Alice in WonderlandWhen you think of children's storybooks, you automatically assume a simple fairy tale with no particular purpose. Lewis Carroll, author of Alice in Wonderland, does very well in portraying a deeper message with the use of symbolism and satire. Almost all the characters in the story function as symbols, leaving the rest to the reader's imagination. Even though Alice in Wonderland doesn't satisfy the "classic fairy tale", it doesn't leave anyone, especially children, to question the story. Since Alice in Wonderland is a dream tale, it allows Lewis Carroll to criticize and mock the Victorian age. Like many other well-known authors, they use satire to point out the flaws of society and people in a humorous way. The central idea behind Alice in Wonderland is the chaos that comes with puberty and growing up. More importantly, the use of the rabbit hole, which grows and narrows, having to identify with the characters and Alice herself helps build the main theme of the story. The symbols found in Alice in Wonderland do not necessarily represent just one particular thing. They often all work together to form the overall meaning of the story. Additionally, a symbol can have more than one meaning behind it. For example, the rabbit hole could symbolize loneliness, abandonment, or even awareness. Alice's initial reaction to going down the rabbit hole was one of intense loneliness. Furthermore, it was Alice's curiosity that brought her into such a bizarre world. Another meaning behind the rabbit hole is to finally wake up. As Alice fell down the rabbit hole, objects began to emerge before her eyes. These objects were somewhat distorted from how they initially appeared... in the center of the card... far away from an individual. Overall, the characters in Wonderland represent adults in the “real world” and Alice's point of view of them. Alice's quest in Wonderland is not well thought out, in fact her encounters are messy. The fact that his encounters are unpredictable places Lewis Carroll's fairy tale beneath Gothic horror. Without a doubt, Alice's experiences can be illustrated as a nightmare. More importantly, Lewis Carroll's use of satire and symbolism gives Alice in Wonderland a significant edge. All of the different characters used in Wonderland essentially come together to form a secret lesson, teaching children about the difficulties of having to grow up. Lewis Carroll uses the rabbit hole, growing and shrinking, identifying with the characters and Alice herself as symbols. As in the “real world,” the only known laws in Wonderland are those of chaos.