ISSN: 2581-8651 Journal of Humanities and

Vol-3, Issue-4, Jul – Aug 2021 Education Development

Alice in Wonderland: A Mythical Journey

1Master Student in the Programa de Pós-graduação em Engenharia e Gestão do Conhecimento at Santa Catarina Federal University, Brazil
2Dr. Eng.; Titular Professor at Santa Catarina Federal University; Brazil

Received: 03 Jul 2021; Received in revised form: 02 Aug 2021; Accepted: 10 Aug 2021
©2021 The Author(s). Published by TheShillonga. This is an open access article under the CC BY license
(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Abstract
The theme of this work is a study of theories about the myth of the hero lived out by the character Alice, of the film Alice in
Wonderland, directed by Tim Burton and based on the work of the writer Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, under the pseudonym
Lewis Carroll in 1865. A brief psychological analysis is made of the relationship of the fantastic narrative with the process
of individuation of the protagonist and the symbolic representations in the psychic development that occurs, through her
mythical experience of the “hero's journey” that was elaborated by Joseph Cambpell in The Hero of a Thousand Faces. This
theory presents the various stages of the mythical journey of the hero, trajectory which is marked by complications, trials
and lessons that the hero must undertake to develop inwardly. At the end of the journey Alice not only develops herself but
also interferes with the local order of her community which is governed by rigid and patriarchal norms. As Campbell puts it,
the hero's return entails putting the learned wisdom into practice so that he/she shares the benefits gained on the journey.
Keywords— Alice in Wonderland; hero's journey; process of individuation; self-development.
I. INTRODUCTION Campbell (1992) states that when the myth appears in the
In the pre-modern world, mythology was indispensable. It form of entertainment, it is not taken seriously, however,
helped people find meaning in their lives, as well as when it emerges in religious contexts, the myth is not only
revealing regions of the human mind that would otherwise accepted as real but also considered revelation of truths of
remain inaccessible. the respective culture and reveals from where their
spiritual authority and temporal power derive.
The renowned mythologist Joseph Campbell states that
with the myths, humans, consciously or unconsciously, are The individual in previous historical periods was totally
inserted into the local organization, both emotionally and absorbed and integrated with nature, with its cycles of life
intellectually. Man, says Campbell (1992, p.16), "cannot and death, and regarding dealing with the land, since it was
maintain himself in the universe without belief in some believed that from it, derived all of existence and
arrangement of the general inheritance of myth. In fact, the continuity. (CABREIRA, 2006). With modernization, man
fullness of his life would even seem to stand in a direct has lost his capacity for symbolic production, which now
ratio to the depth and range, not of his rational thought, but has a psychic importance, since the unconscious preserves
to his local mythology." this capacity.

Stories of gods and heroes descending into the depths of In this way, the connection between archaic myths and
the earth, battling monsters and traversing labyrinths, have symbols of the unconscious is of great value for analytic
brought to light the mysterious mechanisms of the psyche, work, since it allows interpreting of the symbols both in
showing people how to deal with intimate crises. their universal historical aspect and in their psychological
Accepting it as it was understood in previous societies, the sense, as we shall see in the symbolic relation between the
myth designates a true story and not simply as a fable or an saga of the hero and the egoic development of the
invented and unconnected story. These ancient societies protagonist of the film - Alice.
gave meaning to the world through myth (CAMPBELL, When Freud and Jung began the modern investigation of
1992). the soul, they instinctively turned to classical mythology to

