Much like the Western world celebrates Easter in the springtime, Egyptians associated rabbits with this time of year. He is impoverished, powerless and cannot be himself in this land controlled by the Red Queen, but he can't help his true nature coming out when he is angered and he changes to his true Scottish accent. . You can't choose your spirit animal, as they select you, but you'll know if a rabbit is your spirit animal if you resonate with this creature somehow, or have had a profound experience. (including. I think it is okay to have different perspectives on events of stories, but Let's not get carried away with things, all right y'all? In the United States, rabbits are known as tricksters. Updates? It merely means that you are on an uncommon route in life and that you have the ability to see beyond what others see! A rabbit totem offers magical and mysterious powers, and possesses deep connections with the sacred and eternal spirit of the earth. The rabbit spirit animal will show up in your real life, media, or art for a reason. These intuitive animals can pick up on a variety of sounds in their environment, allowing them to keep an open ear for predators. She is an egotistical tyrant who mercilessly kills people by cutting off their heads (significant) but all the time is surrounded by sychophants who are terrified of her. Here is another lack of understanding between adults and children, but this time, the adult's statement seems easier to comprehend for Alice, and makes, surprisingly, more sense than her previous realization. As spirit animals, rabbits inspire you to be kind, tender, and find the power of fertility, rebirth, luck, and spiritual exploration in your life. The White Rabbit is figure of some importance, but he is manic, timid, and occasionally aggressive. He also wrote the book in the 1865 and LSD wasn't even synthesized until the 1930's so he obviously had no idea what an acid trip even felt like. The few good people to be found in it, such as the Mad Hatter (or Good Witch of the North) are ineffective and powerless. White rabbits are symbols of love, tenderness, and inner power. The content produced by YourTango is for informational and educational purposes only. On many occasions, Alice shows her juvenile nature, her child-like thinking, and confusion. He tells her she has lost her "muchness" and that she used to be "muchier" - the correct adjective should be "great" in that she has lost her greatness. In conclusion, the rabbit hole symbolizes a gate into a new world, adventures, and unknown territories. Innocent minds can understand its meaning better than your corrupt and tainted adult minds, its like Tinkerbelle in Peter Pan once you stop just believing its over and ruined. Silvers-Jain8 from MA on December 19, 2011: Lovely, Alice in Wonderland is like a puzzle within a puzzle. This shows how she is mentally progressing towards the formal operations stage, little by little. for a children's story? I have to tell you, it happened to me, and it exactly describes a traumatic brain injury, and sequence of consquences and struggles to recovery. That realy opend up the story to me i didn't know what it realy meant until i read this tanks a lot. Trusting your intuition, and your friends and cohorts to guide you and appear to make living more fun. I now know other humans that continue to care for these beautiful, loving animals and have a few things to share about them. Alice's eating of the cookie represents two very important ideas. (Victorian Expectations) The Duchess. This isn't necessarily bad though. It's one of the best-known children's stories of all time, and it has inspired countless adaptations, including Disney's 1951 animated film. I personally think 'children are not even born yet.' the reason is because of the talking animals and fat twins who tell stories of baby sea creatures. I like this theory, and this essay! I don't truly know what this movie is about but I know that was a lot of confusion on it so I just thought i should put that out there. Finally, all the best people are bonkers. Illustration to the fourth chapter, by John Tenniel. Rabbits are also known to have multiple litters, so they can symbolize that whatever growth is happening now is likely to be rapid and expansive. To step into the quickness, ask, what action I can take in my next project to ensure it is completed with ease? The White Rabbit pulls out a pocket watch, exclaims that he is late, and pops down a rabbit hole. - I am unable to find this quote in their book "Classics of Children's Literature". This book has no correlation to drugs. The White Rabbit serves as a symbol of the anxieties and stressors that can come with the passage of time and the demands of society. As a consequence, she grows rapidly into a giant. When Quetzalcoatl said he could only eat meat, the rabbit offered himself as a meal. They can also be fantastic reminders of the workings of The Spirit World since their presence so often takes you on a mystical path, but just for a short time. There is a saying, "You cannot cross flowing river twice", because each time you cross, you are crossing a new river(water). With his distinctive appearance, harried demeanor, and iconic pocket watch, the White Rabbit serves as a symbolic figure that represents more than meets the eye. Salt was believed to make witches weak, so the pinch part of the