Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland: Transition From Childhood to Adulthood

In Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland, we can see the Alice’s transition from childhood to adulthood through the means of magic in Wonderland. Alice is continuously challenged to search for her identity by every character she encounters. Her journey through the magical world of Wonderland serves as a setting of the adult world which Alice will face in her life beyond childhood. She is forced to look at the world for what it is really is and move past her childhood notions. 

For example, Alice asks herself  “Who in the world am I? Ah, that’s the great puzzle.” (Carroll 16) She is in a magical realm created by her in which she is continuously perplexed about her identity. Here, she is questioning herself whether she can consider herself as the same person after going through physical changes in size. She is always going to through changes, whether is it is growing up or shrinking in size. These changes signify the changes a child goes through puberty.

These physical conversions can be both frightening and terrifying as she has no control over these conversions. Similarly, when Alice grows again in the White Rabbit’s house she says to herself: “It was much pleasanter at home,’ thought poor Alice, ‘when one wasn’t always growing larger and smaller, and being ordered about by mice and rabbits. I almost wish I hadn’t gone down that rabbit-hole–and yet–and yet–it’s rather curious, you know, this sort of life!” (Carroll 30).

Alice feels extremely frustrated about her situation in wonderland. She is not used to being ordered around by rabbits and mice, which turns the structure of authority from humans to animals. Here, Carrol is trying to teach the readers how to deal with adversity in the adult life. Alice’s curiosity, here, refers to curiosity of a child about being an adult and having more responsibilities. Alice is facing the uncertainty of the adulthood and swift changes in identity which are interconnected to her life beyond the phase of childhood. Likewise, Alice’s anxiety about her identity is prompted by the Caterpillar in the following conversation:  “Who are you? said the Caterpillar. This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation.

Alice replied, rather shyly, ‘I–I hardly know, sir, just at present– at least I know who I was when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.” (Carroll 37). It is evident from this conversation that Alice, again, is very perplexed about her identity. She tries to reason with herself through logical and illogical assertions that she knew who she was in the past but she doesn’t anymore as she is being continuously challenged in journey in wonderland.

She understands that she is not the same person as she was in past but, however is struggling to pinpoint the instances of growth and development. She even asks the Caterpillar if he felt anxious or scared of the fact that one day it will turn into a butterfly, which tells us that is that she frightened and confused about her transition from childhood to adulthood. Another example of Alice’s process of maturity and emotional growth can be seen by the following conversation she has with the Cheshire Cat: “Oh, you can’t help that, said the Cat: ‘we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad.’ ‘How do you know I’m mad?’ said Alice.

‘You must be,’ said the Cat, ‘or you wouldn’t have come here.” (Carroll 53). The Cheshire Cat comes to conclusion that Alice is mad since all the habitants of Wonderland are mad and Alice is currently in Wonderland. Once again, Alice’s recalls her failed attempts to find her identity. However, the Cheshire Cat places an emphasis on the environment and setting that Alice is in.

Carroll is telling us that your identity is defined by what and who surrounds you, it is not something that a someone can find internally. Subsequently When the Cat says that everyone is mad in wonderland, she refers to the insanity and madness of the adult world which Alice is facing and will have to face in the future. Alice might expect the adult world to be based on fixed rules and to be well-organized but in reality it is full of chaos and highly unbalanced. 

In the end, when the Queen ask Alice head to be cut off, Alice replies “Who cares for you?’ said Alice, (she had grown to her full size by this time.) ‘You’re nothing but a pack of cards!” (Carroll 103), this marks the completion of Alice’s maturity and her transition from childhood to adulthood.

She grows larger as the as the court proceeds, not by eating or drinking anything but because of her own confidence and maturity. Alice’s confidence leads to the defiance of the Queen whereas in the past she would take these issues with a lot of thought. As the cards where flying towards her, she wakes up from her dream which shows that her transition from childhood to adulthood has an come to an end and now, she is free to leave Wonderland after reaching the point of maturity. Carroll indicates that Alice’s dream served as a process of maturation and personal development via the magical world of Wonderland.

 

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Dubliners as a Transition from Childhood to Adulthood

“Dubliners” is a very particular short-story cycle because, unlike most other cycles, the link between its stories is not based on the recurrence of major characters. Instead, Joyce manages to unify the collection by exploring the same themes, such as the desire to escape a routine and the connection between life and death, from different perspectives. Interestingly enough, these perspectives are tainted by the perceptions that different age cohorts have of their surroundings.

The text as a whole delves into these issues from, initially, a more naive and childish point of view and progresses towards a more discouraged and somehow renouncing tone. “The Sisters” is basically the tale of how a young unnamed boy handles and mourns the death of his friend and mentor, Father Flynn. Although the age of this unnamed boy it not specified, the text abounds in evidence that might lead the reader to believe that this boy is only just discovering the twists and turns of life. With phrases like “the word paralysis… it filled me with fear, and yet I longed to be nearer to it and to look upon its deadly work” (p. ), Joyce invites the reader to presume that this boy has never encountered death and is therefore intrigued by it. Then, Old Cotter, a family friend, repeatedly makes reference to how “there was something uncanny about [Father Flynn]” (p. 1) and that he “wouldn’t like children of [his] (…) to have too much to say to a man like that” (p1). Such evaluations and the fact that the boy has strange dreams about Father Flynn confessing his sins to him, give way to the reader’s suspicions that Father Flynn is actually a malevolent figure who acted as much more than a mentor.

The boy’s inability to make sense of the true nature of his relationship with Father Flynn is also a clue to realizing that this boy is so young he has not yet been exposed to the dark, more vicious side of life. Then, in “Araby”, another –or maybe the same- unnamed boy describes an intense crush he had on a friend’s sister. To impress her, the boy promises to go to the Araby Bazaar she so longed to go to and bring her a present. The boy meticulously plans his day and even reminds his uncle of his intentions so that the uncle will return home early and provide train fare.

