By Angela Maria Hart
I *LOVE* "Alice in Wonderland" & "Alice Through the Looking-Glass." I think these are two of the most well done pieces ever published. I cannot say or write enough "wonderful" things about these books.
I have spent a great deal of time analyzing and reading both of them. Today, I am discussing the "Ambiguity of Words" in the two texts (in the video above). Please let me know if you have any questions or thoughts on the subject matter. Thank you for watching and don't forget to subscribe to my BookTube channel!
In the video, I mentioned my academic presentation, here are some links if you are interested in more information.
"Alice in Wonderland" Handout by Angela Hart:
https://writerangelahart.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/alice-in-wonderland-handout-by-angela-hart.pdf
"Alice in Wonderland Presentation" by Angela Hart:
https://writerangelahart.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/angela-harts-alice-in-wonderland-presentation-for-harvard-conference1.pdf
International Journal of Arts & Sciences Paper Publication, "Alice in Wonderland & Alice through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll: Do Words Have Meaning? Lacanian Theory on Carroll’s Writing": http://www.universitypublications.net/ijas/0803/html/H5V290.xml
If you a fan of "Alice in Wonderland" let me know! I'd love to know your thoughts.
Ambiguity makes readers question their understanding of the text.
In his work, Carroll both wanted meaning and advocated the lack there of. For instance, when Alice met Humpty Dumpty, she politely introduced herself only to be questioned.
“My name is Alice…”
“It’s a stupid name enough!” Humpty Dumpty interrupted impatiently. “What does it is mean?”
“Must a name mean something?” Alice asked doubtfully.
“Of course it must,” Humpty Dumpty said with a short laugh. “My name means the shape I am – and a good handsome shape it is, too. With a name like yours, you might be any shape, almost” (Carroll 174).
Carroll allows the reader to determine if a name must hold meaning. For Alice, she was content with no implicit or explicit meaning, while Humpty Dumpty felt that everything has significance. “Taking phrases literally instead of as they are commonly understood is characteristic of the creatures behind the looking-glass, and a basis for much of Carroll’s humor” (Garner 225). Thus, when Humpty Dumpty uses the word mean, he wanted a thoughtful answer. Similarly, the character of Humpty Dumpty is oval just as his name suggests. Since the name Alice has no clear physical attributes associated with it, Humpty Dumpty is befuddled by Alice’s lack of meaning. In instances such as this, the readers can feel as though they have a better understanding of the world then the characters due to the breakdown in communication. In the story, it is thought that Alice received her name from her parents. Alice had no control over her own naming. Humpty Dumpty does not understand the fact Alice’s name is simply that, a name.
When Alice could not remember the name of the Fawn, she became timid as a result. She knew that it was rude to forget someone’s name and she did not want to insult the Fawn. Similarly, when Alice entered the woods, she was concerned about her name. “I wonder what’ll become of my name when I go in? I shouldn’t like to lose it at all” (Carroll 144). Alice understood that names mattered and as a result, the reader develops an appreciation for names.
Aside from the literal nature of characters, such as Humpty Dumpty being oval, words become ambiguous for readers. According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, ambiguity is defined as, “capable of being understood in two or more possible senses or ways” (Merriam Webster). Some ambiguous words include: curious, curiouser, unbirthday, birthday, feathers, dry, race, mad, Cheshire, cat, tale, tail, jabberwocky, rules, games, chess, chessboard, cards, trail, sentencing, verdict, jury, punishment, size, height, weight, age, food, royalty, queen, king, excellency, majesty, hearts, lost, where, who, way, little, big, raven, writing desk, important, unimportant, and celebration.
Throughout Alice in Wonderland and Alice Through the Looking Glass, words (signifiers and signified objects) become meaningless.[1] Lacan said, “A signifier, by its very nature, always anticipates meaning by unfolding its dimensions before it” (Lacan 743). Wonderland and Looking Glass Land exist beyond the dimensions of the known world. Thus, they have their own rules and societal norms become nonsensical.
[1] “I can’t explain myself I’m afraid sir,” said Alice, “because I’m not myself, you see” (Carroll 35). Alice could not be anyone else, except herself, but due to the circumstances of Wonderland she is unsure of who she is connected to where she is.