saying is the pinching of the salt and the punch part was to banish the witch once she was weakened by the salt. Alice is led by a white rabbit, leading to an adventure of sorts and beginning a new phase. Wood-engraving by Thomas Dalziel. But not a product of an acid trip. They tell the media whores that they will be the white queen if they have orgy sex with the Illuminati and take drugs. An ornate, classically styled wooden Mantel clock hand decorated, distressed and . However, they move quickly and can teach us a lot about the use of our intuitive senses. When you approach the book with this idea in mind, it offers interesting and meaningful interpretations of the events and characters in the story. Conclusion: In conclusion, the White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland is not just a cute and quirky character, but a symbol of deeper meanings related to time, anxiety, and societal pressures. Wonderland challenges and frustrates her perceptions of the world. It looks beautiful when Alice sees it from afar, but the loveliness vanishes as soon as she's actually inside the garden in Chapter 8. Just like rabbit symbolism is related to good luck, fertility, rebirth and gentleness, many representations of rabbits in literature are similar to these themes. The three hares also depict a lotus flower which implies that the hares represent a cycle of reincarnation and spiritual enlightenment. That's when Alice notices a white rabbit, a manifestation of her imagination that sparks her curiosity: "Alice follows the rabbit because she is 'burning with curiosity.' Love Lewis Carroll generally. Baby rabbits are adorable, but dreaming of one means you may be acting childlike in certain circumstances. The frantic, harried Wonderland creature that originally leads Alice to Wonderland. We're All Mad Here Tattoos When you see a white rabbit, they can symbolize purification fears regarding survival, and their appearance can encourage a more playful and curious view of the world. As a contrast, distinctly. While searching for them, she opens a cookie jar only to find a cookie with "Eat Me" written on it. In Alice in Wonderland, the garden's symbolism is fluid. By eating the cookie, she demonstrates Kohlbergs first theory of moral development, stage one of the preconventional level, which states that "right is whatever avoids punishment or gains reward" (Wood). He is portrayed by actor Johnny Depp. And it may not be a good idea to eat psychedelic mushrooms to grow up! The recent movie was terrible. The deeper meaning about AIW is less about Alice, or asolescence, or psychology, or 1800's politics, or Greek mythology - and much more what it has come to be known for - finding out the truth, going "down the rabbit hole", and realising when you get there how very strange it all is. The White Rabbit is a key character in Lewis Carroll's beloved tale, Alice in Wonderland. This most likely represents how she is facing her fear and taking on responsibility, or growing up.. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. But it can also be a warning that your sex life may be in trouble. Insanity does come into play at cirtain points in the original book , though it is hardly shown in the Disney version of the tale, which angers me but the choice of not setting insanity in a child's mind is understandable. But, as Lewis Carroll, whose real name was Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, was a very good mathematician a lot of the story is based on logic and maths. The symbolism is one akin to the messages shown to us by Alice and her Wonderland. 2023 The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers on this website. I'm afraid I can't explain myself, sir. PDF downloads of all 1725 LitCharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish. It's hard to believe the "drug" theory in that Carroll lived in an era alien to drugs. I was thinking that the story may be about finding yourself, knowing who you are. It's all about the moral decisions we make when faced with different type of dilemmas or realities in life or in our existence: good, bad, right, wrong, evil, poverty, power, insanity, wealth, fear, death, politics, mysticism or other representations and how we perceive to deal with it . We see this in many European cultures as a white rabbit can be seen as a kind of blessing. The White Rabbit is the spark of curiosity that activates Alice's spiritual awakening. Instant downloads of all 1725 LitChart PDFs There's also an Egyptian goddess, Unut, who was part-snake and part-hare. Rabbits were also associated with Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, who deemed newborn hares not to be killed and left under her protection instead. Alic in Wonderland is not about drugs! The heroine follows a talking white rabbit, meets . Required fields are marked *. Because there was no parent or adult figure around, curiosity prevailed against better judgment, and she ate the cookie. Was I the same when I got up this morning? The appearance of a white rabbit is often meant to alert us that we are now entering into a journey unknown. The fact that it was based off of a real child really supports this essay, since he was watching her develop into an adult. Shortly after Alice enters Wonderland, she encounters something else that makes no sense to her. Carroll himself describes the White Rabbit