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explain their theories, giving a new interpretation to the 6. Tests, Allies, Enemies
old myths. 7. Approach to the Inmost (Hidden) Cave
In this sense, the archetype of the hero is something very 8. Ordeal (Probation)
present in the contemporaneity. In films, novels, books,
9. Reward (Seizing the Sword)
and others, the heroic sagas are constantly counted and
retold, which demonstrates its structuring aspect of the 10. The Road Back
psyche. The challenges of the hero represent the struggle 11. Resurrection
of the ego's development against the regressive forces of
12. Return with the Elixir
the unconscious, as Henderson (2008) explains. The hero's
trials represent his symbolic death for later rebirth, as they This model is universal and occurs in all cultures, in all
allow the "ego-hero", contact with his shadow, the occult, ages. The variables are infinite, equating the number of
repressed aspects of the personality. singularities in human existence, as Vogler (1998) puts it,
but its basic form remains constant. "The hero's journey is
Through symbolic death (Catábase or initiatory rite), the
a set of extremely persistent elements, flowing ceaselessly
hero becomes more aware of his strengths and weaknesses,
from the deepest layers of the human mind" (VOGLER
reaching the necessary maturity to overcome the
1998, p.33). The details differ, but they are fundamentally
challenges of his journey. Thus, the hero's archetype is
the same.
associated with rites of passage, fundamental for
structuring consciousness, through the mythologema of The perspective of Campbell's thinking is equivalent to
the hero who kills the monster, as we will see in the Alice that of the Swiss psychologist Carl G. Jung who wrote
in Wonderland movie, where Alice kills the Jabberwocky, about the archetypes, characters, or energies that are
the dragon, which represents the obstacle that prevents her constantly repeated. For Jung (2000), archetypes are
from raising her consciousness to the next level. Alice's values, beliefs passed on to succeeding generations, they
dragon is that hidden force that prevents her from being represent our ancestral baggage even though we are not
who she really is in her divine essence and not simply aware of them. Archetypes are models, which are often
following the social norms around “being a woman”, naturalized and therefore unnoticed.
taking into account the time in which the story occurs. Sinzato (2007, p. 62) contends that "archetypal images are
The film is directed by Tim Burton and based on the work contents that people do not know they know about, but
of the writer Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, under the when they come into contact with them, they capture their
pseudonym Lewis Carroll, in 1865. The film portrays the essence as if they are remembering something known." For
journey of the hero lived out by the protagonist of the tale, example, as the author points out, St. Paul felt he was more
Alice. A brief psychological analysis is made of the than a nomadic weaver because he had the conviction that
relationship between the fantastic narrative and the he was a messenger of the Lord. St. Paul seized the
individuation process of the protagonist, and the symbolic archetype of the messenger and thus felt himself more than
representations in her psychic development. Considering a mere craftsman.
the context of the time in history and the social role of Jung (2000) realized the analogy between his patients'
women in the nineteenth century, the symbolism of diving dreams and mythological archetypes, and this led him to
into the own unconscious is discussed, as well as elements hypothesize that both come from a common source, the
of life and a few aspects of the protagonist's psyche. The collective unconscious. For this author all the archetypes
hero's journey reflects the transformation and growth that are in the collective unconscious, and therefore, are
Alice went through. unknown to humanity.
The hero's journey was elaborated by Joseph Campbell in Therefore, for Campbell (1992) the myth is a narrative of
his famous book The Hero of a Thousand Faces, in which symbolic character. The author noted that the mythology
the author describes hidden patterns in mythology was the same under a variety of customs, that is, the author
represented by the twelve stages experienced by the hero: believed that there was a common sense among all
1. Ordinary World mythologies. In his studies Campbell extracted an
explanatory summary that applies to all the myths, to what
2. Call to Adventure
he denominated monomyth. The hero's journey illustrates
3. Refusal of the Call the trajectory of challenges, struggles and achievements
4. Meeting the Mentor experienced by the hero, who is each of us, humans.
5. Crossing the First Threshold The hero's journey, says Campbell, is marked by physical
and spiritual prowess. Every path traveled by the hero

