Alice In Wonderland Research Paper

“Curiouser and curiouser!” Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Imagine a world where nothing is sane. Everything is mad. And if you’re sane, well, you’re mad too. This perfectly describes the curious world of Wonderland. This book isn’t just a fairytale, it is also a satire. It is a satire of the historical English Wars of the Roses. The wars between the House of Lancaster and the House of York stemmed from the pathetic rule of King Henry VI, who was also known as the Red King. His ineffectual ruling sparked a rebellion for those in line for the throne. His queen, Margaret of Anjou tried to save her throne but quarreled with those in her court, such as the Duchess of York. The animosity between the Duchess and Queen Margaret created a barrier between the two Houses for the throne. The two houses were identified by their crests: a red rose for the House of Lancaster, and a white rose for the House of York. The painting of the roses in the book Alice in Wonderland was an important point used to identify those who were loyal to the Red Queen. This idea brings us to the fact that important people from the Wars of the Roses were satirized in the book, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Three characters that were satirized in the book, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, are Red Queen, Duchess of Wonderland, and Baby Duchess.
The Red Queen represents Queen Margaret of England because of her overpowering dominance over her husband and Wonderland. Her husband represented the weak ruler, King Henry VI who was also known as the Red King. In a civil war lasting dynasties in England between 1455 and 1487, the Houses of Lancaster and York were at odds for the throne of England. Queen Margaret vehemently hated Dame Eleanor, also the Duchess of York, because of her lineage to the throne. Because of their animosity, they inadvertently created a rift between the two