as follows: Was he framed on the Alice lines, or meant as a contrast? However they are only in 'Through the looking Glass and what Alice Found there'. Alice In Wonderland: The White Rabbit is a programming figure for Alice In Wonderland Programming who will allow you to go to otherwise inaccessible places for adventure. Also, Lewis Carroll probably was not on drugs when he wrote the Alice books, as if he was it would probably read as a random mash of events, and not how it does. Great stories, Harry Potter doesn't compare :). Here is a curiouser analysis, for the Wonderland fans. She thinks this is the root of her problem: Being so many different sizes in a day is very confusing. No, it isnt, replies the Caterpillar, who comes from the mad world of symbolic algebra. I have been enjoying looking at many of the dark fairy tales of late. The titular "White Rabbit", who is never actually namedropped in the song, is a well-known character featured in a classic piece of English literature entitled "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" (1865). The, they must first read the verses to see what they are about. Possibly inspired by it. Just as a childs life is filled with good and bad choices, Alice's is, too. In the Bible, it mentions that humans should not eat rabbits as they are considered unclean animals because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof.. Your email address will not be published. there was a link on facebook and you had to become a fan than you had to send it to friends then take a stupid quiz just to waste 5-10 mins of my time. In this post, we will explore the symbolism of the White Rabbit and uncover the deeper meanings behind this curious character. The white rabbit Spirit Animal helps you step into the spiral of returning. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is a perfect example of childhood through adolescence. "[She] is rarely aided by the creatures she meets. In the Chinese culture, the rabbit is known to be the luckiest out of all the twelve animals. The Cheshire Cat is sometimes interpreted as a guiding spirit for Alice, as it is he who directs her toward the March Hares house and the mad tea party, which eventually leads her to her final destination, the garden. Your timeline is off. Rabbits were associated with fairies, so they could communicate underground and humans could shapeshift into rabbits; taboos about killing them were often told. Well, in many different cultures, rabbits are seen as incredibly lucky animals and are considered good omens. To dream of a rabbit biting you indicates sexuality, and being nurturing towards living things. The White Rabbit is an important figure to the slave. I am sure his voice should quaver, and his knees quiver, and his whole air suggest a total inability to say Bo to a goose!. "She eats the cookie (in the White Rabbit's house) after being told the tale of The Curious Oysters." Cant wait 2 c it on sunday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. In general, rabbits are considered lucky animals, but white rabbits are symbols of good luck and impending opportunity. A rabbit attacking you is related to fertility, but it's a good omen, as this dream means you are about to embrace new beginnings and opportunities. Your email address will not be published. Yes, probably, but really? But if the most you can imagine is drugs, then I doubt you will be convinced by this. Inside the cookie jar were many cookies with labels with different instructions; the cookies were all telling her what to do. It's just an American Classic. Why is a writing desk like a Raven ??? Also, it is just a story, and as the metaphors used in it are primarily creative metaphors then the meaning can vary from reader to reader, and the interpretations are virtually infinite. Moved by the gesture, Quetzalcoatl returned to being a god and pressed the rabbit into the Moon, so when people look at the Moon, it serves as a reminder of generosity. That particular book is infamous for allegedly featuring innumerable references to getting or being high. In the story, the Man on the Moon comes to Earth and is very hungry, so the rabbit offers himself to be eaten. You have given us much food for thought! The White Rabbit is the first creature Alice sees, anxiously running into the rabbit hole in order to not be late. Ostara celebrates new life and in her vision can only see potential in things. He does eventually agree to tell her his story, which is about a judge-like cat named Fury. Megan Hatch is a writer at YourTango who covers zodiac, love and relationships, and pop culture. The Hatter is mentioned in chapter 7 and 11 from the book "Alice's Adventures in . De Morgan had proposed a more modern approach to algebra, which held that any procedure was valid as long as it followed an internal logic. The White Rabbit doesnt have a name; he is just being referred to as the white rabbit. Like Aunt Imogene there is no Prince to break the spell. A rabbit spirit animal reminds you that there's hope and new opportunities in your future. He occasionally is very rude and provokes Alice during the tea party. In Dodgsons day, intellectuals still understood temper to mean the proportions in which qualities were mixed as in tempered steel so the Caterpillar is telling Alice not to avoid getting angry but to stay in proportion, even if she cant keep the