-
Essay / The male characters of Alice in Wonderland - 1703
It is surprising that almost all reviews of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland have focused solely on the character and the adventures of the protagonist/heroine feminine. A somewhat right-wing and didactic review from Decent Films writes: "Alice embodies the feminist genre narrative of vibrant young girls who lose their mojo as they grow up in a patriarchal society." » The women's magazine Jezebel, while praising the film as "refreshingly feminist", only seems to note that the hero who fights against the forces of evil is a woman. Jezebel mentions other characters, but does not take the time to catalog their relationship to feminism. In an article by Adriana Tanese-Nogueria with related content that, commendably, explores the feminist theme much richer than many other reviews, the focus is nevertheless on Alice's journey of feminist liberation. But Lewis Carroll is also interested in the men in this story. In the Victorian era, men were known for controlling the household and having jobs. Their life was about finding the perfect woman and making lots of money. So when we read some of the characters in Alice in Wonderland, we can see some difference in the way it describes certain characters. When thinking about male characters, we should also include male animal characters. At the time Carroll wrote this book, some would say he modeled the character on real people. The animals which represent different men that Lewis Carroll knew during the Victorian era. We couldn't talk about men without including all the male characters. So let's start by talking about the character that leads Alice down the rabbit hole in the first place. The white rabbit is the one Alice is interested in... middle of paper......: “Refreshing Feminist, “Lack of Heart.” (Jezebel Magazine also provided a list of other sources of criticism. This was very helpful in preparing this article.) http://jezebel.com/5486801/alice-in-wonderland-refreshingly-feminist-lacks-heartNational Catholic Register. Reprinted by Decent Films. "Alice in Wonderland (2010)". Steven D. Greydanus. http://www.decentfilms.com/reviews/aliceinwonderland2010Sigler, Carolyn. "Authorizing Alice: Professional Authority, the Literary Market, and Victorian Women's Revisions of the Alice Books." The Lion and the Unicorn 22.3 (1998): 351-63. ProQuest. Internet. May 7, 2014.Spilka, Mark. “Victorian Childhood.” Michigan Quarterly Review 39.2 (2000): 411-21. ProQuest. Internet. May 7, 2014.Woolf, Jenny. “The Changing Reputation of Lewis Carroll.” Smithsonian.com. Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press. April 2010. The web. May 6 2014.