The final trial in "Alice in Wonderland" has the Queen of Hearts holding a trial to find out who stole her tarts. The trial is largely inconclusive and left to the crazy antics of the king attempting to make up new rules in order to superficially reach a verdict. Meanwhile the Queen of Hearts simply states, 'No, no! Sentence first—verdict afterwards.' The presumption of innocence and the perpetuation of due process is a practice where the accused cannot be acquitted without a trial. Unless the charges hold true beyond a reasonable doubt, everyone is entitled to a trial and a hearing. Do you feel that presumption of innocence is a political privilege or an extension of our natural human rights? Does everyone deserve the right to have a trial including corrupt politicians like Rod Blagojevich or even leaders such as Saddam Hussein? Are there historical connotations to this event? After all, Alice didn't bother to refute the Queen with the argument of due process until she grows back to her normal height and no longer is afraid of her threats.
Throughout the course of the book Alice encounters a number of characters. Many of these characters are animals. Is there a reason why animals are used rather than humans? Throughout the course of the book does Alice mature in her interaction with these animals? Are the animals mature themselves in how they conduct their business? Does Alice go through any identity issues? Are these issue adequately resolved by the end of the story? Do the animals at the end of the story remember Alice? Does it really matter at the end of the story which characters are recurrent characters?
Does Alice's rationalization of the events around her reflect her level of intellect? Or does her level of intellect reflect the rationalization of the events around her?
If there are two options that are close enough in nature and have the same result, does it really matter to differentiate between the two options? Do the consequences bear an impact on how much attention is given to the details?
Do you feel that the Duchess in the following sentence got her point across to the cook? Or did Lewis Carroll create the cook to have a generally disrespectful personality? Is the cook following the demands of the Duchess or is the cook disrespectful to begin with? Does it really matter?
Do you concur with the cat's logical pattern of what it means to be mad?
Well then, if a when b, and c when d. I'm mad, if a when d and c when b. How would you logically consider madness? How about the following statements?
The Gryphon and the Mock Turtle discuss school yet can't agree with Alice on what school means. What do you think is the message within this dialogue?
Throughout the course of the book Alice encounters a number of characters. Many of these characters are animals. Is there a reason why animals are used rather than humans? Throughout the course of the book does Alice mature in her interaction with these animals? Are the animals mature themselves in how they conduct their business? Does Alice go through any identity issues? Are these issue adequately resolved by the end of the story? Do the animals at the end of the story remember Alice? Does it really matter at the end of the story which characters are recurrent characters?
Does Alice's rationalization of the events around her reflect her level of intellect? Or does her level of intellect reflect the rationalization of the events around her?
Alice in Wonderland Wrote:Alice noticed with some surprise that the pebbles were all turning into little cakes as they lay on the floor, and a bright idea came into her head. 'If I eat one of these cakes,' she thought, 'it's sure to make SOME change in my size; and as it can't possibly make me larger, it must make me smaller, I suppose.'
So she swallowed one of the cakes, and was delighted to find that she began shrinking directly. As soon as she was small enough to get through the door, she ran out of the house, and found quite a crowd of little animals and birds waiting outside. The poor little Lizard, Bill, was in the middle, being held up by two guinea-pigs, who were giving it something out of a bottle. They all made a rush at Alice the moment she appeared; but she ran off as hard as she could, and soon found herself safe in a thick wood.
If there are two options that are close enough in nature and have the same result, does it really matter to differentiate between the two options? Do the consequences bear an impact on how much attention is given to the details?
Alice In Wonderland Wrote:This was such a new idea to Alice, that she was quite silent for a minute or two, which gave the Pigeon the opportunity of adding, 'You're looking for eggs, I know THAT well enough; and what does it matter to me whether you're a little girl or a serpent?'
Do you feel that the Duchess in the following sentence got her point across to the cook? Or did Lewis Carroll create the cook to have a generally disrespectful personality? Is the cook following the demands of the Duchess or is the cook disrespectful to begin with? Does it really matter?