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follows in the sense of self-development, of self- In addition, the hero's journey was used in several doctoral
knowledge, so the hero's journey is not understood as a thesis and research. Carmem Isabel Pereira Sinzato (2007)
warrior journey, but as a “liberation” of being. It is hoped, of the Post-Graduation Program in Production Engineering
contributes Sinzato (2007, 54), that "as a hero, you free at the Santa Catarina Federal University, in her thesis
yourself from the darkness of unknowing yourself and “Conhece-te a ti mesmo: uma proposta de
seek the light, pursuing the delphic maxim ‘Know desenvolvimento da Maestria Intrapessoal de Líderes”,
thyself’”. (Know thyself: a proposal to develop the Intrapersonal
Leadership Mastery), created a method inspired by the
journey undertaken by hero Hercules, in its conceptual
The trajectory of the hero's journey, according to Cabreira
basis, the leader's journey towards intrapersonal mastery.
(2006), is marked by complications, trials and lessons that
Community leaders who focused on the development and
the hero must undertake in order to achieve his inner
personal transformation of their collaborators participated
development.
in this research. It is thus a spiritual, servant and conscious
Screenwriting analyst Christopher Vogler, a specialist in leadership. According to the researcher, leaders who are
fairy tales and myths, and consultant of the Disney feature participants in this type of movement are generally those
films The Lion King and The Beauty and the Beast, in his who seek self-knowledge and are therefore aware that this
book The Author's Journey - Mythical Structures for movement is not from the outside to the inside, but rather
Authors related Jung's concepts and the mythical studies of the opposite, says the author. “It can be said that the
Campbell. The book reappears (VOGLER, 1998) with the formation of true leaders passes through the exercise of a
archetypes and the twelve stages of the hero's journey. The posture of an authentic and balanced life ... '' (SINZATO,
book serves as a guide for writers who seek to create depth 2007, p.14).
in stories and characters that look real in the eyes of
This study, points out Sinzato (2007), contributed to the
readers. In this book the author succinctly exposes gender
personal development of leaders and therefore to the
problems within the hero's journey, according to Vogler
humanized development of organizations. Besides it this
(1998), this theory shows only the male perspective; "there
research contributes significantly to the proposal of the
can be a real difference in the form of the journeys of men
respective article regarding the relevance of self-
and women. The journey of men may be, in some respects,
knowledge for personal and social development,
more linear, evolving from one external goal to the next,
considering that we are all One, united and integrated.
whereas the journey of women may develop in a spiral,
Thus, when a person manages to deepen their knowledge
into the interior and the exterior "(p.20).
of self and attain personal mastery, they also contributes to
Mauren Murdock, then Campbell's student, also noted that the development of others around them: "He who makes
the hero's journey does not encompass the female inner the journey of the hero enters the lands of intrapersonal
universe, so the researcher wrote a book; The Heroine's mastery, finds knowledge of self, changes his gaze upon to
Journey: Woman's Quest for Wholeness. In it, the author himself, upon others and upon his world and returns
elaborates the journey of the heroine structured in a transformed'' (SINZATO, 2007, 53).
circular form, formed by ten stages with a contemporary
Another Thesis of the Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program
vision of the yearnings and the positions that women
in Human Sciences at the Santa Catarina Federal
occupy today in the society. Murdock (1990) argues that it
University – (UFSC) by Regina Helena Cabreira (2006) is
is still possible in contemporary times to observe how
“A Condição Feminina na Sociedade Ocidental
much women live out the hero's journey. This is because
Contemporânea – Uma Releitura de A Letra Escarlate de
the father is the figure of power and success in the home.
Nathaniel Hawthorne.” (The Female Condition in
This fact makes the woman in her earliest stages of human
Contemporary Western Society - A Re-reading of The
development identify with the paternal figure by denying
Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne). This paper deals
the feminine values that were once sacred in the past, such
mainly with the need to value the "feminine" aspect in our
as sensuality, intuition, creativity.
lives and societies. From the urgency of questioning and
This fact is observed in the performance of the protagonist reflecting upon the role of women in contemporary
of the film, Alice, who makes the journey of the hero and Western society to the various types of stigmatization that
not of the heroine. The beginning of the film evidences women still suffer in the environments in which they live.
Alice’s strong identification with the paternal figure,
To that end, Cabreira (2006) analyzed the novel The
influencing her decision to continue her father's dream to
Scarlet Letter (1850), by Nathaniel Hawthorne. He
explore the unknown and unexplored continents until then.
presented, firstly a mythical-historical view, where he
rescues the concept of “feminine”, through the works of

