Alice in Wonderland: Development of Alice's Identity within Adaptations

The main points of the paper are:

The major points of the story is Alice's attempt to 'understand who she is.'

During the Victorian period. Carroll's books received 'almost unanimous praise.'

The most frequent adaptation of Alice's adventures seems to be movies. (This one I will disagree with depending on how one defines 'adaptation.' If you are talking strictly about those things that are very similar to the original story and that's it then movies might be the most common, but if you use a more general definition of adaptation then books would have to be the most common, especially if you include comic book adaptations of the original story.)

Alice in the books is calm, curious and has a specific class and attitude.

The Tim Burton movie was followed by a videogame roughly based on the movie. (There are actually two videogames. One is not that great. The Tim-Burton movie related game is good but I just can't get past one part.)

American McGees two Alice-related videogames present a very, very dark version of Alice and what happens to her. (I've played both games and I agree with. They're really good, though.)

The main difference between films and videogames is that the narration is basically sidelined.

Once Alice is in Wonderland she faces conversations that are radically different from what she is used to.

In the videogames Alice is faced with a lot of violence which can have a physical and a psychological effect on her. (She can die in the games.)

The rabbit hole serves as a border between the reality Alice is used to and the Wonderland version of reality.

Some adaptations require people to be familiar with the original story.

More recent adaptations are connected to other adaptations which have come before them.

Any new Alice movie has to provide something new to the audience and not just repeat exactly what came before.

Alice has a carefree and adventurous nature.

In American McGee's Alice game Alice is a patient in a mental hospital. (Several books start with the same premise.)

In the Tim Burton movie the caterpillar appears in several scenes.

The Caterpillar has a major role in the videogame and tells Alice she has to confront the Red Queen.

In the Tim Burton movie time becomes a central theme at the tea party.

In the videogame the Cheshire Cat is killed by the Red Queen.

The movie spends more time on what happens to Alice before she enters Wonderland than the book does.

Pain and violence is is a much more viable agent than in the book.

In the videogame Alice is pulled into the rabbit hole and does not enter it accidentally or on purpose.

The book has Alice meeting the Caterpillar by chance; the Tim Burton movie gives her a reason to meet the Caterpillar.

In the book madness is associated with human. In American McGee's Alice madness is associated with violence.


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