In Lewis Carroll’s novel Alice in Wonderland, Alice is curious, well-mannered, and confused while she tries to find her way out of Wonderland. Alice meets many unique and weird creatures which eventually help her escape wonderland. Alice shows that she is curious through her actions. At the beginning of the book Alice gets distracted from her “boring” work, and chases a white rabbit down a hole. This excerpt describes Alices curiosity, “Alice started to her feet, for it flashed in her mind that she had never before seen a rabbit with either a waistcoat-pocket”.
When Alice is at the bottom of the hole she find a bottle labeled “Drink Me”, she wants to see what it tastes like, this excerpt describes the event “…this bottle was not marked `poison’, so Alice ventured to taste it, finding it very nice”. Another instant that shows her curiosity when she looks for the white rabbits fan and gloves, she finds a bottle, this time there was no table, “There was no label this time with the words `Drink Me’ … `I know something interesting is going to happen’ … ` I’ll just see what it does’,”.
Alice is like a little girl that is still exploring the world around her, but she finds that she is more mature than the creatures in Wonderland. Alice is very well mannered in Victorian ways to the creatures of Wonderland. Alice shows her good manners when she enters the white rabbits house and the rabbit tells Alice to go fetch his gloves and fan, “I’d better take his fan and gloves- that is if I can find them”, since Alice is a guest, uninvited, she follows the owners orders.
When Alice runs into caterpillar she calls him “Sir”, here is an excerpt from the book, ” I can’t explain myself myself, I’m afraid, Sir”, this shows that she respects the creatures of Wonderland. When Alice enters the Duchesses house and the Duchess throws the baby to Alice, Alice starts to take care of it, ” `Here! You may nurse it a bit, if you like! ’ Alice caught the baby with some difficulty …”, this shows her maternal side. Wonderland is an illogical land, nothing seems to make sense to Alice. She starts to become very frustrated and confused.
When Alice meets the caterpillar the following conversation takes place, ” `Who are you! ’ the caterpillar asked … `I – I hardly know, Sir, just at present – at least I know who I was when I got up this morning’ … “, Alice is so confused she does not even know who she is. Before Alice enters the Duchesses house she knocks on the front door, the following conversation takes place with a creature, “Alice went up to the door and knocked, ` There is no use in knocking `… ` Please, then ` said Alice ` How am I to get in ? “, this proves that the illogical reasoning that the creatures find logical is confusing to a Victorian girl. Alice is curious because she is very young and she is still finding out about the world around her. Throughout the novel she grows up and matures because she starts to unlock the illogical reasoning of Wonderland and begins to respect their weird habits. Even through all the confusion, she still finds home at the end of the novel.
