~Alice and the Caterpillar~
This is the world famous scene where Alice talks to the hookah smoking Blue Caterpillar. I think it represents a major aspect of this odd story in the very first quotation that it expresses. ‘Who are you?’ The Caterpillar asks Alice, and the question seems to fit well in the midst of the bizarre world that Alice now finds herself in. Who am i? She wonders to herself, and she can’t be sure if she knows. In a topsy turvy world that parallels the insides of a midday dream, how could she be sure of who she was? She can only ponder it at best.
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Alice looked all around her at the flowers and blades of grass, but she could not see anything that looked like the right thing to eat or drink under the circumstances. There was a large mushroom growing near her, about the same height as herself. She stretched herself up on tiptoe and peeped over the edge and her eyes immediately met those of a large blue caterpillar, that was sitting on the top of the mushroom, with its arms folded, quietly smoking a long hookah and taking not the slightest notice of her or of anything else.
The Caterpillar and Alice looked at each other for some time in silence: at last the Caterpillar took the hookah out of its mouth, and addressed her in a languid, sleepy voice.
'Who are you?' said the Caterpillar.
This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation. Alice replied, rather shyly, 'I — I hardly know, sir, just at present — at least I know who I was when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.'
'What do you mean by that?' said the Caterpillar sternly. 'Explain yourself!'
'I can't explain myself, I'm afraid, sir' said Alice, 'because I'm not myself, you see’
'I don't see,' said the Caterpillar.
'I'm afraid I can't put it more clearly,' Alice replied very politely, 'for I can't understand it myself to begin with; and being so many different sizes in a day is very confusing.'She drew herself up and said very gravely,”I think you ought to tell me who_you_are,first.”
'Who are you?' said the Caterpillar.
This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation. Alice replied, rather shyly, 'I — I hardly know, sir, just at present — at least I know who I was when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.'
'What do you mean by that?' said the Caterpillar sternly. 'Explain yourself!'
'I can't explain myself, I'm afraid, sir' said Alice, 'because I'm not myself, you see’
'I don't see,' said the Caterpillar.
'I'm afraid I can't put it more clearly,' Alice replied very politely, 'for I can't understand it myself to begin with; and being so many different sizes in a day is very confusing.'She drew herself up and said very gravely,”I think you ought to tell me who_you_are,first.”
“Why?” Said the Caterpillar.
As Alice could not think of any good reason and the Caterpillar seemed to be in a very unpleasant state of mind she turned away.
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She started off 4 feet tall, and the next thing she knows she is four inches small. She goes from seeing the tops of counters and tables, to barely being able to see the above the grass. Perspective is everything, and alice in wonderland is most certainly a tale about perspectives changing. What seems smart but is actually silly, what would be silly but is revealed to be kind be smart. Who are you? The caterpillar asks ALice, well she doesn't really know, she herself has changed at least 3 times since the morning.______________________________________________________________________
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