Article: Can Male Hatters be Feminists?

Besides using this film to identify potential allies, another good use of this film for feminists and other activists for social change would be to use it as a starting point for allegories and media about a better world. Instead of the usual review and critique, it would be interesting to see articles which expand upon the ideas of feminism presented in the film. It might be helpful to do a play-by-play of political situations, and show how each specific character could represent a current political figure, or a problematic situation in our current culture.

Summary

The critic I stumbled upon who came the closest to understanding the feminist aspects of this script is Erin Rickard at "Gender Across Borders: A Global Feminist Blog". (Though, even Erin Rickard focused on the character and adventures of the female protagonist Alice as the test for feminism.) Rickard examined the movie for deeper feminist themes: class consciousness, racial consciousness, imperialism, colonialism, and relationships among women.

I agree with Rickard's assessment of the movie overall. Rickard writes:

"My personal verdict: As a Disney movie, as a story for young adults, and as a fantasy/adventure film, Alice is a groundbreaking narrative. As a student of literature, I've often thought about the lack of feminist themes in the classic tales Americans use to entertain and acculturate their children, and I've wondered what a feminist narrative would look like. I'm very happy that Burton has created one, although it's not quite as amazing or progressive as it could be."

Because I am not a fan of mega-media conglomerations or large corporations, I don't think I would recommend that people go the theater to see this latest Disney movie. (Oh, me. I must apologize to the spirits of feminism and local economy for paying to see a Disney movie. Mia Wasikowski will be playing Jane Eyre next, and my curiosity about her acting dissolved my anti-Disney resolve.) A better plan to experiencing this movie in authentic, feminist fashion, would be to wait until it comes out on video and take it out from your local library. Or, simply read the reviews, and use the community discussion as your own launching pad for discussion. Also, please note that the John Tenniel illustrations of the Alice in Wonderland story are in the public domain due to their age. So, there are many ways to find our own sources and meditations for discussion on the characters in Alice in Wonderland and their relationship to feminism.

Resource List

National Catholic Register. Reprinted at Decent Films. "Alice in Wonderland (2010)". Steven D. Greydanus. click here

Jezebel. "Alice In Wonderland: "Refreshingly Feminist,' Lacks Heart". (The Jezebel review also provided a list of other sources for reviews. It was very helpful in preparting this piece.) http://jezebel.com/5486801/alice-in-wonderland-refreshingly-feminist-lacks-heart

Associated Content. "Alice in Wonderland: The 2010 Movie. A Feminist Psychological Review". Adriana Tanese-Nogueira. click here=40

The Scavenger. "Feminist men: friends or foes?" by Rosalie Scolari. (Used for bell hooks quotations.) http://www.thescavenger.net/feminism-a-pop-culture/feminist-men-friend-or-foe-83456.html

Whitman Pioneer. "Male Feminism: common ground even in controversy". C. J. Wisler. (I did not quote directly from this piece, though it gave me excellent insight about the male feminist controversy. A worthwhile piece of reading.) click here

The Boston Globe. Movie review of Alice in Wonderland. "Nonsense doesn't live here anymore: Burton's 3-D "Alice in Wonderland' is entertaining but not nearly twisted enough". Ty Burr.

Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org

Gradesaver. "Alice in Wonderland Study Guide". click here

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