The Growth and Development of Alice

"She generally gave herself good advice, though she very seldom followed it...I know all sorts of things, and she, oh, she knows very little." - Alice In Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

It is easy to forget just how young Alice is when reading the novel. While at times, Alice can come across as being mature, eloquent, and a tad bit precocious, she IS still a very young girl. "Soon she find finds things becoming curiouser and curiouser," and  her reckless and spontaneous actions later lead her to regret her decisions. Many of the events in the story have a direct correlation to how one grows and progresses from childhood to adolescence. The confusion, curiosity, perplexity, angst, and joy that are bubbling inside of Alice are apparent. She is frequently daunted by all of the
responsibility she must deal with, yet she absolutely despises being contradicted by the animals, or being talked to condescendingly. And even though she takes on an independent, adult role in Wonderland, we must not forget that children require gentle guidance. When Alice falls into a "sea" of her own tears, we see that lacks the emotional, physical, moral, and intellectual support that she needs for proper development. 

The recurrent growing and shrinking incidents can indirectly embody the "ups and downs" of adolescence.

Heather H.