Critical Essay on Mental Illness in 'Alice in Wonderland'

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Critical Essay on Mental Illness in ‘Alice in Wonderland’

In this essay, I will be discussing the creation of distinct characters and voices in Lewis Carrolls Alices Adventures in Wonderland and Jane Austens Emma. Both texts explore the ideas of fantasy versus reality, misunderstandings, and escapism. They do so by creating characters who express themselves in unique ways and by using their interactions with one another to illuminate their core essences. The stories also have the potential to challenge the readers own perceptions, encouraging reflection and growth.

Emma’s distinct character is written to demonstrate the effects of feeling dissatisfied and projecting ones fear of wasting their potential onto others. Her frustration with the perception of women is clear when she tells Mr. Knightley in chapter eight how women would be able to progress so much further ‘if your sex, in general, would not think such beauty, and such temper, the highest claims a woman could possess.’ This encapsulates the root of Emma’s issues; her dissatisfaction with only being able to use her talents to set up marriages for her peers. She uses interfering in the lives of others as a means of escapism to cope with the limitations of her situation because she is deemed merely pretty but not someone who could contribute to society simply because of her sex. This quote is merely one example in which she gives a voice to the voiceless, by simultaneously speaking on their behalf and making points to spark thought in the reader. Her perspective as a woman, particularly one who at first has no interest in getting married, is inherently distinct and Austen uses this to make a powerful point about being disillusioned. The confined nature of her existence resonates with the experience of many other women in the early nineteenth century and is even echoed through the claustrophobic nature of the plot structure. Emma’s awareness of, and annoyance with, her lack of autonomy adds to her distinct voice by showing her passionate side and giving her substance as she discusses significant issues.

Similarly, Alices voice is distinct for the purpose of giving a voice to the voiceless, namely children. Her remark that It would be so nice if something made sense for a change is particularly relevant as it highlights the coming-of-age themes in the story. The quote speaks to the unique lens that childlike wonder offers children which is often overlooked, leaving children without the reassurance that their experiences are shared by others. Carroll takes readers on a journey through Alices mind, rather than telling a conventional tale to reflect how exciting and confusing life is to navigate from the perspective of a child with little life experience. Alice tries to be logical and apply reason, but everything from flowers to doors has personalities in her imagination. Carroll can capture the essence of childlike wonder by drawing on his experiences with real-life Alice Liddell. According to rare historical photos, he formed a close bond with the family.1 Furthermore, according to Brad Witters article for Biography regarding the real Alice, in the acrostic poem at the end of Through the Looking-Glass, when read downward and taking the first letter of each line, it spells out Alice Liddells full name. This is reminiscent of the acrostic Mr. Weston writes for Emma at the Box Hill party. The poem Carroll wrote has no title in Through the Looking-Glass but is usually referred to by its first line, ‘A Boat Beneath a Sunny Sky,’2 referring to where Carroll first produced the story.

The abundance of unique voices and characters causes the reader to share Emmas delusions, due to the lack of distinction between fantasy and reality. For example, the narrator claims Frank Churchill was more in love with her than Emma had supposed,’ but never clarifies whether this is in fact true. This is to blur the lines between perspectives, as this is Emmas interpretation of events concealed within the narration. causing the reader to look for clues alongside the characters. Furthermore, Austen makes use of free indirect discourse to support an objective view, while capturing the tone of the story by gauging insight from characters. This allows for a level of clarity and depth that choosing merely one point of view would not provide. It also means that secrets can be more easily kept, from Emma as well as the reader who knows as much as her. In Casey Finch and Peter Bowen’s ‘The Tittle Tattle of Highbury, they state that ‘the very force of free indirect style is the force of gossip.’ The term gossip is usually gendered and attributed to women speaking about lifeless topics, but they argue that this is not the case in Emma, where rumors and misunderstandings create conflict and fuel the growth of the characters.

Lewis Carroll also experiments with the idea of creating a fantasy that the audience believes, so he can heighten the story and characters to amplify their distinct nature. Alice’s observation that I knew who I was this morning, but I’ve changed a few times since then, exemplifies how she believes in the world she has created. She feels transformed through the knowledge she is gaining from her time in Wonderland and the audience is given glimpses into her world through each fabrication of her imagination. Due to the bizarre nature of the story, it is left ambiguous to the reader whether it is an allegory or a dream, or even a real world. While the story is complex and open to interpretation, Lewis Carroll himself confirmed that it was a dream which he did not want the reader to know of until the end, as confirmed in the article by Robert Douglas Fairhurst for the Guardian where he quotes Carroll saying: the whole thing is a dream, to the dramatist Tom Taylor, but that I dont want to be revealed till the end.1 A popular theory is that it is a hallucination or a result of dissociation. Mental illness is alluded to at various points in the story and in fact, ‘Alice in Wonderland Syndrome’ was coined to describe rare instances of people experiencing similar symptoms to what is described in the story. Neurology.org describes this as being characterized by distortions of visual perception, the body schema, and the experience of time. 3

