You have probably noticed that I quite enjoy Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, and that it has many lessons which can be learned from that one story when comparing it to life and the way in which people think and behave. Therefore I have decided to do a few post outlining certain characters from the adventure and what parallels they have in the real world. We will do this as is explained in the book" Start from the beginning and when you come to the end stop," as if there were any other way in which to examine and tell a story.
In the beginnings of the novel everything seems normal in Alice's life she seems to be an ordinary girl with ordinary thoughts and problems. Suddenly something catches her attention, enter the White Rabbit which is one of the most discussed and misunderstood symbols in the whole story. The white rabbit seems to Alice the perfect distraction from the cares and troubles of her everyday life. There is nothing to peculiar nor notable about the character himself other than the anomaly of him wearing a Pocket-Watch and being late for something. The fact that she decides to follow this rabbit to the extent that she is, tells us more about Alice then anything else and the fact that it leads her to the drama and perils of the adventure is also telling. Alice would never have even noticed this White Rabbit if she weren't looking for it in the first place. Moreover the rabbit wasn't looking for her but she for the rabbit, the distraction to take her away from the seriousness of life.
The Rabbit itself is a symbol of spring which signifies change. For we know that rabbits procreate and a fast rate and have the potential to change their population size very quickly if not kept in check. The pocket-watch that he wears is of coarse a symbol of time and the fact that Alice is chasing a white rabbit wearing a pocket-watch alludes to the act itself being something to fill the time. If we further delve into the White Rabbit and what he is in the story he serves as a herald to the queen which also furthers the symbolism of him being connected to change. For why does one chase Which Rabbits? It is because one is looking for a change in their state of mind, or even in the physical life. The fact that the White Rabbit is late and seems to be in the state of urgency during most of the story is another telling thing, for we know that a rabbit in the real world would have no such sense of urgency except when perhaps escaping a predator.
Knowing the before mentioned symbolism of the White Rabbit and tying the two together we get a better picture of what is alluded too. Placing importance and urgency on the distractions of life ties up time which considering how short life is is urgently needed elsewhere. Many such things exist in our lives whether it be drugs, video-games, TV, or other manner of recreational activities which are meant more for minor distractions in life yet end up oftentimes becoming the major subject of some peoples lives. Don't get me wrong It is good to chase White Rabbits now and then but when that becomes the major focus of a life your life takes no more psychical meaning in the temporal world then a white rabbit dressed up in finery with a pocket-watch.
In life many a White Rabbits will catch your eye, yet knowing how long the chase them, and when not to at all becomes the challenge. Until our next adventure in wonderland here's to finding that balance in our lives so they not only end up being a children's tale.
No comments:
Post a Comment