Branches Book

BRANCHES

Summer Wilson

DISSECTION OF ALICE’S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND Humans love to hear stories. People become engaged with tales and intrigued by the misfortunes, dramas, and actions of others. Stories are one of the oldest forms of communication. Stories allow people to connect. Humans have a deep connection to words and writing. Whether it is through lyrics of a song, novels, children’s books, or poems, people often have writing that changes them and that they hold dear. So clearly, literature and story telling are important. And I have a passion for literature in general. Of course, reading is engaging. Tales have inspired and enlightened me. Literature is art after all. So perhaps I have a passion for literature (of others). My favorite story of all time is Alice in Wonderland. I have lost count of the number of times I’ve read Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland , but judging from the fact that my multiple copies are missing front covers, crumpled, and thoroughly annotated, I would say I’ve surpassed the average amount. Literature has a power over people. It can make people feel and change and relate to the characters. Writing can impact people very differently. I feel drawn to Alice in Wonderland. I’ve been influenced. What makes this story stick with me? I have never stopped to think about exactly why I hold this book above others. In writing there are many different aspects that make it meaningful and regarded as great. The qualities that are essential for me are, interesting characters, compelling plot, style, suspense, unpredictability and cleverness. When I look into the book, I find countless qualities in Alice that would make her a hero. She is unapologetically herself, despite that fact that her actions and passions are considered odd to her peers and family. She never shies away from expressing herself. It amazes me the countless times throughout the book that Alice stands up to other characters in order to defend what she sees as just. I also see her as stubborn, quite so. She is so passionate about being herself she gets stuck in her own way and is not flexible. Alice isn’t even my favorite character in this novel, therefore making me think that even if she is a hero of mine, it is not the reason I love this book so much. Most of what is in Alice in Wonderland is not part of the essential storyline. Alice spends pages rowing down a river with a goat, playing in a caucus race with mice and small birds, meeting Humpty Dumpty, getting

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