Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Growing up, I had always heard about Alice in Wonderland. It was a pretty popular book and of course Disney movie. I have never seen the movie or read the book before. Now that I have, I think it is crazy but really fascinating at the same time. After reading the books, Alice has much more in common with me than I thought. When I really got to understand the stories and I looked past all the weird creatures, I learned all the similarities that I had with Alice.

When I started reading the stories, I could not believe the things she said and the creatures that she encountered. I thought it was so ridiculous and so unrealistic. Rabbits, flowers, and playing cards talking were weirdest things I have ever heard. I thought to myself who would ever want to read this book other than little kids. I felt that nobody could ever learn anything from this book. After a while, I began to understand the deeper meaning of these strange encounters and characters and I found the themes that make this story so amazing and memorable.

At the beginning of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Alice finds “herself falling down what seemed a very deep well” (Annotated Alice, 12). Alice’s experience seems very familiar to one of my own and probably to a lot of other people. Her long journey down this dark tunnel reminds me of my journey towards my career. Along my journey, I learn new things. While Alice is falling, she has time to think about what is happening. She wonders what is at the end, what is happening to her, and why is this happening to her. Through high school and now college, I have no idea where this might lead me. I hope it is medical school and then a career in medicine but something might happen along the way. I always wonder why some obstacles are put in my way but I know that is how I learn from mistakes and they help me to grow stronger mentally.

Throughout the story, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Alice struggles with her identity. She is always being mistaken for someone else. At the beginning, she is mistaken for a Duchess. She says, “I wonder if I’ve been changed in the night? Let me think: was I the same when I got up this morning?” (Annotated Alice, 22). Alice continues to be confused about who she really is. Here at University of Texas at Austin, we are all trying to find out who we really are. We are composing a new self. When I first got here, I felt I knew exactly what my major was going to be and what career I wanted. Now, I am not so sure anymore. I’ve been thinking about changing my major or changing schools. I just need to be patient and find out what is the best thing for me to do.

I admire Alice for her sense of curiosity and her desire to explore new thingsas I do. At first, she is a little scared and confused but that is understandable of course. As the story progresses in Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There, her curiosity takes over her fear. Instead of being scared of what or who might be behind the mirror, she says “I’m sure it’s got, oh! such beautiful things in it!” (Annotated Alice, 143). She is such an optimistic person. Alice “is willing to venture the unknown or that which is beyond self” (Anthology, 795). Alice always seems to find the better side of things unlike me, who always finds the negative side of things. I want to be able to go out in the world and try new things without being afraid of what people might think or what might go wrong.

Now, I no longer think of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There as just children’s books. They are more inspirational than some people might think. Alice teaches me to “find myself,” explore new things, and to be optimistic. I can’t be afraid of what might happen. I have to be able to take risks. I have some similarities with Alice but there are a lot of things about her that I admire and hope to acquire one day.