Alice in Wonderland

P: How do the illustrations in the novel aid the reader?

R: I've come to see that, in reading the novel, I've really appreciated the aid of pictures, as I did in reading Pinocchio. When reading such outrageous books of fantasy, it's fun to se exactly what the author might have been picturing. In this novel every new setting is a figment of Alice's dream world and in getting a real glimpse into that through illustrations I feel more connected to the stories content. Carroll gives no description of Alice's appearance so seeing pictures of her throughout, and even a colored picture of her on the cover, I feel adds a lot to the story. Also, in the beginning of the novel, Alice complained that her older sisters reading had no pictures in it which made it very boring and difficult to read. It seems as though since Carroll chooses to tell the book in commentary of Alice's perspective it would seem only fitting to have interesting illustration s throughout. On page 102 Carroll even directly addresses an illustration saying that if you aren't familiar with a Gryphon you can look at the provided picture on the side of the page. The aid of pictures also makes it more approachable to a wider audience adding interest for younger readers and taking away nothing from the journey of older readers. I feel like I've been provided a glimpse into the eyes of someone writing and illustrating in the time that the book was written.