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Marija Gimbutas in The Language of the Goddess (2001) biologically and psychologically archetypal. But what has
and Edward Whitmont in The Return of the Goddess happened now is that women have been relieved to some
(2001), among others. Second, Joseph Campbell's theory extent from their traditional attachment to the home. They
of the hero's journey in The Hero of a Thousand Faces have entered the field and the forest of individual search,
(2002), with an emphasis on the "heroic trajectory" and conquest and personal fulfillment, for which there are no
how it applies to the analysis of the deep structure of the feminine models (....). The challenge of the moment is to
novel, and the trajectory of the heroine Hester Prynne. flourish as an individual, neither as biological archetypes
Thirdly, the symbolic study of the content of the novel, nor personalities that emulate the masculine. Again, there
which shows the deep meaning of the elements that make are no models in our mythology for an individual female
up the mythical trajectory in question. quest. Nor are there models for the man who marries an
The relevance of this study to the symbolic and mythical individualized woman. We are in this together, and we
analysis through Alice's journey, as well as the process of must resolve this together, not with passion (which is
maturation of the protagonist of the film, is due to the always archetypal), but with compassion, nurturing each
redemption of the female. Cabreira (2006) makes a other's growth with patience.
beautiful interpretation and through her bibliographical Another work that contributes significantly to this
research of this aspect, the author reminds everyone about systematic review, which in turn was published as a book,
“Being-Woman”, which in turn has been misrepresented is O Feminino e o Sagrado: mulheres na jornada do herói,
over the last few centuries and, despite the many efforts of (The Sacred Feminine: women in the journey of the hero),
academic movements, feminists and others, there are still authors Beatriz Del Picchia and Cristina Balieiro (2010).
some discrepancies between women and men in social, The writing project for this book, the authors pointed out,
cultural and organizational life. was originally based on another book: “O jardim sagrado -
The author illustrates the life of Hester Prynne, a woman a dimensão espiritual da vivência femina” by Sherry Ruth
who married an older man, whom she did not love, but as Anderson and Patricia Hopkins, published in Brazil in
was common at that time, in 1642, when immigrating to a 1993 and in the United States in 1991 with the original
distant and lonely place, she gets romantically involved title The feminine face of God - The unfolding of the
with the local pastor and gets pregnant of him. Hester is sacred in women. The reading of this book, as reported by
convicted of adultery and is arrested, in addition to being Picchia and Balieiro (2010), had a strong impact on them
condemned by society to live the next years away from because both were strongly interested in the issues of the
everyone. feminine, mythology and manifestations of the sacred in
everyday life. Fifteen women participated in this study, all
This is the story of many women, not necessarily in the
with some relation to the search for the knowing of
same scenario, but similar. And even today it is possible to
themselves. It was more than fifty hours of recording and
observe an unequal and unjust society. It can be said,
about five hundred pages of transcription, with a total of
contributing to Jung's concept of the collective
four years of work, between the project, the interviews and
unconscious that, since its content and value are unknown
the analysis of the data. In this study the authors observe
to humanity, the historical and cultural construction of the
how the hero's journey lived by the participants was not
role and value of women in society is deeply rooted and
linear but rather circular, they verified the relevance of this
distorted in the collective unconscious.
journey and the impact of this trajectory in their lives. In
Challenges to transmute such symbolic value are pointed addition, this study proves the observations of Campbell
out and articles such as that of Cabreira (2006), Sinzato (2007) when relating myths to the journey of the hero.
(2007) and Picchia and Balieiro (2010), including the
One can therefore ascertain the different facets and
respective analysis of Alice's journey, contribute to re-
possibilities for the use and interpretation of the hero's
construct the Being-Woman.
journey. All, however, refer to the pursuit of self-
Corroborating to the debate, Campbell (2015, p.15): Many knowledge and self-development. This is not an easy, but
of the difficulty women face today are due to the fact that necessary, path. Wonder: what would Alice's life be like if
they are entering a field of action in the world that was the protagonist of the movie had not invested in her
previously reserved for men and for which there are no journey into Wonderland? It is likely that she would have
female mythological models. Consequently, the woman married a duke she was not in love with, would have
finds herself in a competitive relationship with man and children, and would be subservient to the duke and social
doing it they may lose the sense of her own nature. Her rules. Alice would possibly remain in the female standard
prescribed role was to give birth and raise children. The of the time. She would suffer internally and would not
male role was to sustain and protect. These roles were have the strength to express her divine gift, which is

