Progress In Alice In Wonderland

“Woman was inferior to man in all ways except the unique one that counted most (to man): her femininity.”

This essay seeks to examine the way in which social progress is evident in society with regards to the way in which women existed historically in society and how their desire to progress was manifested both literally and figuratively. This will be done through the analysis of both the novel The Colour Purple as well as the 2010 Tim Burton version of the film Alice in Wonderland.

Social Progress

Social progress can be explained as the advancements that have been noted in the changing balance of power between men and woman throughout time. History is marked by patriarchy and in turn female submission. Progress in terms of this focus are

The role of women in this period was strictly (***********)

In the unfolding of the story, Alice presents almost immediately as an individual who is outwardly displeased with the manner in which she is expected to behave. The story truly begins with Alice in a carriage with her mother en route to an event that she was unaware was in fact her engagement party. She directly challenges the social expectations imposed on females when her mother expresses her displeasure about Alice not wearing either her corset or her stockings despite knowing that she would be attending a formal affair. Alice reacts to her mother’s disapproval by asking, “who is to say what is proper?”. She implies that people blindly accept and act on what is expected of them by stating that people would likely wear a fish on their heads if suddenly it was expected to be socially pleasing to do

The excitement and even jealously over the situation she is placed in is evident when she is approached by the two sisters who end up telling her that the event was in fact her own engagement party. Alice’s panic is tangible and her immediate reaction is to express that she is not ready for marriage and that she does not necessarily wish to be married to Lord Ascott. Alice’s sister steps in and is surprised by Alice’s reaction and in a certain sense goes on to scare and guilt her into marriage. She tells Alice that she would be foolish to decline the Lords proposal as her looks weren’t going to last forever and that she wouldn’t be able to do better than a Lord. She makes Alice feel guilty by asking her if she does want to simply become a burden to their mother and then tries to scare her by saying that is she declines she may become like aunt Imogen, who is an older woman who never married and seems to suffer from psychotic delusions and seems to have lost her grasp of reality. Alice’s sister’s persuasive words were not expressed unkindly, but rather were aimed at ensuring that Alice made the right decision in terms of societal expectations. She was simply expressing the mentality that was instilled within her as well, regarding what a woman should desire and aspire to achieve in her