The Looking Glass Wars

Alyss is the protagonist of the narrative. Throughout much of the narrative, Alyss struggles between two lives and, moreover, two identities—Princess Alyss Heart of Wonderland, and Alice Liddell, the identity she assumes during her 13 years in Oxford, England.

Alyss’s primary conflicts are with Redd, whom she must defeat in order to liberate Wonderland and reclaim her throne, and with herself. Alyss is said to have “the most powerful imagination ever seen in a seven-year-old Wonderlander” (13), and because of this, she must learn to discipline that imagination and exercise proper control over it; this is essential for her to wield her powers fully and responsibly. Alyss’s journey to mastery of imagination is closely linked with her personal journey to have faith in herself and achieve balance over her darker emotions.

Parts of Alyss’s character arc mirror the traditional heroic character arc, particularly with regard to the subconscious, interpersonal aspects of Alyss’s arc, as the subconscious is a common motif in traditional feminine hero’s arcs. This is particularly reflected in Alyss’s struggle with identity and her belief in herself: when she returns to Wonderland, Alyss struggles to reclaim her identity.