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Comparing Odysseus and Alice in Wonderland (Tim Burton Film)

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Comparing Odysseus and Alice in Wonderland (Tim Burton Film)
Odysseus in Wonderland The story of Alice in Wonderland and the story of The Odyssey share similar characteristics. Most people would argue that the story of Odysseus trying to get home and the story of Alice fighting against a fearsome monster don’t share similar plots. However, Alice and Odysseus both fight against evil forces and the two protagonists parallel each other as well. When reading the epic poem and watching the movie, Homer and Tim Burton use similar characters and scenes. In Alice in Wonderland and The Odyssey, the identical heroes are called to an adventure to face challenging obstacles and they both share brutal battle scenes. The characters’ personalities in The Odyssey and in Alice in Wonderland parallel each other. Odysseus and Alice act as open-minded independent leaders. In the beginning of the movie, Alice compares wearing a corset to wearing a codfish on her head, which shows her absence of fear when it comes to speaking up and having her own opinion. This relates to when Odysseus makes the decision to listen to the Sirens to show his fearlessness and bravery (Homer 12.193-194). When “[Poseidon] buffets [Odysseus] from home”, it corresponds to the Red Queen acting as the antagonist in Alice’s situation and keeping her from going home (1.99). When “[Athena’s] heart is broken for Odysseus”, she helps Odysseus in many ways such as disguising him as a beggar and transforming him into a strong warrior (1/67). This scene resembles to the White Queen when she prepares Alice for the fight against the Jabberwocky. The characters perform similar actions and have complementary personalities.
Alice and Odysseus have relatable obstacles such as getting trapped, getting chased, and getting help. One example would be when the Kyklops put a “solid rock [over the opening] to close the cave” and trap the men in there (Homer 9.260-262). This corresponds to when Alice attempts to get the vorpal sword from the doghouse, but the Bandersnatch corners and


Cited: Homer, . The Odyssey. Trans. Robert Fitzgerald. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1998. Print. Burton, Tim, dir. Alice in Wonderland. Writ. Linda Woolverton, and Lewis Carroll. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, 2010. Film. 2 May 2013.
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