Westminster Institute of Education Alice: Growing up in the dream world Nick Swarbrick

Westminster Institute of Education A morning of three parts: A look at Alice in Wonderland – the writing, the background, the content Alice misunderstood, AiW as metaphor (or series of metaphors) for..... Some notes and further reading will be available at

Westminster Institute of Education Writing, background, content Authorship Context of writing Content and structure of story

Westminster Institute of Education So some quick facts Charles Lutwidge Dodgson ( ) told the story that became Alice in Wonderland in a “golden afternoon” in 1862 to the sisters Lorina, Alice and Edith Liddell. He wrote the story up as Alice’s Adventures Under Ground; it was published as Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland in 1865.

Westminster Institute of Education Context of writing Moral literature for children Teaching children in Victorian England The University collegiate system And not dealing (much) with Victorian sexuality What comes after Alice Or even Through the Looking Glass

Westminster Institute of Education Common themes Intertextuality Parody Logic/nonsense What is it like to be a grown-up?

Westminster Institute of Education Content/structure The dream sequence begins: Alice follows the White Rabbit and is abandoned under ground: first introductions to the notion of going to see the Queen. The sizing elements resolve with the Caterpillar, Alice meets the Duchess; the Mad Hatter. The croquet match; meeting and confronting the Queen. The sea-side interlude. The trial finale; Alice confronts the Queen again and, seeing through the Wonderland power base, leaves for dull reality.

Westminster Institute of Education Some reading All students numbered 1 move and sit together All students numbered 2 move and sit together And so on. Group 1: The Beginning and End: Dreams Group 2: The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party: Characters Group 3: Helpful and unhelpful adults: Caterpillar and Cat Group 4: Poems: Crocodile and Father William Group 5: The Queen (croquet and trial) Three sharings: One thing in your reading you like One thing you dislike, or which puzzles you One thing that connects to your own experience

Westminster Institute of Education Misunderstood? Misrepresented? Over-simplified? Are we surreal? Or just mad? Are we an exposition of logic? Or simply comic?

Westminster Institute of Education Or… In a world Before Freud explores the inner workings of the mind Before surrealism gives force to an artistic representation of the irrational Before Foucault describes the medicalisation of madness in terms of power How valid are these questions anyway? Or is looking at an author’s intentions merely guesswork? More tea?

Westminster Institute of Education “The concern with audience values is frequently the audience of adult purchasers of books for children.” (Atkins 2004: 53) “The Apollonian child, the heir to sunshine and light, the espouser of poetry and beauty…angelic, innocent and untainted…” (Jenks 1996:73)

Westminster Institute of Education Who is Alice? Tenniel's Alice Carroll’s Alice? Models of childhood – where does Alice fit? Find a phrase or section in which Alice is cross, or refuses to do something.

Westminster Institute of Education “The Apollonian child, the heir to sunshine and light, the espouser of poetry and beauty…angelic, innocent and untainted…” (Jenks 1996:73) “The child is Dionysian in as much as it loves pleasure, it celebrates self-gratification….” (Jenks 1996:63)

Westminster Institute of Education Where is Alice?

Westminster Institute of Education Somewhere? Nowhere? Everywhere?

Westminster Institute of Education Woods, cottages? Single female adventurer? No bears, no wolves... esearch-and-consultancy/where- is-outside/

Westminster Institute of Education Metaphors for..... University life Ways of dealing with adults Learning Sex and drugs (and rock and roll?) Does he really mean metaphors? I’m really not sure. I’m really not enjoying this. What difference is there between metaphor, allegory and symbol? And I’m really not real. ZZZZ

Westminster Institute of Education Nick Swarbrick Westminster Institute of Education Oxford Brookes University

Westminster Institute of Education Thank you Life: what is it but a dream?