Why So Curious?
December 2, 2009Honestly, why was Alice so curious? Of course it is just a story and anything can happen in a story …
…but why Alice and why in such an eccentric place?
Children are always curious due to a good reason, they are growing up. Without curiousity, children would never learn anything. The children need curiosity because their curiosity allows them to ask questions, explore their surroundings and slowly grow up just like they are suppose to. Throughout the entire story, I have always said that analyzing the story is pointless due to Carroll making it up on the spot. Yet, that doesn’t mean it is just one silly story. Nothing is wrong with analyzing a story and for learning experience it never hurts to start somewhere.
I believe in Alice in Wonderland, the story really shows Alice growing up. From the time she falls down the rabbit hole to the time she woke up, Alice changed an awful lot. From being a series of different sizes to meeting a great variety of strange characters, Alice learned a lot. Wonderland was nothing like Alice’s safety zone in the real world.
By experiencing Wonderland, Alice learns alot about herself and how the real world will treat her once she grows up a little bit more. This adventure was a good experience for Alice.
The "Liddell" Things 
I enjoyed the idea that just because it may be a mess of tidbits, it does not take away from the stories meaning. Whether Carroll wrote the story like this on purpose, or whether it was simply his way of venting frustration while staying polite, i think it may even aid the meaning of the book rather than hinder it.
Plus I like to think that no meaning is ever given, rather it is the reader that gives meaning to a story. So however it may have been written is actually irrelevant to the story’s point, since the latter is constructed after it has been written, and may be different than what the author intended.
I like the way you outlined Alice’s journey through Wonderland as a growing up process. This is a concept I have played with a lot lately.
I also like how you linked curiosity with discovery and therefore, learning. It makes since that a child must show interest in learning or discovering an unknown for them to effectively learn or discover it. For example, in the past I have been bored in English classes because I marveled at the thought of having to be taught my innate language. It wasn’t until this year, in fact, that English started to become intriguing for me. I don’t think this is by accident; the novel approach of our class this year has been–though stressful, tiring and confusing at times–a refreshing way to learn. Because English has interested me more this year, I have found myself becoming more and more invested in the class. Thus, at least in my experience, interest leads to effective learning.
One other thing stood out to me in your entry. You end your post with:
“This adventure was a good experience for Alice.”
Perhaps you meant no other meaning than the blatant one presented, that Alice’s adventure was beneficial to her growth. However, it seemed to me that the way you phrased it, especially the “for Alice,” suggested that you did not find the adventure to be a “good experience” for you. Perhaps I am reading too much into the last two words, but for some reason they stood out to me as significant.
What do you think? Was Alice’s adventure not beneficial to your own learning?