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nothing more than the encounter with oneself, with the moral integrity, public and private life, and struggle to
sacred, the divine. maintain and at the same time, rescue, their innate
Alice's Wonderland Journey will begin with a brief characteristic, their instinctive nature''.
interpretation of Alice in Wonderland using the Hero's (2.1.2) Call to adventure
Journey as a methodological basis as well as the research “[…] the call rings us the curtain, always, on a mystery of
and studies previously cited. transfiguration—a rite, or moment, of spiritual passage,
which, when complete, amounts to a dying and a birth.
II. THE HERO´S JOURNEY REPRESENTED IN (1968, pg. 51).
THE EXPERIENCE LIVED BY ALICE (Joseph Campbell, 2007, p.61)
2.1 The hero's journey - The rupture: (2.1.1) Everyday This first stage, alluded Picchia and Balieiro (2010), means
world; (2.1.2) Call to adventure; (2.1.3) Crossing the that destiny summoned the hero and transferred him from
first threshold the center of society to an unknown region.
(2.1.1) Everyday world Campbell (2007) states that the call usually occurs by
The everyday world is not a stage of the journey, but the mistake or mere chance, the frog emerges to rescue the
place from where the hero left and where he will return to. ball from the bottom of the pond, the girl observes the
It is the world in which each person lives, for example, elegant rabbit running through the garden, the young girl
Picchia and Balieiro (2010) report that the everyday world falls in love with the shepherd and gets pregnant. But this
of their participants [in their study] is the state of São event reveals a new and unsuspected world in which the
Paulo. Meanwhile, Hester Prynne's journey runs from individual will encounter forces that are unknown to them.
1642 to 1649, in seventeenth century Salem, In the initial situation of the film Alice faces the need to
Massachussets (CABREIRA, 2006). In her analysis take control of her own life or submit to social
Cabreira (2006) points out that Hester isolates herself from expectations and live the consequences. When faced with
life as she knows it, gradually. First, she departs from her the challenge of establishing herself and deciding her fate,
husband and her native land to go to an unknown place; the character turns to her unconscious and childish world
then she is condemned to isolation within the society of in search of her own references to strengthen and face the
Salem for her crime and then builds her life and that of issue. There is a well-known therapeutic mental process in
Pearl, her daughter, from the circle of approximation that which life situations are repeated so that one can learn the
separates them from the other inhabitants. lesson, which Jung reveals as a psychic retreat from time
The film Alice in Wonderland brings a representation of to face an initially insurmountable obstacle with the
the psychic growth process of the protagonist, and her resources of the time. At the beginning of the movie Alice
journey can be analyzed from the Jungian psychological dreamed of Wonderland and had the affectionate comfort
perspective of integrating the various aspects of her psyche of her father, and it is to these loci that she turns to in order
to face a major challenge in her life, when, in the story to elaborate her childhood affective issues, for this
directed by Tim Burton, she is requested in marriage. moment of the maturing that life demands of her.
When faced with the situation of decision, Alice At the beginning of the story there is the conflict between
apologizes, and leaving the place plunges into her the social understanding of what would be appropriate and
unconscious and finds several forgotten and immature Alice's yearnings for living her own life and freedom. We
aspects of her psyche that she needs to know, recognize can relate the various characters to the distinct aspects of
and integrate for the maturation of her psyche. the psyche, among them the White Rabbit and Absolem
It is interesting to note that both Alice and Hester, fiction can represent the unconscious and instinctive impulses of
and reality, are exposed to society. Hester, when she is Alice when the time of her initiation arrives in the journey
convicted of adultery and Alice when asked in marriage. In of the psychic growth. The White Rabbit embodies the
the same way, it turns out that both aim to transgress their need for the ego to awaken to certain values and recognize
role with society. They seek to break with the standardized its many facets in an integrative process.
model set for women, which was built and valued The White Rabbit plays the role of reminding Alice about
throughout the history of mankind. the arrival of the 'call' to awaken, to delve into herself and
Since the 1960s social and women's movements fought to to deepen her self-knowledge. In Campbell's (2007)
get rid of this antagonistic model. Contributing to the terminology the White Rabbit represents the herald and
above, is Cabreira (2006, p. 11/12): "Women have long announces the transition from one phase to the next, the
struggled to form, maintain and sustain their identity, challenge, the call to mission. It is the figure of the herald

