Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass: Why Alice’s Changes in Size and Magical Mirror make these Multiple Personality Stories

Having discussed the author’s multiple personality in three posts—back in April of 2014 (search “Lewis Carroll” in this blog)—it’s about time I discussed Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass.

This post is a quick look at the two tales’ most famous features, Alice’s changes in size and her magical mirror.

Alice Gets Smaller and Bigger

Since multiple personality starts in childhood, most adult multiples have alternate personalities (alters) who range in age from early childhood to the person’s actual age (and sometimes older). For example, a person aged thirty-five might have alters aged 3, 5, 9, 14, 17, 23, 28, and several who are 35.

Each alter has its own self-image consistent with its age. So a three-year-old alter will experience itself as much smaller than a 35-year-old alter. Indeed, one way that you occasionally learn that a person has multiple personality is when they confide an experience that they find very puzzling: “Sometimes I get small.”

Looking-Glass (Mirrors)

Three days ago, in my first post on Toni Morrison’s God Help the Child, and in many previous posts, I have discussed mirrors in multiple personality (search “mirror” and “mirrors” in this blog). Sometimes multiples see their alters when they look in the mirror. Mirrors are a gateway into their world of multiple personality. So whenever a character experiences anything unusual with mirrors, think of multiple personality.