Alice Has Potential
Alice begins her adventures by following the White Rabbit.
Alice as a leader? I’ve never thought of her that way. I’ve always seen her as a helpless girl thrown into a crazy, strange world. She doesn’t lead anyone. Rather, she follows other characters and is easily influenced by her surroundings. For instance, at the beginning of Alice in Wonderland, Alice follows the rabbit and falls down a rabbit hole. When she enters the great hall lined with doors and finds the bottle marked “Eat Me,” Alice obeys and drinks the bottle’s contents. From these scenes, Alice does not appear to be a leader. Nevertheless, I’ve come to realize that her reactions to various events underscore her potential to be a leader. Alice appeals to readers for her admirable qualities. In many situations, she demonstrates grace, compassion, self-awareness, curiosity, and a strong sense of right and wrong, all of which are essential traits of a leader.
Alice is considerate of the animals and plays along with the rules of the Caucus Race.
Throughout Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, Alice is kind and graceful. She does not judge the characters that she meets, but treats them as equals. For example, Alice respects the participants of the Caucus Race and abides by their senseless rules. Although Alice thinks that their game is absurd, “they all looked so grave that she did not dare to laugh…she simply bowed, and took the thimble, looking as solemn as she could” (Carroll 33). Alice continues to act in the best interests of others when Tweedledum and Tweedledee prepare for battle. “Thinking it a good opportunity to make peace,” Alice persuades them to not fight (Carroll 192). She does not want the boys to squabble over something as petty as a broken rattle and get hurt. In these ways, Alice values the feelings and well being of others. Stephen Covey points out “what matters most is how we respond to what we experience in life” (Covey 75). In the face of madness, Alice exemplifies leader-like qualities and reacts with grace and kindness.
Eager to help the White Rabbit, Alice sets about looking for his belongings.
Moreover, Alice remains a compassionate individual and acts selflessly to help the characters in both stories. When she finds the frazzled White Rabbit, she immediately sets out help him. Guessing “in a moment that it was looking for the fan and the pair of white kid-gloves, [Alice] […] very good-naturedly began hunting about for them” (Carroll 37). Likewise, upon meeting the disheveled White Queen, Alice asks to help the Queen with her shawl and “gently put it right for her” (Carroll 195). She refuses to be paid for her services, telling the Queen, “I don’t want you to hire me” (Carroll 196). Alice seems to be a leader in her consideration for others, for as Stephen Covey reveals, “to learn to give and take, to live selflessly, to be sensitive, to be considerate, is our challenge” (Covey 88).
Should people be judged in terms of acts or intentions?
Along her adventures, Alice also faces several ethical dilemmas and attempts to act honestly for the better of all. After her visit to the strange Duchess’ home, Alice realizes that she must help the Duchess’ baby, thinking “If I don’t take this child away with me…they’re sure to kill it in a day or two. Wouldn’t it be murder to leave it behind?” (Carroll 63). Fearing for the baby’s life, Alice takes the child away from the Duchess’ violent handling and the cook’s flying saucepans, plates, and dishes. Moreover, after Alice hears the story of the Walrus and the Carpenter, she wonders whether the Walrus did wrong for eating the most oysters or if the Carpenter did wrong for wanting to eat the most oysters. Perhaps more importantly, Alice argues with the Queen of Hearts and prevents unjust punishment for the Knave of Hearts. Alice’s ability to question the morality of situations highlights her potential as a leader. Rather than walking aimlessly through Wonderland and the Looking Glass, Alice voices her opinions and takes a stand for her beliefs, for what she believes is truly right.
While Alice is poised, compassionate, and honest, she is also curious and self-aware. On each journey, Alice questions the characters and explores her surroundings. She asks about the Mouse’s tale, the gardeners’ rose-painting, the Hatter’s riddles, and the Mock Turtle’s story. She investigates the White Rabbit’s house, the Duchess’ home, the wood with no names, and the garden of live flowers. When Alice first enters the Looking Glass, she finds a book and immediately turns “over the leaves to find some part that she could read, ‘—for it’s all in some language I don’t know’…[and] puzzled over this for some time” (Carroll 148). In all of Wonderland’s and the Looking Glass’ strangeness, Alice keeps an open mind and seeks to learn more. More importantly, through her curiosity, Alice becomes more aware of her identity, reminding herself at the end of the wood, “I know my name now…Alice—Alice—I won’t forget it again” (Carroll 178). Alice is a leader in this way, always constantly seeking to gain greater knowledge and insight.
Reading Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, I have come to realize Alice’s potential to be a leader. At the start, Alice follows others and is easily influenced by her surroundings. She does not have many followers. However, as the stories progress, Alice matures and becomes more and more independent. In the end, her grace, compassion, self-awareness, curiosity, and strong sense of right and wrong strengthen and help her rightfully earn her crown. In a way, Alice inspires me. If, in the face of Wonderland’s and the Looking Glass’ madness, Alice can be a leader, surely I, in the face of college and the unknown, can be a leader just as well.
Alice becomes Queen!
Pictures:
http://www.layoutsparks.com/myspace-layouts/alice-in-wonderland_0
http://rashbre2.blogspot.com/2008/01/caucus-race.html
http://snowismyprozac.blogspot.com/2009/02/collection-of-things-that-currently.html
http://www.alice-in-wonderland.net/pictures/walrus-carpenter-pictures.html
