The Tripartite Role of the Psyche in Alice in Wonderland
The main points of this paper include:
Each new generation interprets the Alice books in their own way.
The 1990's, for example, interpreted the text in parts as a form of pedophilia.
The illustration of Alice with her enlongated neck is almost obscene.
Most of the retellings of the story involve the original story carried on in the Victorian approach, those that set things in more contemporary circumstances and those that center on maturation.
(I would add stories that have Alice or her substitute in a totally different situation such as Alice in a Wonderland that is in bad shape and she tries to help correct things, stories that are X-rated in nature and stories that are very loosely based on the original.)
One section of the paper deals with psychoanalytical interpretations of the Tenniel's illustrations.
The Duchess, the Cook and the Queen represent the id.
The Duchess is portrayed in a monstrous form. (She was written as to be very ugly.)
The Cheshire Cat is 'on a plane' higher than the other Wonderland beings.
The Cheshire Cat and the Caterpillar become her allies.
The ego represents reason and common sense while the id represents the passions.
The Cheshire Cat makes sure that Alice does not lose her identity in Wonderland.
The Cat becomes the superego when she asks him for directions.
The Cheshire Cat plays the role of an analyst.
The Cheshire Cat reminds her of her real home and that she is not trapped in Wonderland.
By the time Alice confronts the Queen in the garden she had grown personally so much she no longer feels the need to bow down to the Queen.
Both the Queen and Alice want complete supremacy.
By rejecting Wonderland Alice solves her identity crisis.
The id is represented by the Queen, the Ego by Alice nad the Superego by the Cheshire Cat and the Caterpillar.
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