Alice in Wonderland - Banned books
Mayez Travis
10-1-13 W1
Alice In Wonderland is Redeemed!
Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll was first imagined in 1862 and is considered to be a literary classic. Lewis Carroll (Charles Dodgson) was a mathematician and Reverend of the Christ Church University. During a 5 mile boat ride with three young girls he made up the story to keep them entertained. One of the girls, named Alice, asked him to write the story down for her. He made her a book, complete with illustrations and from that Alice in Wonderland was born. Despite its simple beginnings and seemingly innocent meanings, four decades later the book began being challenged for multiple reasons, and joined the banned books list. When the first of these absurd interpretations surfaced, the world was a much different place with different “issues” of the day. It seems that with each interpretation the “issues” of the current time may have been reflected in the analysis' of this enchanting story.
In the early 1900s it was suspended from classroom use at Woodsville High School in Haverhill, NH because it contains “expletives, references to masturbation and sexual fantasies, and derogatory characterizations of teachers and of religious ceremonies.” In 1931 it was banned by the Governor of Hunan Province in China on the grounds that “Animals should not use human language, and that it was disastrous to put animals and human beings on the same level.” Finally beginning in the 1960's in a small town in New Hampshire it was challenged in 1980 for references to drug trips, and they said that it was inappropriate because it was suggestive to students to experiment.
The issue with the book having sexual meaning seems to come from the authors photography, which included many photos of children semi-dressed or naked. To many modern minds, a man who regularly formed friendships with young girls is inherently suspicious. “Lewis Carroll's personal life intrigues adult readers because Alice
10-1-13 W1
Alice In Wonderland is Redeemed!
Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll was first imagined in 1862 and is considered to be a literary classic. Lewis Carroll (Charles Dodgson) was a mathematician and Reverend of the Christ Church University. During a 5 mile boat ride with three young girls he made up the story to keep them entertained. One of the girls, named Alice, asked him to write the story down for her. He made her a book, complete with illustrations and from that Alice in Wonderland was born. Despite its simple beginnings and seemingly innocent meanings, four decades later the book began being challenged for multiple reasons, and joined the banned books list. When the first of these absurd interpretations surfaced, the world was a much different place with different “issues” of the day. It seems that with each interpretation the “issues” of the current time may have been reflected in the analysis' of this enchanting story.
In the early 1900s it was suspended from classroom use at Woodsville High School in Haverhill, NH because it contains “expletives, references to masturbation and sexual fantasies, and derogatory characterizations of teachers and of religious ceremonies.” In 1931 it was banned by the Governor of Hunan Province in China on the grounds that “Animals should not use human language, and that it was disastrous to put animals and human beings on the same level.” Finally beginning in the 1960's in a small town in New Hampshire it was challenged in 1980 for references to drug trips, and they said that it was inappropriate because it was suggestive to students to experiment.
The issue with the book having sexual meaning seems to come from the authors photography, which included many photos of children semi-dressed or naked. To many modern minds, a man who regularly formed friendships with young girls is inherently suspicious. “Lewis Carroll's personal life intrigues adult readers because Alice