Looking at my paper at a glance, it's all about the meaning of curiosity for Dorothy, Lyra, & Alice. Most fairytales all have characters that are curious, especially female characters. That's no different for these three stories surrounding Dorothy, Alice, & Lyra. On the very first page of Alice, she is "burning with curiosity" about the rabit with the waist-coat and pocket watch. Lyra wants to know what's in the retiring room. So, I wanted to look into the etymology of the word "curious". It's always seen as kind of a bad thing, female curiosity. By looking at the origins of the word curiosity, it leads its way down to the word care, which is concern or interest for objects/people. When looking at curiosity in that light, what story, especially these three, doesn't have some form of curiosity? It is always going to be present. These three leading ladies are all about looking after either themselves or others while following their curiosity. It's impossible not to. Below is my paper...
Curious Or Caring With Alice, Dorothy, & Lyra?
When looking at three different stories in children’s literature, I can’t help but think what drives the story. According to Webster’s Dictionary, the definition of curiosity is one that arouses interest especially for uncommon or exotic characteristics. Curiosity seems to play an important role, especially in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland, and The Golden Compass from His Dark Materials Trilogy. For Dorothy, Alice, and Lyra, the three females that these stories center around, their curiosity or lack there of, is what makes each story exactly that, an interesting story.
Alice’s curiosity begins on the very first page.
“…Alice started to her feet, for it flashed across her mind that
she had never before seen a rabbit with either a waistcoat-pocket, or a watch to
take out of it, and, burning with curiosity, she ran across the field after it…”
Down the rabbit hole Alice goes and into a world full of curiosity. Every time Alice turns around there is something new and fascinating for her. If Alice had not been curious, her story would never have begun.
Lyra’s curiosity also gets the better of her. Her imagination starts to run with the knowledge of dust and the north and Lord Asriel trying to be poisoned. So many things happen within the first few pages of the story. Curiosity is the only option she has left! What are these things and where do they lead? Her curiosity in The Golden Compass tends to get her into more trouble than anything else though. Yet, just like Alice in Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland, where would the story go if she did not show any curiosity? Lyra would never have gone into the retiring room and the story would have never even begun.
Dorothy’s story on the other hand is a bit more intriguing. Dorothy does not really go looking for her story. She manages to get mysteriously thrown into this other world where for maybe just a moment she remains curious, but then she just wants to go home. For Dorothy, her curiosity may have gotten her into the Land of Oz but it is her lack there of that creates her story. She wants to go home and is just trying to find out how she needs to go about doing that. For her, the curiosity is somewhat backwards. Her curiosity lies more with her traveling companions than in the other things or objects around her.
What is it that drives these characters to be curious? Curiosity lies in the unknown. For these three, it is the objects or knowledge unknown to them that causes them to want more. This should not be a bad thing but it does occasionally get them into trouble. Alice either grows or shrinks, Lyra enters rooms where she has no business being that lead to all sorts of other troubles, and Dorothy is just trying to follow the yellow brick road. Being curious always starts out with good intentions. In children’s literature, however, it just always happens to be those curious females that cause trouble.
So what is it with curiosity? Why curiosity? It plays this huge role in some of children’s literature’s most well known stories. Interestingly enough, when looking at the etymology of the word, it really makes you wonder if curiosity is just happenstance or an act of deliberate planning. When taking a closer look at the meaning of the word, coincidence just doesn’t seem like a possibility.
The word curiosity originated around 1378. One of its meanings is “object of interest.” So, an interest in objects leads to the word curator, which is someone who is an overseer or guardian, someone who curates. Somebody who curates is “one responsible for the care (of souls)” or “to take care of” which leads to the word cure. Cure is “care, concern, trouble” or “to be concerned”. So, to care means, “to feel concern or interest”. All these words connect to each other. All stem from this single word, curious.
To be curious is simply to care or learn. By looking at the etymology of all these words, it is intriguing at how all these words do seem to connect. For someone to be curious, possibly meaning that they might also care, is not really something that commonly found as often. Today, most people that are curious are only trying to get the latest gossip on a situation. It is not always to better a situation. For these three characters, to be curious is to learn more about something. “Curiouser and curiouser” is a phrase first heard in Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland. Even the first meanings of the word curiosity come from these children’s stories.
To be curious is a natural instinct, especially after taking a deeper look at the meaning curious and its linkage to the word care. Both Lyra and Dorothy are involved with trying to care for others in their stories. For Lyra, it is her concern for Roger and Billy that she begins her trip to the North. For Dorothy, she is just trying to look after her friends the scarecrow, the tin man, and the cowardly lion. Alice’s concern is more for herself, but still, it is concern nonetheless. With characters like the Duchess and the Queen floating around, I would want to look after myself as well.
Curious is also related to learning. We always want to learn more, no matter whether it is good or bad. Knowledge is power. Learning is something people never stop doing, so how can there not be any curiosity. Every story is about learning something, so every story is going to have some sense of curiosity in it. It would not be a good story without curiosity. People aren’t satisfied with just a few basic facts. They have to know everything.
Curiosity is not a bad thing, as some fairy tales make it out to be. All stories are going to have curiosity because every character cares about something or someone, whether it is themselves or not. Curiosity is what makes the story begin and to keep the reader absorbed. Dorothy, Alice, and Lyra would not have a story or be as interesting as they are without curiosity. Their concern and curiosity is what drives each story, making each its own.
Is curiosity what makes the world of children’s literature go round? It may not be the sole factor but it plays a huge role. How many stories would not even exist if their characters were not curious? Dorothy, Alice, and Lyra would not exist if it weren’t for their curiosity. Alice would not have gone down the rabbit hole, Lyra would never have gone into the retiring room, and Dorothy would never have made friends in the Land of Oz. Curiosity and the sense for something more is what drive these three girls and their stories.
Wicca
17 years ago