Kourtney Price-Ford
Critical Theory Paper
Professor S. Bobby
May 19, 2013
‘Tough Alice’ Extended Analysis
Twelve Impossible Things Before Breakfast, is a collection of stories that vary from
parodies to extended variations of famous fantasy stories. Jane Yolen, challenged the most
popular children’s story ever, Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll and created a more
upbeat Wonderland with a more hard-hitting Alice than usual. The original Alice in
Wonderland is a tale about a girl who falls asleep and dreams about this magical and
adventurous land known as Wonderland. Alice in “Tough Alice,” has made multiple trips
to this magical realm and has become a veteran to the laws and duties of Wonderland. Both
stories embark on Joseph Campbell’s idea of Structuralism, ‘Hero’s Journey’ by following
the sub-elements of their departure, initiation and return.
The first main stage of Joseph Campbell’s Hero Journey is Departure that includes various
sub-sections within it. The hero first receives a call of adventure once entering the alternate
world. In Alice of Wonderland, Alice feels extremely bored sitting by the river bank with
her sister and often glancing at the book her sister is reading. Alice thought it was
ridiculous that her sister is reading a book with no illustrations or conversations and
eventually falls asleep beside her. Alice begins her Call of Adventure when she dreams
about encountering the white rabbit and follows him down into the rabbit hole. Alice
thought it was rather ordinary and not very much out of this world to hear a rabbit say to
itself, ““Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be too late! ” Until, the rabbit retrieved his watch out of
his waistcoat pocket and began to scurry on in a hurry to his large rabbit hole; Alice
became more curious than ever and followed the rabbit without thinking of plan to return
to the real world. In Tough Alice, Alice’s call of adventure began for the last time when she
noticed a pig in her presence that fell down the rabbit hole and she took upon herself to go
through the rabbit hole as well.
Shortly after, Alice follows the white rabbit into the rabbit hole; she has crossed the first
threshold of departure her journey. She is welcomed to the unknown. In Tough Alice, Alice
is already experienced with the bizarre realm of Wonderland and crosses the threshold
once she follows the pig into the rabbit hole. Everything begins to change yet again. As
Alice is falling down the rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland, which seems like forever,
