Alice Analyzation

I found reading these two articles on the meaning of the animals in Carroll's classic to be very revealing, though occasionally faulty.  Certain symbolism makes sense with the character's action but other assumptions felt forced and implied by the modern audience rather than the original meaning of the story.  For example, in Daniel's interpretation, Alice is transformed from protagonist to oppressor of the natural inhabitants of Wonderland.  While I can see truth in some examples, a few struck me as outlandish.

"He [the Cheshire Cat] is the inner anima of Alice's own predatory nature, and represents one path she could possibly take." (445)

The depiction of the Cheshire Cat from American Mcgee's Alice-a dark twisted video game version of the original concept.

http://community.livejournal.com/ru_horrorgames/tag/american%20mcgee's%20alice

Although Alice does get along best with the Cheshire Cat, I think that mostly stems from he relation with her pet cat Dinah.  But never does he act as an aggressive or dangerous character.  Enigmatic, yes, but never evil or predatory.  He doesn't even get into fights with the other creatures like Alice.  So while I can see the theme of Alice's growth into a sentient, aware member of this planet- I don't think she ever acts with cruel intent.

As for Bump's dissertation on the themes in Alice in Wonderland, I feel that the argument is always started on solid ground but moves towards a slippery slope.  Certainly principles only work when put in context of the real world.  As much as we wish it, the world will never be purely black and white.

"In 1859 The Origin of Species proved to the Victorians that the lineage of all living beings could be traced back to common ancestors, demonstrating that animals are indeed our "kindred": members, like us, of the "household" we now call the world ecosystem." (448)

A political cartoon of Charles Darwin.

http://ca.expasy.org/spotlight/back_issues/111/

Yes, Darwin's work did create a new, volatile debate about the definition between man and animals, but it wasn't ground breaking to the point that the British unanimously mended their ways.  Was not Upton Sinclair's The Jungle written in 1906?  Very little change happens in such a short span of time.  It takes years to make any real process, in reforming an entire society's treatment of animals.  Plus, the point of The Origin of Species wasn't related to human compassion- it focused much more on the conflicts within human society.  Specifically, the Christian belief that the world was only a few thousand years old and unchanging.  I see Darwin's book as being related to a shift within our conceptions of religion and science as compared to a change towards animals.

Also, I found the anecdote taken from The Vegetarian Messenger about the child who killed his little brother to be rather far fetched.  During the era this was written, horrible stories of suffering were all the age in Victorian London.  It was commonplace to get penny pamphlets that told stories of girls suffering in work houses before being rescued by a male chauvinistic "prince charming."  In fact, I read a book this past summer called  Buried Alive which made the point that the traditional stories of people being buried alive came into popularity during this same time.  It seems the Victorians had a taste for the horrible, so I wound't be surprised if this "personal anecdote" was merely an urban legend put into print.

Overall, I find both papers hint at a dark side to Alice's behavior.  Though I never wanted to admit it to myself, she honestly has rather bad manners to the different people she meets on her journey through Wonderland.  I never see her show much compassion or empathy for the plight of others and even laughs at their misfortune.  I suppose she feels she is merely visiting a queer world.  Or maybe it's like a dream, where you act as you know you shouldn't, simply because it is a dream and no one is really harmed.  But for whatever reason she behaves so childishly and self-centered, I don't think the theme is ever strong enough to suggest she outright abuses the animals of wonderland.