Do The 'Alice In Wonderland' Characters Symbolize Mental Illness?
In Alice and Wonderland, the Cheshire Cat famously tells Alice, “Everyone’s mad right here.” After examining the strange characters of Wonderland, enthusiasts have hypothesized that perhaps the cat was proper. Maybe the vintage characters, like the Queen of Hearts, the Mad Hatter, and Alice herself, actually do have mental illnesses.
Alice in Wonderland stays one of the hottest kids’s tales in life (even though the Tim Burton adaptation starring Johnny Depp didn’t fare so well). More than a century after it used to be written, the story remains to be beloved by audiences.
It’s possible that one in all the secrets and techniques behind its good fortune is that the characters, though showing outlandish, show mental disorders that are relatable to many of us in the actual global.
Does the idea that Alice in Wonderland is really a story about mental illness hold any weight? And do other Disney characters constitute mental illness too. Keep studying to find out.
What Mental Illness Do The Characters In ‘Alice In Wonderland’ Have?
Alice in Wonderland options some of the most fascinating characters in the historical past of literature. While any literary personality is open to interpretation, it's been extensively theorized that the writer of the vintage paintings, Lewis Carroll, drew inspiration from the treatment of mental illness in the 19th century.
Open Culture experiences that Carroll’s uncle, Robert Wilfred Skeffington Lutwidge, was once an officer of the Lunacy Commission. The organization supervised mental well being establishments, then known as "lunatic asylums". It is assumed that Carroll used his knowledge of mental problems and what used to be understood about them at the time to help mold his characters.
So what mental disorders do the classic Alice in Wonderland characters seem to display?
According to The Odyssey Online, the Mad Hatter, one of the most vital characters, shows Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. At least in the Tim Burton adaptation of the story, where the character is performed through Johnny Depp, he suffers widespread flashbacks of his village being attacked via the Red Queen, which sparks offended outbursts.
The personality also seems to show signs of Bipolar Disorder as he is every now and then gloomy and depressed earlier than experiencing manic episodes of excitement.
The tale’s villain, the Red Queen, seems to have Narcissistic Personality Disorder, evidenced via the approach she is totally self-absorbed and lacks empathy for others. Her “off with their head” calls for recommend Paranoid Personality Disorder as she is convinced that everybody is out to get her.
The dual characters of Tweedledee and Tweedledum may show Shared Psychotic Disorder, which The Odyssey Online defines as “a psychiatric syndrome in which symptoms of a delusional trust and hallucinations are transmitted from one individual to some other.”
Meanwhile, the White Rabbit is assumed through some to symbolize Generalized Anxiety Disorder as he is repeatedly nervous about being late. The rabbit additionally presentations different commonplace indicators of the disorder, together with twitching, restlessness, and agitation.
It seems that lots of the Alice in Wonderland characters would possibly symbolize mental sicknesses, however what about Alice herself?
What Disorder Does Alice Have In ‘Alice In Wonderland’?
According to Owlcation, Alice seems to be struggling primarily with an eating disorder. This is first alluded to when she arrives in Wonderland and dramatically adjustments measurement after consuming or drinking the meals and potions she will access. This may show how the ones with disordered eating may really feel like they tremendously trade dimension even after only consuming one thing.
“When Alice eats, she doesn’t merely take a small chunk however relatively binges and then regrets her actions later,” the newsletter explains, adding, “Alice is caught in a cycle in which she overeats and then has to consume or drink much more to proper her initial consumption. She essentially will depend on food to resolve her issues.”
Interestingly, the e-newsletter also explains that Lewis Carroll himself had a bizarre dating with meals. He reportedly refused to eat lunch and all his different meals had been small. When invited to dinner, he would convey his personal meals.
What Mental Disorders Do Other Disney Characters Represent?
Though Alice in Wonderland is the most famed instance of a children’s tale containing imaginable symbolism of mental illness, there were other Disney characters believed to represent different mental disorders too.
Belle from Beauty and the Beast has been accused of showing Stockholm Syndrome, as she falls in love with the Beast, who starts off their courting through maintaining her captive.
The Queen from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs has unsurprisingly been connected to narcissism, since she has no regard for any person else’s feelings and is obsessed together with her personal symbol. It’s no marvel lovers in finding her to be one of the worst Disney characters!
One of the lesser-known facts about Ariel from A Little Mermaid is that she is assumed by way of some to be Disposophobic, another way known as a hoarder.
Book My Show explains that hoarders create emotional attachments with nugatory items and avoid showing what they’ve accumulated to other people out of worry of shaming. Ariel obviously presentations this behavior by means of accumulating human objects and storing them.
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