same size for 10 minutes together! Proportion, rather than absolute length, was what mattered in Alices above-ground world of Euclidean geometry. In addition, rabbits appear in carvings on Greek tombs, often eating figs or grapes, and symbolizing the cycle of life and death. Pink rabbits aren't seen in the wild, but dreaming of a pink rabbit means you may be ignorant to certain things in life and need to educate yourself. Question: What Can You Use For Rabbit Bedding? . not to be rude but where's the deep message of insanity??? The book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll, has been part of many childrens lives. Teachers and parents! The white rabbit is also often associated with new beginnings, as it symbolizes hope and possibility. The artist plays this up a bit for fun by calling it "mad" or "bonkers" because once people are able to see outside of this sociological conformity we are able to consider beyond what people tell us is strictly the right or wrong way to believe and/or think. I also think this is an excellent technique to release fear emotions. The Rabbit Hole The rabbit hole is the place where it all begins. Other gods were depicted as rabbits and guarded the underworld. He first attracts Alice's attention because he's a contradiction - an animal, but wearing a waistcoat (a vest) and a pocket watch. And you will be rewarded for your help. Thus the stoned animals represented the incompentent party going leaders, etc. It's a line from the Lewis Carroll novel 'Alice in Wonderland' and references a belief that there are hidden truths being concealed by a global elite heavily involved in a paedophile network -. I think Alice in Wonderland is more about the life of experience through the sense of children perspective on it.The writer has done a great work by not focusing and emphasizing particular concept or idea to understand it rather the different views to analyse. What does the rabbit hole symbolize in Alice in Wonderland? this is NOT about math, NOT about drugs (LSD wasn't even invented until 1898!). There are numerous theories about the origin of the phrase grinning like a Cheshire Cat in English history. Complete your free account to access notes and highlights. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. In Aztec culture, rabbits were symbols of fertility and partying. A society may perceive youngsters who give in to peer pressurefor example, children who take drugs or experiment in other reckless waysas monstrous. I know this after watching an interview, if you will with Lewis Carroll. The first book is loosely based around a pack of cards, and 'Through the looking Glass' takes its inspiration from a chess game. As much as I want to explain that, I really can't in someway. The white rabbit is the harkening of the inner shaman, the inner healer, and a mystic. As a symbol in dreams, meditations, or in the physical world around you, the white rabbit can symbolize you are about to enter into a mystery that will bring you closer to who you truly are. Rabbits were a common gift in Greece, specifically men giving them as a token of their love. Alice walks beside the, pot and has the whole court sneezing. He can also teleport with his arrival being a secret due to his invisibility. Alice could also be a stand-in for the person of Sophia of Gnosticism, the Goddess who is pulled into an exile in the underworld, tortured by the demiurge, and ultimately defeats him (the Jabberwocky/aka Satan/Aka powers of darkness in her own being and in the power structure at large. This journey will carry us through the path of our own fears, onto a quest of knowledge, step us into the mystery, but we will step out the other side. The White Rabbitwho reappears several times in the storywears a waistcoat, carries a pocket watch, and is always in a great hurry, anticipating the fury of the Duchess at his tardiness. The lyrics to Jefferson Airplane's White Rabbit did a fair bit to cement the association: "Remember what the Dormouse said / Feed your head, feed your head". Alice's Adventures in Wonderland Symbols Next The Garden The Garden Alice finds herself in a giant hall at the end of the rabbit hole, surrounded by locked doors. Alice sits on a summer day, drunkily reading over her sister's shoulder right before she throws up all the alcohol. Rabbits are small, timid, and very cute animals that are often adopted as domestic pets. In Buddhism, Buddha is said to have been a hare in an earlier incarnation. In 1967, the rock band Jefferson Airplane wrote a song called "White Rabbit." The song tells of. Take Peter Rabbit, for example, who hops around Mr. McGregor's garden, causing mischief. This is positive! What is the significance of the white rabbit? The Dean was always running late as well; when Alice was a child, there was no west entrance to the Christ Church Cathedral and the Dean would normally have had to leave the Deanery, walk along Tom Quad, around the Cloisters and into the Cathedral through the south door. RELATED: Spiritual Animal List & The Symbolic Meaning Of Power Animals. Alice follows the White Rabbit down the hole and comes upon a great hallway . Alice gets in trouble because of her curiosity. That's why the characters are fun for kids. The Caterpillar in the Disney film is a blue creature who, as in the original Carroll story, smokes a hookah. Instead, he used symbolism, mathematical