Alice in Wonderland: A Mythical Journey

Abstract

The theme of this work is a study of theories about the myth of the hero lived out by the character Alice, of the film Alice in Wonderland, directed by Tim Burton and based on the work of the writer Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll in 1865. A brief psychological analysis is made of the relationship of the fantastic narrative with the process of individuation of the protagonist and the symbolic representations in the psychic development that occurs, through her mythical experience of the “hero's journey” that was elaborated by Joseph Cambpell in The Hero of a Thousand Faces. This theory presents the various stages of the mythical journey of the hero, trajectory which is marked by complications, trials and lessons that the hero must undertake to develop inwardly. At the end of the journey Alice not only develops herself but also interferes with the local order of her community which is governed by rigid and patriarchal norms. As Campbell puts it, the hero's return entails putting the learned wisdom into practice so that he/she shares the benefits gained on the journey.