In recent times, "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" became known through the film adaptation by Tim Burton. However, the following work revolves around the original, the novel published by Lewis Carroll in 1856. This period is known as the Victorian age, during which Queen Victoria reigned and expanded Britain's sphere of power. Various influences and numerous inventions changed people's lives.
A keyword in this regard is the Industrial Revolution, the foundations of which were laid several decades earlier but came to full realization in the nineteenth century. These achievements transformed British society in a way that had never happened before. People increasingly moved to the cities, and new professions developed. The situation of children also changed because until then, they were seen more as miniature adults who had no needs or desires. What Rousseau had initiated decades earlier was now being implemented in the Victorian era: children were granted a world of their own. Although one cannot compare this understanding with the view of childhood today, it nevertheless represented progress for adolescents of Victorian Britain.
In this time of change, Lewis Carroll wrote his fairytale-like children's novel, in which a Victorian girl named Alice dives into a dream world and experiences all kinds of adventures. Throughout the story, she faces many characters and creatures that are still strongly reminiscent of the patriarchal system of that time. This process is significant since, during that period, the understanding of childhood evolved, and the role of girls, in particular, started to transform.
This term paper deals with the expectations placed on women and girls in the Victorian era and examines how female characters behave in the novel. The question to be addressed is: How does Lewis Carroll portray the female characters, especially Alice, in his novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and to what extent are these literary figures shaped by the Victorian age?
Table of Contents
- 1 Introduction
- 2 The Victorian Age
- 2.1 Class
- 2.2 Gender
- 2.3 The Ideal of Womanhood
- 2.4 Childhood and Education
- 3 Analysis
- 3.1 The Duchess
- 3.2 The Cook
- 3.3 The Queen of Hearts
- 3.4 Alice
- 4 Conclusion
- 5 List of Works Cited
Objectives and Key Themes
This paper examines the portrayal of female characters in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland within the context of Victorian England. It seeks to understand how Carroll's depiction of these characters reflects and interacts with the societal expectations and gender roles prevalent during that era. The analysis focuses on the ways in which Victorian ideals of womanhood, class structures, and evolving understandings of childhood influence the presentation of the female characters.
- The impact of Victorian societal norms on female characters in literature.
- The portrayal of different classes of women and their roles in Victorian society.
- The evolving understanding of childhood and its influence on the portrayal of female characters.
- The exploration of the complexities of female identity within a patriarchal system.
- Analysis of specific female characters to illustrate the dominant themes.
Chapter Summaries
1 Introduction: This introductory chapter sets the stage for the analysis by contextualizing Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland within the broader context of its time—the Victorian era. It highlights the influence of the Industrial Revolution and the evolving understanding of childhood on Victorian society. The chapter introduces the central research question: how does Lewis Carroll portray the female characters, especially Alice, and to what extent are these literary figures shaped by the Victorian age? The paper's structure is outlined, with a focus on the analysis of the Victorian Age followed by a chapter-by-chapter examination of key female characters within the novel.
2 The Victorian Age: This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of Victorian Britain, focusing on the social structures and gender roles that shaped the lives of its inhabitants. It delves into the hierarchical class system—the working, middle, and upper classes—describing the distinct social, economic, and cultural characteristics of each. The rigid gender roles associated with the “separate spheres” ideology are detailed, exploring the limitations placed upon women in the public and private spheres and contrasting these with the expectations placed upon men. This chapter lays the groundwork for the analysis of the female characters by presenting the socio-cultural backdrop against which their lives unfold.
Keywords
Victorian Era, Gender Roles, Class Structure, Childhood, Female Characters, Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll, Patriarchy, Social Norms, Literary Analysis.
Frequently Asked Questions: Analysis of Female Characters in Lewis Carroll's *Alice's Adventures in Wonderland*
What is the overall purpose of this paper?
This paper analyzes the portrayal of female characters in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland within the context of Victorian England. It explores how Carroll's depictions reflect and interact with societal expectations and gender roles of that era, focusing on how Victorian ideals of womanhood, class structures, and understandings of childhood influence the presentation of these female characters.
What are the key themes explored in this analysis?
The key themes include the impact of Victorian societal norms on female characters in literature; the portrayal of different classes of women and their roles; the evolving understanding of childhood and its influence on female character portrayal; the complexities of female identity within a patriarchal system; and a detailed analysis of specific female characters to illustrate these themes.
What topics are covered in the "Victorian Age" chapter?
This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of Victorian Britain, focusing on social structures and gender roles. It delves into the hierarchical class system (working, middle, and upper classes), detailing their social, economic, and cultural characteristics. The rigid gender roles of the “separate spheres” ideology are explained, exploring limitations placed upon women in both public and private spheres, contrasting these with expectations placed upon men. This sets the stage for analyzing the female characters within their socio-cultural context.
Which female characters are specifically analyzed?
The analysis focuses on specific female characters within Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: The Duchess, The Cook, The Queen of Hearts, and Alice herself.
What is the structure of the paper?
The paper begins with an introduction contextualizing Alice's Adventures in Wonderland within the Victorian era. It then provides a detailed overview of Victorian society and its impact on gender roles and class structures. Following this, individual chapters analyze specific female characters from the novel. The paper concludes with a summary and a list of works cited.
What is the introduction's main purpose?
The introduction sets the stage by contextualizing Lewis Carroll's work within the Victorian era, highlighting the influence of the Industrial Revolution and evolving understandings of childhood. It introduces the central research question: how does Carroll portray female characters, and how are these figures shaped by the Victorian age? Finally, it outlines the paper's structure.
What keywords are associated with this analysis?
The keywords include: Victorian Era, Gender Roles, Class Structure, Childhood, Female Characters, Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll, Patriarchy, Social Norms, Literary Analysis.
- Quote paper
- Jalda Kalhor-Moghaddam (Author), 2021, "Alice in Wonderland" and the Victorian Age. A Portrayal of the Female Characters in Lewis Carroll's Novel, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1275939
