Childhood Contradictions :: Free Essays Online

Childhood Contradictions 1. Memories from my childhood are scarce and cloudy at best. Everything is distorted and it always seems like everyone is bigger than you, in more ways than one. From what I do remember, a major player in my development as a child was the overwhelming feeling of confusion. More times than not, I was confused by at least one of many things (authority, my own identity, physical, mental and emotional changes, etc). A child's confusion is due to the massive series of contradictions that is childhood itself. In Lewis Carroll's novels Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass , the meaning of childhood and what it is to be a child and literally live in a child's world takes on an entirely different meaning than ever before. Similarly, the computer game based on the novels, American McGee's Alice , gives an interesting perspective on the concept of childhood and the struggle to maturity. 2. The slew of contradictions in both of Lewis' novels is something that cannot be ignored, even by the most rudimentary of readers. The entire concept of the novels themselves is providing text which, in all honesty, seems to be complete nonsense and providing that nonsense with sense . This theory of sense from nonsense is clearly developed in Chapter 2 of Through the Looking Glass . In this chapter, titled â€Å"The Garden of Live Flowers,† Alice remarks to the flowers, â€Å"Aren't you sometimes frightened at being planted out here, with nobody to take care of you?† (Gray 121). In response to this remark, the Rose points out that â€Å"there's the tree in the middle† (Gray 122) as if that is supposed to give any sort of rational explanation for their feeling of security. When Alice asks what sort of protection a tree could provide, the Rose tells her that if any danger comes along the tree can bark. Now, this is an entirely ridiculous concept to begin with. The idea of inanimate objects having the ability to produce sound is complete nonsense to any rational person. However, the flowers give the tree's ability to bark and their ability to talk seemingly rational explanations. According to the Daisy, the tree â€Å"says ‘Bough-Wough!' That's why branches are called boughs!† (Gray 122). In response to the question about the flowers' proficiency at language, the Rose tells Alice that â€Å"in most gardens, they make the beds too soft - so that the flowers are always asleep† (Gray 122) and their flower bed is noticeably hard by comparison.