Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland: Becoming Who You Are

SPOILER ALERT!!!!

This post may reveal key parts to the plot of Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, if you have not yet seen this movie I suggest you do so before reading this post (and don't be cheap, see it in 3D, you won't regret the extra two bucks).

Cheshire Cat: What do you call yourself?

Alice Kingsley: Alice

Cheshire Cat: THE Alice?

Alice Kingsley: There's been some debate about that

Cheshire Cat: I never get involved in politics

Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland had a very interesting idea to it. It's almost ten years after her adventure in Wonderland (which you later find out is actually called "Underland," not so hot on that part, but it can't be perfect right?) and she has forgotten all about it, dismissed it as a dream. Through a series of events she finds herself back in Underland, led there once again by the White Rabbit. The White Rabbit takes her to an opium-smoking caterpillar named Absolem who will tell them whether or not she is the "right Alice." When they get there, the White Rabbit also tells her that her return was prophesied and she must slay the Jabberwocky (a monster from an Old English poem Alice tries to read in the book Through the Looking Glass). Alice refuses to believe this so they consult Absolem who grimly states that this Alice was "not hardly" the right Alice.

The White Rabbit and his group of talking plants/animals immediately leave in disappointment. Alice couldn't care less. This was the weirdest dream she's ever had! Talking animals, prophesies of her slaying some sort of mythical dragon, and all sorts of utter impossibilities, she was going to wake up soon and that's all that mattered.

Of course, she doesn't wake up soon, she meets the Mad Hatter, the Red and White Queens, and all sorts of other characters as she goes through all sorts of shenanigans. Eventually, she starts realizing that she's stuck here, things have become less impossible to her, and when the White Queen asks her if he will slay the Jabberwocky she....runs. She ran to a porch where she sees Absolem wrapping himself into a cocoon. She tells him of her predicament, everyone wants so much from her and she's not even the "right Alice."

But then Absolem tells her something. He tells her that what he said was that at that moment she "[wasn't] hardly Alice," but now she's "almost Alice." He then goes on to tell her how he thought she'd take things in Underland better since she had been there before. This totally trips Alice out and she goes into a flashback and realizes that she's not dreaming. Underland is a very real place with very real people who expect HER, not some other Alice, to bring an end to a terror that's haunted them for a very long time. She goes to the White Queen and tells her that she will slay the Jabberwocky.

So I'm not completely sure if I described the events perfectly, but here's what I'm trying to say: Alice came to a place she didn't understand and through a series of events became who she was meant to be. I've always believed that who we are comes from a series of events that have shaped our lives, and that's exactly what this movies is saying. Alice was in surroundings that seemed completely impossible, her best friend was a Mad Hatter, and she was given a responsibility that she could never do. With this outlook she really wasn't hardly Alice.

Evaporating cats, flowers that talk, and creepy hatters with too much make up, impossible right? It has to be a dream, no way this could be real. Have you ever been in circumstances that you just can't understand? I know I have. When everything comes at you at once and you don't understand what's happening, it's terrifying! These sort of times can really shape who you are though. You're actions during these times, who you look to for help, and how you get out of them are all things that can shape you for the rest of your life, but the first thing that you have to do is realize the reality of what you're going through. One good quote from the movie was "sometimes I believe in as many as six impossible things before breakfast," and sometimes that's what you have to do.

Friends are possibly the most important things in developing who you are. The Hatter instantly knew Alice was THE Alice. He was willing to do anything to protect her and guide her to her purpose including lose his head, which he stated had already happened. The Hatter believed in her when no one else would, and when Alice had doubts about slaying the Jabberwocky he even tried to step in for her. It's friends like these that are so important in times when everything seems impossible. I've been so blessed in my life to have some amazing friends to get me through my tough times. In the trailer for the movie, the Hatter stated that "there is a place. Like no place on Earth. A land full of wonder, mystery, and danger! Some say to survive it: you must be as mad as a hatter. Which luckily, I am." There's no better helper than a friend who's been where you are.

Finally, there are those times when you're given too big of a responsibility. Mother Teresa once said "I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish He didn't trust me so much." Alice had to first steal a special sword from an insane large-headed monarch and then save a land full of talking plants and animals from some sort of crazy dragon thing, not your average chore. Everyone has had these times, when there's no way we can do this, it's too big, too tough, too scary. But then you learn that you'll never know what's possible unless you do that which is impossible. Alice cut that Jabberwocky's head off and freed Underland from the Tyrannical rule of the Red Queen. She was a hero! which just goes to show, when you think you can't do it, try anyways, then you'll realize there's more to you than you thought. When Alice said that it was impossible to kill the Jabberwocky, the Mad Hatter gently said "only if you believe it is."

And that's it I suppose. Alice finally became "The Alice" she was supposed to be. She went through impossibly strange conditions, made some impossibly awesome friends, and lived up to an impossibly big responsibility and became the person she was supposed to be. So I guess what I'm saying is do the impossible and find out who you're supposed to be.