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who informs the psyche that it is ready for transformation, (2.2.1) Meeting the Mentor
for the awakening of the Self. For those who did not refuse the call, the first encounter of
Alice apologizes to the guests and runs after the rabbit the hero's journey takes place with the protective figure
accepting the Call to Adventure to know the Self. [...], who provides the adventurer with amulets that protect
(2.1.3) Crossing the first threshold him against the titanic forces he is about to encounter. […]
This figure represents the benign and protective power of
Having crossed the threshold, the hero walks in a
fate.
dreamlike landscape populated by curiously fluid and
ambiguous forms, in which he must survive a succession (Joseph Campbell, 2007, p.77, 76)
of trials. During the adventure Alice meets The Hatter, who
(Joseph Campbell, 2007, p.102) represents Alice's mentor. The role of the teacher is that of
a master, a guide, a spiritual leader. The presence of the
This step is represented by the action after acceptance. "A
Hatter exerted a transforming power for Alice and gave
stage in which we move from decisions to action"
her direction. He challenged Alice to believe in herself, to
(PICCHIA and BALIEIRO, 2010, p.33).
believe that she is the real Alice, also challenged her to
In the movie Alice accepts the invitation of the White accept the idea of facing the Jabberwocky, the dragon that
Rabbit and, apologizing to the guests who eagerly awaited in turn symbolizes the greater fear of the protagonist.
her response to the duke's request in marriage, rushes to
Mentors, as Campbell puts it, are those who have already
join him. She does not understand the situation very well,
fought their battle and are willing to aid the hero. As
but she knows that it is necessary to follow her instinct.
mythical figures the mentors can be a bird, a horse or
Upon reaching the tree, Alice plunges into her own
similar figures. The mentor will help the hero in his/her
feminine for the transmutation of the childish aspects of
trajectory, but it is worth noting that he is not an end, that
her consciousness and emotional growth into a more
is, in order to complete the journey and put into practice
mature and autonomous consciousness.
the knowledge acquired by the encounter with the mentor,
The tree represents a portal, a threshold to another level of the mentor will have to disappear, thus providing the hero
consciousness. At this point Alice's journey begins, in the the opportunity to integrate knowledge into his/her own
depths of her Self. We also have Hester as a heroine in psyche.
search of something she was missing, something that had
The expression "muchness" used by the Mad Hatter draws
been "usurped" from her life: her youth, the possibility of
attention to a point, where it is evident that the protagonist
being fully realized as woman, to live a great love and to
needs to broaden her vision and deepen the awareness that
become a mother. Her marriage with Chillingworth, a
she has of herself. Her mentor shows Alice that she needs
much older, mature man, meant a break in Hester's life and
more intensity and depth in her contents to accomplish her
the possibilities she would have with a mate whom she
destiny; to be complete she needs to take responsibility for
truly loved (CABREIRA, 2006).
her own life. The Self possesses free will - as it is
As Picchia and Balieiro (2010, p. 37) put it, "The universe affirmed, but within the limits of the field of consciousness
conspires in favor of those who are willing to undertake (JUNG, 2011), that is, the wider the field of consciousness,
the journey towards the deepest parts of themselves." the more possibilities are presented and can be realized by
2.2 The hero's journey - Initiation: (2.2.1) Meeting with the self.
the master; (2.2.2) Learning; (2.2.3) Crossing of new (2.2.2) Learning
thresholds;
You unlock it [the way] when you find someone who helps
This is the beginning of the second of the three phases of you unlock it. This can come from a person, properly
the hero's journey. At this stage the transformation of the speaking, or from an experience ... or from an illuminating
hero and his/her perspectives, his/her values and world book ... All you need is a thread from Ariadne ... not
views take place. The path traveled is what provides the always easy to get. ..It’s good to have someone to count on
transformations and consolidates them in their psychic and to give you a clue.
emotional structure. This stage provides a rebirth and for
(Joseph Campbell, 2007, p 173)
this, a death is necessary. We may have to give up projects
and dreams prior to this experience, false beliefs, illusions The character Absolem brings the questioning about
and our self-image will also be re-signified. Therefore, the oneself, "Who are you?". It symbolizes the metamorphosis
title Initiation, which implies the ‘death’ of an old self, of the psyche in its process of psychic growth, and brings
enables a rebirth of a new self. the need to die in the present stage of consciousness and to
be born into a new life. His role is to provoke the

