The Concept of Time and Its Manipulation in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass: A Study of How Time Is Distorted in Both Novels

Time is a central theme in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass, with both novels playing with the concept of time and its manipulation. The characters in Wonderland often behave as though time has no fixed rules, and time itself becomes a fluid, malleable force within the narrative.

In Wonderland, the White Rabbit is constantly running out of time, while the Mad Hatter’s tea party is a paradoxical space where time seems to stand still. Similarly, in Through the Looking-Glass, time is turned upside down, where everything is reversed and events occur in a non-linear fashion. Carroll uses these distortions of time to challenge conventional perceptions of reality and to explore the idea that time, like the world Alice inhabits, is subjective and open to interpretation.

Through the manipulation of time, Carroll invites readers to question the conventional understanding of time as a rigid, unchanging force and to consider how time is perceived differently depending on one’s perspective or state of mind.