Alice in Wonderland is a classic children's book that was written in 1865. It is a celebration of fantasy and imagination. It is a story about a little girl who goes on a surrealistic adventure to find places and characters that were not found in her world. She escapes the reality of her boring farm life to experience a "wonderland" full of contradicting and fantastic creatures. .
Alice in Wonderland is extremely popular, not only throughout the U.S. but also globally. It has been translated into many different languages, and it is a book that millions grew up reading and listening to. This whimsical story is appealing to all different ages. To have read it or to have been read it at a young age, and then read it at a later age gives two different connotations of the story. For example, in chapter six Alice comes to the home of the Duchess. A child sees this women singing a song to her funny looking baby, while the cook is just tossing things around in the kitchen. It is looked at as comical and amusing in the eyes of a child. However, when reading this section as an adult it is almost creepy and a bit disturbing. The Duchess sings of her baby in a very menacing way, "Speak roughly to your little boy, and beat him when he sneezes: He only does it to annoy, Because he knows it teases. P.62" An adult hears this lullaby as abusive. Many parts in this story take on a double meaning depending on the age of the reader, and that is what makes it exciting to read and reread time and time again. .
This wondertale has captivated not only readers of the western culture, but from cultures everywhere. Alice is appealing everywhere because of her sense of imagination, her childish naivety, and her fearless and inquisitive nature. People everywhere have a common yearning to let go and speak their minds, without feeling as if they shouldn't. Alice speaks freely and without holding back, if something is on her mind she will say it without hesitation.