and physiological referencing, and many other writing techniques to create a world not known to any, but lived by all. Dreaming of a dead rabbit is a warning sign that a person or issue in your life may be at risk, and you may be putting yourself in a tough situation. Creating notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account. The white rabbit is a classic symbol of purity and the white rabbit is often used to represent the embodiment of child-like qualities, such as curiosity and wonder. She ate the White Rabbits "eat me" cookies very early on in the first book. The white rabbit symbolizes Neo's journey in The Matrix Neo's own journey down the rabbit hole, in a lot of ways, mirrors Alice's adventures in "Alice in Wonderland," from the dream-like quality of some of the events that take place to a loss of innocence and naivety. To leap over this obstacle, she reaches into her pocket to find a mushroom from earlier, eats it, and grows to an enormous size. In their hieroglyphs and art, hares, eggs, and the resurrection of Osiris are all depicted. His humour is so great. It is simply a children's story from a time when people actually had imagination. How puzzling all these changes are! When you see a white rabbit, they can symbolize purification fears regarding survival, and their appearance can encourage a more playful and curious view of the world. He was a mathematician who created some very "secure" CIPH ERS for his time, try to keep this in mind, just enough, but not all the time ;). I have also heard that it is about the author's childhood. In sociology, there is a stage called transitional adulthood. The purpose of art is to send a message through different images; sometimes unrelated to what we call "common sense." 1, My Address, My Street, New York City, NY, USA, A Visual Delight: The Art of Wonderland in Alices Adventures in Wonderland, Curiouser and Curiouser: The Enduring Popularity of Alice in Wonderland in Pop Culture. 2023byTango Publishing Corporation All Rights Reserved. It is a world of madness and unhappiness. My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class., Requesting a new guide requires a free LitCharts account. RELATED: More Baby Names That Mean Rabbit. Later in the book, Alice is confronted with another confusing situation. Alice - The story of Alice in Wonderland has Alice taking a magical adventure down the rabbit hole where she meets a white rabbit. & See how the symbol looks like a child? Rather than thinking you are superior, it's important to remain down-to-earth; otherwise, you will push people away from you. Eventually, though, she finds a way to nibble herself down to nine inches, and enters a little house where she finds the Duchess, her baby, the Cook and the Cheshire Cat. And at that distance too! Alice must master the properties of the mushroom to gain control over her fluctuating size, which represents the bodily frustrations that accompany puberty. book is so rad. ". White rabbit runs and falls into a hole. Another tale is about the rabbit in the moon. They are positive signs that the journey you are on now will likely reach completion within a single lunar cycle and within your generation. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. What is the significance of the white rabbit? Obviously it shares imagery with the Garden of Edena lost paradise. To me, that is the quintessential definition of any good creative genius, his or her work presents in various interpretations to different people just as when someone takes a prism and shines it to the light. The white rabbit and his appearance to you symbolize the letting go of fears, ideas, and as a message to drop the seriousness of life. The White Rabbit is the first Wonderland character Alice encounters. I'm not a goody goody who wants to damper your drug fun ideas when it comes to this story but that's not what it is so stop insulting it. Your interpretation of black rabbits all depends on how you symbolize it and your own personal or cultural impression of them. No matter how you interpret it, it is right in ts own way. Alice starts out following the rules and protocol of life and then decides runs down the endless rabbit hole (the hidden, dark, your subconscious and unconscious motives for what you chose in life). I am glad I found this essay because now I can tell this board member that there can be a very good lesson taken from this story. On the flip side, rabbits also symbolize the impossible feat of achieving those dreams. RELATED: Bird Meanings & Symbolism Explained. Great movie. The white rabbit is the character at the beginning that Alice follows into Wonderland. Soon she finds things becoming 'curiouser and curiouser.' Of course there were drugs in the 1800's. PDFs of modern translations of every Shakespeare play and poem. From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. Rabbits are also central in "The Velveteen Rabbit," who is transformed into a real rabbit from the love of its owner; as the practical friend of Winne-the-Pooh; and in the novel "Watership Down," where character Hazel serves as the chief rabbit after a disaster who is loyal to his companions. However they often appear in film adaptations entitled 'Alice in wonderland' or variations thereof. Harper Lee stated that people have told her that with each reading of "Mockingbird", they "see" something different.