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questioning of who Alice really is and what are her own evidenced as Alice's goal: to know herself, to rescue her
values and references, which should guide her through her divine Self; and as a method, the deepening into her inner
adult life. Absolem challenges her to understand herself self.
better and more deeply. For this to be possible it is necessary to meet with her own
At this stage Alice must get in touch with her potential, shadow, so the symbolism of this part of the film is of
awaken in herself her divine power, recognize that she is much relevance. Alice confronts and aligns with her
the real Alice. Campbell narrates that man's quest in life is shadow for a period. Conviviality with the Queen of
to conquer himself, but for that to occur he will go through Hearts enables Alice to know this aspect of her previously
various trials / challenges. It is the challenges that will unknown psychic structure.
enable the hero to come out of ignorance and come into In addition, Alice makes allies and recognizes enemies. A
wisdom. very symbolic and significant scene is the one where Alice
(2.2.3) Crossing of new thresholds makes an exchange with the Queen of Hearts' “little pet”,
The original departure for the land of trials represented the Bandersnatch. She returns his eye as he allows her to
only the beginning of the long and truly dangerous path of take the key that opens the chest in which the Vorpal
the achievements of initiation and moments of sword is. Only in possession of it can the great battle with
enlightenment. You now have to kill dragons and the dragon be fought.
surmount amazing barriers - over and over again. The maturing of Alice is verified when establishing this
(Joseph Campbell, 2007, p. 110) bond. Alice returns sight to the monster; the monster
represents an aggressive and primal instinct of Alice. A
An important step in the process is manifested by the
repressed aspect of which she had much apprehension and
protagonist to the dog Bayard, when she expresses her
fear of. Interesting to note that the same evil could both
awareness and new level of empowerment: "Since I fell in
kill her and give her life because, remembering that Alice
that rabbit hole I was told what to do and who I should be.
was wounded by the Bandersnatch at the beginning of the
I was shrunken, stretched, scratched and stuffed into a
film and such an injury could lead her to death. Upon
kettle. I was accused of being and not being Alice, and this
receiving his eye again, Bandersnatch licks the wound on
dream is mine! I'll decide from now on." In making the
Alice's arm and heals her.
decisions from then on Alice shifts her route to reach her
destination, becoming more determined and conscious. The symbolism of this part of the film reminds us that by
shedding light on certain aspects of our shadow we can
The protagonist goes to meet the Queen of Hearts who in
save ourselves from our own tyrannism and selfishness
the Jungian approach represents the imbalance between
that are projected on most occasions onto relationships.
functions of the psyche, where the emotion function is in
Alice, when mastering one of her aggressive instincts wins
the shadow, while the thought function is exacerbated. The
the key that will open new paths. The Vorpal sword,
movie medium represents this with the Queen's enhanced
symbol of will and determination, at this moment Alice
head and her emotional immaturity, with fits of anger and
strengthens her ability to overcome circumstances.
repression of emotion.
Another aspect explored are the proportions of Alice who
The Queen of Hearts brings the Shadow when she presents
needs to adjust to achieve her goals, the story brings a
a cruel and insensitive attitude before all, is a dictator and
symbolic message of proportionality, being too large to go
orders that the heads of those who defy or threaten her
through the door, or too small to reach the key, Alice is at
power are cut off. The Queen of Hearts has no emotional
times too tall, sometimes too short for her true height, what
maturity. Alice's identification with the Queen of Hearts
is the exact measure of Alice's armor and height? This
brings the disconnection with her own feelings and the
represents the inflation and deflation of the Ego, where
blindness of power. Emotional maturation and shadow
people believe than what they are, overrating and
integration are some of the stages of psychic growth that
underrating, which occurs due to identification with unreal
Alice needs to live out to meet her challenges in life.
figures beyond human proportion. When confronted with
However, although Alice is identified with her shadow - the two Queens, Alice integrates several dark and
the Queen of Hearts, she surrenders herself for a period. unknown aspects of her feminine. The Queen of Hearts
For Campbell (2007) this process is part of the journey of rules the living things, and has the power over their lives,
the hero, the author says that the hero is the one who in her we see the puncture of life, the blood of wrath.
knows when to surrender and what to surrender to.
It is, however, the White Queen who makes the potion that
As the author narrates, the hero can only succeed in diving will bring the appropriate size to Alice, which curiously, is
into him-Self because he has a goal and a method. It is made of elements that have become useless to her psyche,