Alice In Wonderland Wrote:'If everybody minded their own business,' the Duchess said in a hoarse growl, 'the world would go round a deal faster than it does.' 'Which would NOT be an advantage,' said Alice, who felt very glad to get an opportunity of showing off a little of her knowledge. 'Just think of what work it would make with the day and night! You see the earth takes twenty-four hours to turn round'Talking of axes,' said the Duchess, 'chop off her head!'
Alice glanced rather anxiously at the cook, to see if she meant to take the hint; but the cook was busily stirring the soup, and seemed not to be listening, so she went on again: 'Twenty-four hours, I THINK; or is it twelve? I—' 'Oh, don't bother ME,' said the Duchess; 'I never could abide figures!' And with that she began nursing her child again, singing a sort of lullaby to it as she did so, and giving it a violent shake at the end of every line.
Do you concur with the cat's logical pattern of what it means to be mad?
Alice in Wonderland Wrote:'Well, then,' the Cat went on, 'you see, a dog growls when it's angry, and wags its tail when it's pleased. Now I growl when I'm pleased, and wag my tail when I'm angry. Therefore I'm mad.'
Well then, if a when b, and c when d. I'm mad, if a when d and c when b. How would you logically consider madness? How about the following statements?
Alice in Wonderland Wrote:[Hatter] 'You might just as well say that "I see what I eat" is the same thing as "I eat what I see"!'
'You might just as well say,' added the March Hare, 'that "I like what I get" is the same thing as "I get what I like"!'
'You might just as well say,' added the Dormouse, who seemed to be talking in his sleep, 'that "I breathe when I sleep" is the same thing as "I sleep when I breathe"!'
The Gryphon and the Mock Turtle discuss school yet can't agree with Alice on what school means. What do you think is the message within this dialogue?
Alice in Wonderland Wrote:'You ought to be ashamed of yourself for asking such a simple question,' added the Gryphon; and then they both sat silent and looked at poor Alice, who felt ready to sink into the earth. At last the Gryphon said to the Mock Turtle, 'Drive on, old fellow! Don't be all day about it!' and he went on in these words:
'Yes, we went to school in the sea, though you mayn't believe it—'
'I never said I didn't!' interrupted Alice.
'You did,' said the Mock Turtle.
'Hold your tongue!' added the Gryphon, before Alice could speak again. The Mock Turtle went on.
'We had the best of educations—in fact, we went to school every day—'
'I'VE been to a day-school, too,' said Alice; 'you needn't be so proud as all that.'
'With extras?' asked the Mock Turtle a little anxiously.
'Yes,' said Alice, 'we learned French and music.'
'And washing?' said the Mock Turtle.
'Certainly not!' said Alice indignantly.
'Ah! then wasn't a really good school,' said the Mock Turtle in a tone of great relief. 'Now at OURS they had at the end of the bill, "French, music, AND WASHING—extra."'
'You couldn't have wanted it much,' said Alice; 'living at the bottom of the sea.'
'I couldn't afford to learn it.' said the Mock Turtle with a sigh. 'I only took the regular course.'
'What was that?' inquired Alice.
'Reeling and Writhing, of course, to begin with,' the Mock Turtle replied; 'and then the different branches of Arithmetic—Ambition, Distraction, Uglification, and Derision.'
'I never heard of "Uglification,"' Alice ventured to say. 'What is it?'
The Gryphon lifted up both its paws in surprise. 'What! Never heard of uglifying!' it exclaimed. 'You know what to beautify is, I suppose?'
'Yes,' said Alice doubtfully: 'it means—to—make—anything—prettier.'
'Well, then,' the Gryphon went on, 'if you don't know what to uglify is, you ARE a simpleton.'
Alice did not feel encouraged to ask any more questions about it, so she turned to the Mock Turtle, and said 'What else had you to learn?'
'Well, there was Mystery,' the Mock Turtle replied, counting off the subjects on his flappers, '—Mystery, ancient and modern, with Seaography: then Drawling—the Drawling-master was an old conger-eel, that used to come once a week: HE taught us Drawling, Stretching, and Fainting in Coils.'
) should seriously read the book! AND Through the Looking Glass (which is ever-so more dark and scary)