An interesting archetype within Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is in chapter 5 when the pigeon refers to Alice as a serpent. If one is reading with simple interpretation it may seem at first as a literal reference to a serpent. As she had a long flexible neck and was thought to have consumed the pigeon’s eggs. However, if one truly looks at the book in an open fashion, it is evident that her similarities to a serpent function as ways for the reader to better understand her transcendent rebirth through archetypes.
The archetypal meaning of serpents represents the death of the self and a transcendent rebirth. The presence of the serpent archetype significantly enhances the meaning of the Alice’s adventures. Whereas someone who simply reads the story with no outside connection may merely see Alice’s journey as a simple expedition from boredom, through the archetypes used, we are able to see more. It is now evident that her self in real life has given way to her new self in her dream world. Her dream vision isn’t simply her situation in reality but a fusion of her curiosity and inner debates. This becomes increasingly clear when recalling Alice’s confrontation with a new social hierarchy where humans are on the bottom. Her personality and self in reality, unknown and confused, is about to be infused with her new dream reality. She wonders if she’s going to approach life differently when she returns back to her life.
-Phillip J
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