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represented by parts of dead bodies. In her feminine addition, the author adds, "the complete circle, the
integration Alice brings to her consciousness the Shadow monomythic norm, requires that the hero now begin the
and the dead and forgotten aspects of her psyche, so that work of bringing the symbols of wisdom ..." (Campbell,
they are recognized as an integral part of her. 2007: 195).
While, for Hester, as analyzed by Cabreira (2006): The hero not only takes responsibility for his/her personal
The crossing of this first threshold is closely linked to the development but also contributes to the transmutation of
earlier stage of Hester's life and the condition in which she certain circumstances of his locality. Alice returns to the
marries Chillingworth. Throughout the novel we know that engagement event and exposes some obscure and
it was a loveless marriage, at the insistence of mediocre facts of that society. Hester, says Cabreira
Chillingworth, a fact common at the time, when a young (2006), despite her misfortunes and isolation for seven
and poor girl had little choice but to join a much older man years, proves to be beyond the moral and almost physical
of superior social standing. Hence her unconscious need to suffering imposed upon her, deciding to return to Salem
seek a new life, a new trajectory, even if it is in an and help those who ha
unknown land and in a society with such austere values.
Thus, Hester, in accepting her adventure alone, sets out in III. CONCLUSION
search of her destiny and the salvation of an undesired Through the brief analysis of the narrative of the movie
situation. Alice in Wonderland, we follow the archetypal journey of
2.3. The Hero's Journey – Return the heroine Alice, in her process of self-knowledge and
The complete circle, the norm of the monomyth, requires empowerment to decide on her own life instead of
that the hero now begins the work of bringing the symbols fulfilling the social role of women in her day.
of wisdom, the Golden Fleece, or the sleeping princess, The analyzed studies that contributed to this systematic
back to the human realm, where the blessing achieved can review enabled us to investigate how the myth symbolizes
serve the renewal of the community, the nation, the planet the dynamics of the psyche.
or the ten thousand worlds. Remembering that myths, fairy tales and others, are
(Joseph Campbell, 2007, p.195) often told through movies, soap operas, etc., to remind us
This phase is the last of the three phases of the journey, of their archetypal images and symbolism. The mythical
ending the initiatory process which, the hero has passed. journey proposes to develop in the individual the
The hero, now transformed by rupture and initiation, must consciousness, the knowledge of his or her own strengths
return to his/her everyday world by bringing the and weaknesses to prepare him/her for life.
transmuting trophy. Campbell elaborated the hero's journey from
Alice takes with her the knowledge acquired throughout observations of various myths of the world and concluded
her path, and all knowledge generates commitment, so the that in myths there is a basic structure governing them, and
hero has a responsibility to share that knowledge with although myths change according to each locality, they
others around her so that they too can, in their own way, remain the same in their basic structures, since the
transmute and achieve a new level of consciousness. symbolic values are the same.

The trails Alice went through gave her opportunities for It was noted that the consciousness of Alice, the
growth and maturity, and so she returns to her engagement protagonist of the film, expanded and transmuted certain
event now, as the caterpillar Absolem says to Alice: fears. In accepting the challenge of killing the dragon
''you're closer to be the real Alice.'' In the sense of Alice Alice agreed to eradicate a part of her psychic structure
having rescued a lot of own herself. that prevented her from revising the Self. This last fact is
not an easy task, as Sinzato (2007) reminded us, the in-
After experiencing her journey, Alice no longer accepts
depth encounter of the Self often brings discomfort
frames for her thinking, she is freer to express her divine
because this process, when effective, accesses content of
gift in the world.
the unconscious, which is not always easy to bring to light,
As Alice steps out of her daily life and begins to walk to be incorporated and transcended.
through the newness, other initiatory processes may be
In the study of Picchia and Balieiro (2010) it was
necessary in her new life trajectory, the challenges occur
verified how much the hero's journey is part of daily life
as a form of growth, and so we go, step by step,
and accepting the Call to Adventure provides profound
corroborating with what Campbell claims: to get
changes that give life sense and meaning.
somewhere it is necessary to undergo a few trials. In

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Alice must now return to her midst, transfigured, and teach

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