Alice in Wonderland on Screen: A Feminist and Symbolic Analysis of Disney’s 1951 and Tim Burton’s 2010 Adaptations

Abstract

This comparative study provides a critical analysis of Lewis Carroll’s classic heroine, Alice, as interpreted through two landmark cinematic adaptations: Walt Disney’s animated film Alice in Wonderland (1951) and Tim Burton’s live-action reimagining Alice in Wonderland (2010). Utilizing a theoretical framework grounded in feminist criticism and symbolic analysis, the paper examines how both adaptations reflect, subvert, or reimagine Victorian social norms, gender roles, and mentality. Disney’s 1951 adaptation presents Alice as a polite, curious, and imaginative child whose resistance remains largely within the domestic and childlike sphere, serving as a subtle critique of Victorian societal rigidity. Burton’s 2010 adaptation, by contrast, presents Alice as a more autonomous heroine who rejects institutionalized marriage and assumes an active heroic role. Apart from that, his adaptation transforms Alice into an autonomous, non-submissive heroine who claims her identity in the most direct and overt way, rejects institutionalized marriage, and slays the Jabberwocky, the monster of the underland. By contrasting these two visual representations, this paper illustrates the evolution of Alice from a well-mannered Victorian observer to an empowered feminist figure, highlighting how cinematic adaptations recontextualize classic literature to reflect shifting cultural paradigms regarding female autonomy in the most deserved way.