However, the uncle’s tardiness and the “intolerable delay” (p. 3) of the train, resulted in the boy arriving at Araby when “nearly all the stalls were closed and the greater part of the hall was in darkness” (p. 3). The boy, noticing the “English accents” (p. 3) of the salesmen, immediately feels disenchanted. Araby was not, after all, the fascinatingly exotic venue he had imagined it to be. By saying that he “saw [himself] as a creature driven and derided by vanity;” and that his eyes were ”burdened with anguish and anger” (p. ), the boy puts into words his feeling of utter disappointment and frustration. This particular remark, which seems somehow inflated, might lead the reader to believe that this is the boy’s first love-related frustration. The whole of “Araby”, actually, seems to be the story of a boy who, for the first time in his life, tries to do something special for someone special; and his failure to succeed hits him hard. “Ivy Day in the Committee Room” is a more grown-up story which unfolds around a political conversation several canvassers hold.

In this discussion, it is revealed that the campaigners widely disapprove of the candidate they are allegedly supporting. Already, remarks such as “Tricky Dicky Tierney” (p. 4) and “how does [Tierney] expect us to work for him if he won’t stump up? ” (p. 5), remind the reader that the men who are talking are adults. Typically, one associates conviction, idealism and blind belief with the young, untouched generations. Conversely, one can associate skepticism and even cynicism with adults, who are those who have experienced frustrations and disappointments that have rendered them more pragmatic.

Furthermore, in this short story, the politicians discuss the character of Charles Parnell, already deceased. The manner in which Joyce discusses the issue of Parnell’s death is utterly different from how death is presented in “The Sisters”. Whereas in the first short story what is explored is an individual’s encounter with death, which culminates in a private mourning in the presence of a body; “Ivy Day in the Committee Room” presents the death of Parnell as a matter of public opinion and it explores its effects on the Irish society as a whole.

Therefore, it could be said that, considering this particular corpus of short stories, “Ivy Day in the Committee Room” marks the beginning of the more mature and public phase to which Harry Levin makes reference. Last but not least, “The Dead”, set at the annual dance and dinner party hosted by the Morkans, presents an eventful ball in which several interesting characters are introduced. All along the evening, awkward conversations occur and, through them, it is revealed that these characters are frustrated, exhausted and have given up all hopes.

As the main character, Gabriel Conroy, enters the scene, he asks the Morkans’ housemaid, Lily, “I suppose we’ll be going to your wedding one of these fine days with your young man, eh? “ (p. 3) to which she bitterly replies “the men that is now is only all palaver and what they can get out of you” (p. 3). Later on, the always-drunk Freddy Malins arrives and Aunt Kate asks Gabriel to “see if he’s all right, and don’t let him up if he’s screwed” (p. 5) to which she sharply adds “I’m sure he’s screwed. I’m sure he is” (p. ). Afterwards, Gabriel is cross-examined by a fervent supporter of Irish culture, Miss Ivors, as to why he would rather go to Belgium or France instead of visiting his own country. Following an uneasy exchange of ideas, Gabriel finally retorts “I’m sick of my own country, sick of it! ” (p. 9). As the night ends, Gabriel’s wife, Gretta, becomes absorbed and detached. Irritated, Gabriel confronts her about her unbecoming behavior and, when she tells the story of how Michael Furey, “a boy[ she] used to know” (p. 7), died, he begins to reflect about love and life and death and finally realizes that “snow was (…) falling (…) upon all the living and the dead” (p. 30). All of these characters seem to embody the state of mind one can associate with the outcome of a long life of experience. Lily is utterly disappointed and does not believe in selfless love any more. Aunt Kate doubts that Freddy could ever be sober and, instead of hoping for the best, she only wishes to disguise the worst. Gabriel resents the culture of polarization in which he lives and grows tired of people imposing their opinions on each other.

Gabriel finally realizes that nothing can be changed and that all are equal in the end. “The Dead” illustrates the stage of adulthood in which people no longer believe in the possibility of change and openly act as if nothing had to be concealed… as if there was no tomorrow. Gabriel’s final ruminations add to the reader’s feeling that the characters are near the verge of death. To conclude, it could be said that “Dubliners” is the story of a city, a culture and the way in which those immersed in it grow up.

The cycle begins with stories with younger, more naive protagonists; and then moves forward into stories with increasingly aged characters. Furthermore, the stories themselves become more complex, intricate and lengthy. In a way, Joyce manages to tell the story of the average Dubliner as he moves across the different periods of a human life by integrating the stories of different characters. The fact that all the stories could become the story of the standard citizen, adds to the effect that the book is indeed the story of he who lives in Dublin.

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Explain How Different Types of Transitions Can Affect Children

506. 4 ‘Children and young people naturally pass through a number of stages as they grow and develop. Often, they will also be expected to cope with changes such as movement from primary to secondary school and, for children with disabilities or chronic ill health, from children’s to adults’ services. Such changes are commonly referred […]

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Adolescence: Transition From Childhood to Adulthood

Adolescence represents the transition from childhood to adulthood, that is, it is a period of development where the person acquires the physical and psychological capacities that will identify him/her as developed, especially sexual capacities, which will allow him/her to reproduce. As this is a period of profound change, it is marked by instability and, in […]

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Explain How Different Types of Transitions Can Affect Children

506. 4 ‘Children and young people naturally pass through a number of stages as they grow and develop. Often, they will also be expected to cope with changes such as movement from primary to secondary school and, for children with disabilities or chronic ill health, from children’s to adults’ services. Such changes are commonly referred […]

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