Lewis Carroll's classic Alice in Wonderland has entertained not only children but adults for over one hundred years. The tale has become a treasure of philosophers, literary critics, and psychoanalysts. There appears to be something in Alice for everyone, and there are almost as many explanations of the work as there are commentators. One commentary is A Curious Child by Nina Auerbach. Auerbach discussed how Alice is a representation of a middle class child in Victorian England. Victorian children were expected to be able to recite rules and lessons. Auerbach believed that Alice is a perfect example of the Victorian mindset and a way to see into ones psyche. Who dreamed it shows a part of the Victorian quest for the "origins of the self that culminates in the controlled regression of Freudian analysis." It is quite funny how Carroll disagrees with the Victorian mindset yet he is part of the mindset. I agree with this essay because it shows how Carroll demonstrates his life through out the story, and that childhood is a time for learning about who you are and becoming an adult. Alice was very much a "curious child.".
It may be perhaps Carroll's style of writing that entertains the reader, rather than teaching them a lesson as was customary in his time. Carroll mainly wrote for the entertainment of children, but it is believed that his life is intertwined in his stories. Carroll's stories of Alice, are usually described as being directly connected to his life. This is obvious due to the various references Carroll makes of the favorite things in his life such as his obsession with little girls and not to mention his love for childhood. The most prominent interpretation of Alice is the theme of fantasy versus reality. The story continuously challenges the reader's sense of the "ground rules" or what can be assumed. In Alice in Wonderland, Carroll uses not only his love for children and logic but his playfulness to create a story in order to show the psyche of a child.
