of the scene is such that it makes the reader shudder with disgust and confusion, especially when the Duchess states that Alice must "wonder why [she] doesn't put [her] arm around her body." 'Alice. ] size” (Carroll 124). As the footnote indicates, the Duchess very clearly has the face of a grotesque man and continually invades Alice's space, wanting to perform an "experiment". Alice, with her manners intact - which Carroll decides to preserve even in the face of exploitation and extreme discomfort - so as not to be too assertive or strong-minded, looks for an excuse and is only saved by the appearance sudden of the queen (125). Alice's escapes from many adverse events leave the reader anxious about her potential danger or exploitation, due to her gentleness and sexual appeal. The book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is full of Carroll's reactions and anxieties to Alice's impending womanhood. Carroll himself manifests himself through the pigeon, when he fearfully accuses Alice of being a snake. At first the pigeon is afraid of Alice, which turns into a kind of anger and disbelief at what she says and her motivations. Likewise, Carroll probably asked himself the question: "Is this Alice Liddell a tool of temptation?" In asking this question, he likely saw her as a deceptive, slippery force, aware of her powers over him and having the ability to break or hurt him (in this case, emotionally). He's also afraid of his feelings for her, and he probably puts some of the blame on her, because he looks like a snake. Most likely, this is how the allusion originated, ultimately leading to the biggest question: Is Alice a girl or a snake? Is she innocent or cunning (temptation)? This leads the reader to decide that Alice is unconsciously cunning, thanks to her power over Carroll. This is why he must assert such power over his creation. The reader may or may not blame Carroll for sexualizing Alice, but regardless, one thing is for sure; Some of Alice's eroticism is written with love and without any perversion. His very character is erotic because he keeps the reader in suspense; although she acts somewhat passively, she does so in a way that is always in view, but never too close, and this elusiveness invites the male gaze. Carroll's Alice, who is probably faithful to the real Alice, mixes a certain amount of passivity and shyness with just the right amount of stubbornness and unpredictability, which her character "demands to be liked" and on his terms (Kincaid 274). Although Alice remains disempowered in some ways, she is powerful and perpetuates this distance between herself and the eager, eager reader. Although the inability to bridge this gap may sadden some, a true lover of children like Carroll sees the hidden blessing, that another generation and another generation of Alice and her adventures can survive, whereas if the gap was filled, it could never be filled. reopened. It is this unexpected, convoluted and perhaps perverse relationship between the little girl who runs (jovially, playfully) and the child lover whom Carroll figuratively pursues that engenders such a confusing but obviously strong love. , which Carroll has for Alice. Such manifestations of this love are often criticized, and often to.