((Can a pencil be a role model?))
When I was in lower school, I remember reading my (slighty) older cousin’s story of a pencil. In it she explained the life of the pencil- its creation, use, and “death.” Somehow she gave the pencil meaning and it became a hero. It worked daily, sharpened despite splinters, survived while being forgotten behind a desk and more. As unbelievable as it sounds, upon reading her short story I found myself respecting pencils. Temporarily an inanimate object became my role model. Now, if inanimate objects can become leaders of course fictional characters can lead.
We have seen through learning about each other’s role model’s that heroes and leaders are both famous and obscure, both moral and immoral. I have found, however, that a leader works with their faults and mistakes and better themselves and those around them.
Just as, say, Johnny Depp or John Lennon made some bad choices but still brought meaning to others with their personality, so too does Alice in Wonderland learn from her mistakes. When Alice mentions her pet cat and dog in loving terms to the mouse, the mouse becomes extremely offended. Very quickly, though, Alice begins disciplining herself not to mention either animal. Throughout her adventures, Alice displays this sense of learning through experience. And, it is in her human qualities such as making mistakes and having curiosity which make her a role model. She becomes a hero when she resists temptations, perseveres, shows courage, stays witty, and thinks on her own.
((the confusing tea party))For example, despite the utter confusion at the Mad Hatter’s tea party, Alice keeps going. After attempting to understand the chaotic situation, “she got up in great disgust, and walked off” (Carroll 77). She is a hero for fending for herself during the situation. She tries to figure out the method to the guest’s communication, but when she realizes she cannot, she simply leaves. I admire this matter-of-fact way of thinking as she logically assesses a situation at face value and then decides what is best. Perhaps it is Alice’s childhood innocence that makes Alice so open to situations through her curiosity.
((the cards Alice protects))As a leader, Alice also shows courage when she stands up for herself to keep her conviction and help her new acquaintances. During the croquet party, Alice refuses to tell the Queen the name of the face down cards, and during the trial Alice refuses to leave. Later at the end of her journey through the looking-glass, Alice also thinks on her own even though both queens expect her to have their own reasoning: when the White Queen speaks of thinking backwards, Alice states, “I don’t understand you, its dreadfully confusing” (Carroll 196). In Alice’s situation, many of us would fear the consequences of standing up for ourselves or what is right. Alice, however, bravely speaks her mind—something we must all work on.
Similarly, Alice’s persistence and survival make her a hero. When Alice hears that the Queen is listening, for instance, she cleverly changes her story that she tells to the Cheshire Cat. And, throughout both her adventures in Wonderland and through the looking-glass, she tries to move on to her next destination. In particular, she strives toward becoming a queen in the great game of chess through the looking-glass. As a role model, therefore, she holds goals and consistently moves forward.
If the fictional character of Alice is a hero and role model, then her creator must be as well. A writer must cleverly convey messages to his or her audience in order to tell a story and even shape our views. Indeed, Alice in Wonderland does just that by being “light and fantastic but with serious bits of thought embedded in it (Dougill 671). Lewis Carroll thus leads by teaching his readers about leadership and finding an identity.
At the same time, Carroll is a hero by writing an inspirational and entertaining piece of literature even while possessing human characteristics. He was a “shy mathematician,” a lover of wordplay, awkward, and quirky (673-4). To me these human characteristics make him a role model because they allow me to better identify with his emotions and thought processes. It is those very emotions that allow Carroll to write since he wrote the Alice books as a form catharsis. So, his invented characters of his story are not the only things that lead; his view points, life experiences, and obsession with identity and childhood guide both his writing and his readers.
Thus, whether it is the fictional character or the writer, many objects can lead us. We have already written about living and breathing role models, and now we can write about the leadership created by one’s imagination.
