TOW #5 "Who Can Be Finished With Alice?" by Adam Gopnik

         Adam Gopnik has been writing for The New Yorker, since 1986. He is known for his critiques of artwork, humorous editorials, and book reviews. In his essay, Who Can Be Finished With Alice?, he shares his thoughts on Lewis Carroll's two Alice books, and details the impact they have had on society.  Although I have personally always been a huge fan of Carroll's works, Who Can Be Finished With Alice?, would also probably resonate with those who are not as fascinated by the series, and help explain why the two books are such significant pieces of literature. Gopnik utilizes a high level vocabulary, and several allusions to pop culture and politics, so a more mature audience can probably get more out of reading this particular piece. He begins by making connections to characters in the books and GOP candidates for the 2016 election, beginning with none other than Carly Fiorina put next to the Red Queen. He then switches gears, and talks about the composition and publication of several annotated versions of the Alice books, specifically Gardner's famous collection of analysis regarding the books. In doing so, he is able to show the importance that the books have in the connections that they make, but also in the connections that readers are able to draw from them individually. He references experts on the book series, such as Gardner, but also iconic celebrities such as John Lennon. He writes, "'I was passionate about Alice in Wonderland and drew all the characters. I did poems in the style of Jabberwocky. I used to live Alice,' John once said," (Gopnik, pg. 1). By showing the impact that the book had on particularly important people, Gopnik is able to show the scope that the books have had culturally. Through many references, metaphors, and allusions, he shows that no one can ever really be finished with Alice, as she is ingrained in our society and way of life. 

I accessed this essay virtually on The New Yorker's website: http://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/who-can-be-finished-with-alice?intcid=popular

In 2009, Disney made another version of Alice in Wonderland featuring a star-studded cast, an updated storyline, as well as lots of cutting edge  technology to blend real actors with the surrealism that the series is known for.