Similarly, Jane Austen created the voice of Mr. George Knightley to be a self-insert. He often informs Emma of her mistakes and helps her to grow and navigate the world with a less self-centered attitude. It is most effectively seen in the response ‘Better be without sense than misapply it as you do.’ This is an example of a time in which he very neatly and powerfully calls Emma’s actions to light. However, he is respectful in doing so and never insults her or claims she has no sense, suggesting that she is misguided. He can explain the underlying issues in Emmas more challenging scenarios and serves as a voice of reason. This echoes his sentiments on how men do not want a silly woman, since he perceives his ideal woman to be an equal and this further proves their compatibility since she wishes to be seen for who she is. They intellectually complement each other and have similar values, which is why Emma respects and values his opinions. He can also be interpreted to be the voice of Jane Austen herself interjecting to offer guidance to the character she holds dear, despite being aware that many others may not regard Emma as highly. (a heroine whom only myself will much like.) Her desires often cloud her judgment, hence the need for distinctive voices such as Knightley’s.

Carroll creates a distinct voice by inserting his own wisdom to counteract Alices naivete. He does this in the form of the Cheshire Cat who teaches Alice a lesson about black-and-white thinking, saying ‘Im not crazy. My reality is just different than yours.’ The importance of this rational influence to help Alice to expand her mind is well explained in an article by the Guardian. They say that ‘her sense of self becomes destabilized, leaving her uncertain of her own identity’2 Thus, her distinct voice alone cannot sustain a story which offers many opportunities for Carroll to further develop the cat as a new voice to work in conjunction with Alice to help her to self-actualize. The Guardian article further states that she ‘strives to understand seemingly arbitrary rules, ‘3 which the cat is nonchalant about to reflect Carroll’s own attitude towards life’s complexity and confusion. A large takeaway from Alice’s adventures is that they, much like life itself, are often confusing for needless reasons. He aims to teach that sometimes growing up, a huge theme in the story, is accepting that there is much that you do not understand, and making sense of it can be what is senseless.

Carroll creates a distinct voice in the form of The Queen of Hearts. An example of her idiolect is ‘off with his head,’ demonstrating her callous nature. Her name is one of many examples of wordplay throughout the story as she is the heart of everyone’s fear and of Alice’s struggles. She subverts gender expectations by being domineering towards her husband, the King. She is symbolic of the frivolity of Alice’s experience in the daydream that is Wonderland since she never really executes anyone according to the griffin Alice speaks to, in the same way that the mushroom represents psychedelics or potential sex due to its phallic appearance. The queen is another mere extension of Alice’s subconscious and can also be interpreted as the cruelty of authority figures and the gradual depletion of childhood innocence over time leading to compassion fatigue and adults who misuse their authority to cause harm. She is one of the more significant characters and is almost synonymous with the story, due to the multi-faceted and distinct character Carroll created in the process of creating her. Her exaggerated personality and differing values from other inhabitants of Wonderland (e.g., power over nonsense) are what cause her to stand out as a distinct character.

In stark contrast, Miss Bates is known for her goodwill and compassion, hence her distinct characteristics being positive associations. She is said to boast neither ‘beauty nor cleverness,’ but she was a woman who ‘no one named without goodwill.’ Thus, while she has no specific phrases which form her idiolect, her unique voice is created through her talkative and joyous nature. She serves a double purpose; to serve as comic relief in an intensely dramatic story and to act as a catalyst for Emma’s growth. This is because upon being insulted by Emma who implies she is boring, Mr. Knightley reprimands her and Emma feels awful and ashamed. This brings her closer to Mr. Knightley who had the heart to correct her misdeed and also closer to overcoming her arrogance which her arc was dependent on. Thus, even smaller characters in Emma have distinct voices which can allow them to see faults, such as Emmas hubris.

In conclusion, both texts explore similar themes of identity and how it is interlinked with the fantasies one creates to escape reality. Carroll and Austen both create characters who are distinct and memorable to the point where they are culturally significant to this day and have left an impact on many. They accomplish this through various means, whether it be by drawing on real-life experiences or simply out of sheer passion for the story.

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