While reading both essays, I truly appreciated the insightful findings both Daniel and Professor Bump had to offer. However, I did notice a few discrepancies. The first essay introduces the personification of animals and their thematic significance to Alice. Although Alice is sometimes harsh to the creatures, I would disagree that she is an overall anthropocentric protagonist. Daniel suggests that "This seems to highlight Carroll's underlying theme within Alice's journey; Alice must learn to empathize with those who are different from her in order to grow up" (444). However, Alice's attitude may be a result of her homesickness. It is suggested, that she holds Dinah, her cat, very dear to her. Clearly, Alice does not dichotomize animals but rather, feels anxious about the animals that comfort her. This could be the reason why Alice embraces a "predatory nature".
In the second essay, it is suggest that "Relationships with other animals in the Alice books are very different. Lovell-Smith has shown that these animals are not only allegories and allusions to people and ideas but also representatives of their species in nature, "objects of contemporary scientific observation and description" (451). But more than allusions to people, the animals represent stages in Alice's life that she may experience. The white rabbit represents the anxiety Alice will encounter in adulthood. The Chesire cat alludes to her crisis searching for a self-identity. Both essays seem to suggest there are darker undertones to Alice's journey. Although the animals are portrayed as whimsical characters, they reveal much more into the psychology of Alice's journey.
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