Alice in Wonderland as an Advaitic Text

"You are nothing but a pack of cards!" says Alice at the end & after waking up, "I have had such a curious dream!" This is the basic tenet of Advaita that "Jagath" (is) Mithya."

It can be postulated that the white rabbit is the personification of her "karma", which leads her to fall down the hole, an obvious metaphor for being born in this world.

In the next chapter, "The Pool of Tears" can be a double metaphor for the baby crying after being born & also for having entered the "Vale of Tears" as the world was called, both East & West.

The third chapter, "The Caucus Race" may be the "Rat Race" of the world, with everyone demanding "Prizes", from her.

In the fourth chapter, Alice grows bigger (develops an assertiveness) & gets the better of her tormentors, as a child has to learn growing up.

In the fifth chapter, she meets the first of her spiritual preceptors, the Caterpillar who asks her "Who are You?" (The question Ramana asked himself), & then makes her repeat "Father William", a reminder of the ageing creeping up on all of us.

In the sixth chapter, the footman, Duchess, the crying baby (again) appear along with the Cheshire Cat, whose grin remains (like "Karma attached to the Soul'') even after the Cat (body) disappears!

In the seventh chapter, "The Mad Hatter's Tea Party", the selfish, unreasonable world is shown in all its ugliness. (Samsara Sagare Ghore etc.,)

In the eighth chapter, she meets the Red Queen, symbol of wordly power & arrogance, who wants to behead everyone. But Alice notices they are only a pack of cards & need not be feared, a reprise of the "Mithya" theme.

The ninth chapter's lachrymose Mock Turtle & Gryphon are again a reprise of the "Vale of Tears" theme with ironic remarks on worldly education.

The tenth chapter's "Lobster Quadrille" emphasises again the meaningless world & ends with the Mock Turtle self-destructing into "Beautiful Soup" made out of itself.

The eleventh chapter dealing with the mock trial of theft of tarts by the Mad Hatter, parodies the human justice in courts.

In the last chapter, Alice, called into court to give evidence, has grown (literally in the story & spiritually in spirit) & shouts that they are all a pack of cards (illusion, Maya) & leaps into Spiritual Enlightenment.

Alice can also be compared to Christian in "The Pilgrim's Progress", who throwing off the burden of worldliness, enters the Celestial City of Enlightenment.