Comparison Of Coming Of Age In Alice's Adventures In Wonderland And Northern Lights

The novels I will be discussing are; Lewis Carrol’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Phillip Pullman’s Northern Lights. Both protagonists in these books experience their coming of age in a world of fantasy and adventuring into the unknown. While these books are set in realms of what we consider bizarre and fantastical, they both provide timeless problems and lessons the modern reader can relate and learn from. The Coming of Age genre in these books’ cases deals with the issue of growing up. Like many of their readers, while growing up both protagonists experience feelings of confusion and apprehension reflected in their settings. It is only when they take steps into the unfamiliar and experience new things do they begin their journeys
But to Lyra, it is nothing but another part of life, she also has no problem accepting that there is a tribe of talking polar bear who hold grudges or witches who appear from nowhere, to Lyra, life with her daemon would be unliveable and a life without magic – unthinkable. Contrasting to Alice, who comes from a world where talking animals don’t tend to be a common feature in day to day life. On her journey Alice encounters many strange characters, from a rabbit with a watch to smirking cat. Unlike Lyra, Alice has great difficulty in understanding and getting used to the creatures she meets – much like the residents of Wonderland don’t understand the “curious child” who has stumbled upon
123) that when something is presented to Alice she is persistent. She works hard to achieve the task at hand. After much persistence, Alice gets into the Queen’s garden for the Queen’s croquet match. It is here Alice exhibits her first example of an increased self-confidence. Alice is annoyed by the match because there are no rules. Alice dismisses the Queen’s nonsense quietly to herself, “There only a pack of cards after all, I needn’t be afraid of them!” It is in the court however, Alice reveals her new found self-assured, boldness. She takes all the food and drink at her own leisure and grows accordingly. Alice’s increased size is a representation of her growing confidence. When “rule forty-two” is introduced against Alice stating; “All persons more than a mile-high must leave the court”, Alice loses all her previous inhibitions. Her newfound confidence, and height, make for a braver, bolder Alice. She challenges the court, which represent authority, claiming their rules and laws are “nonsense”. Unlike previously, Alice now has the confidence to declare loudly that “You’re nothing but a pack of cards!” Alice displays her coming of age by her finally making up her own mind. Nobody told her to challenge the Queen or the court, she said what was needed to be said all on her own. She is no longer afraid of the consequences because instead of trying to make sense of Wonderland and its whimsy, she realises Wonderland does not follow logic or sense. Because of