Tumbling Down the Rabbit Hole...

My sister and I exchanged early birthday presents today. She asked for a Batman t-shirt, (unfortunately there were none that she liked so she settled for some fancy lip gloss), and I asked for Alice, a resent Syfy channel mini series that retells the Alice in Wonderland story. If you follow my blog then you of course realize yes, I do in fact love Alice in Wonderland. One of my favorites to be sure. While watching the mini series tonight, (which is worth checking out, it wasn't amazing, but still pretty good) I decided on another reason why I love the story so much. It is absolutely tragic. I mean heart wrenchingly, epically, unavoidably tragic. "But Stephen, it's a happy ending!" Yes I know, calm down. It is a happy ending, but every version I read or watch, ends almost the same. Alice goes through these life changing experiences, makes amazing new friends, and then wakes up. It isn't real. Wonderland, despite all it's wonder and glory, does not, nor can it remain. At the closing of the first book, Alice wakes up and her sister has this to ponder:

"...thinking of little Alice and all her wonderful Adventures, till she too began dreaming after a fashion, and this was her dream:- [she goes on to dream of all the wonderful creatures from Wonderland] So she sat on, with closed eyes, and half believed herself in Wonderland, though she knew she had but to open them again, and all would change to dull reality- the grass would be only rustling in the wind, and the pool rippling to the waving of the reeds- the rattling teacups would change to tinkling sheep-bells, and the Queen's shrill cries to the voice of the Shepherd-boy- and the sneeze of the baby, the shriek of the Gryphon, and all the other queer noises, would change (she knew) to the confused clamour of the busy farm-yard- while the lowing of the cattle in the distance would take the place of the Mock Turtle's heavy sobs. Lastly, she pictured to herself how this same little sister of hers would, in the after-time, be herself a grown woman; and how she would keep, through all of her riper years, the simple and loving heart of her childhood; and how she would gather about her other little children, and make their eyes bright and eager with many a strange tale, perhaps even with the dream of Wonderland of long ago; and how she would feel with all their simple sorrows, and find a pleasure in all their simple joys, remembering her own child-life, and the happy summer days."

Wonderland, deep down, is nothing more than childhood. That's what is beautiful about it. We go there in order to grow up. Alice arrives in Wonderland and falls in love with all of the childish and silly people that reflect her. She sees them and realizes after a while, it isn't what she wants. Then she wakes up. No matter how long we want to hold on to the carefree days of childhood, we all have to wake up, grow up. We cannot remain in Wonderland. This equally explains why every reimagining of this story is much darker and sinister. When Alice grows up, so does Wonderland. Wonderland is a magical wonderful place. I am grateful to have spent a portion of my childhood there, but like everyone else I had to wake up. Dreams don't last forever. And so, whether the story is being told by American McGee, the Syfy Channel, Walt Disney, Tim Burton, Hallmark, or anyone else, Wonderland is that last desperate attempt to clutch at our innocence. Whenever we go back, it's not the same, it grew up. You can never recapture that brief period of time, you can just appreciate the affect it had on your life. Smile. And then go on to the next Adventure.

Alice through the ages: