The fantasy world of "Alice in Wonderland" imitates reality, a world in which as people mature from children to adults, they become more verbally aggressive. In the real world, adults often become more confident as they age and become more mature. They become wiser and learn some life lessons. Adults also master their own language and learn to assert themselves through language. This is what happens in Wonderland as Alice matures. As Alice's confidence in her verbal abilities increases, so does her verbal aggression. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The adults in Wonderland (the king and queen) are extremely hostile and use aggressive language to assert their power and control over other characters. The king and queen, in particular, use the threat of physical violence to display aggression. Their constant shouts of "Off with her head!" and “I will have you executed,” make the other characters tremble in fear. Indeed, the authority of the king and queen is based on this ability to instill fear in others. The king and queen also use aggressive tones in their voice and aggressive body language to reinforce the power of their speech. In the trial chapter, the king's words are often spoken "angrily" or "harshly". The Queen is able to strike fear into the Hatter simply by staring intently at him (379). However, the king and queen are only powerful when the other characters take their threats of violence seriously. In the process, the cook undermines the king's power because she does not fear him. The cook is called to testify and the king asks her to testify. The cook replies, “Shan’t,” which causes the king much anxiety and gives him “a melancholy air” (381). Even the white rabbit doesn't seem to fear the king. The rabbit interrupts the king's speech and corrects his choice of words. This undermines the king's verbal authority and causes him to doubt himself. The rabbit corrects the king "in a very respectful tone", but body language plays a very important role here too. The rabbit's speech, while respectful in tone, includes "frowning and grimacing as he speaks" (382). The knowledge that the king's threats are futile, combined with the rabbit's confidence in his own linguistic abilities, give him the confidence to stand up to the king. Alice matures in Wonderland and becomes less "in the know" as she learns the nuances of the language spoken there. This leads her to gain more confidence in her ability to communicate. She learns to assert herself through language and becomes more verbally aggressive to assert her power. This is what allows Alice to resist the queen. While Alice is also astute enough to realize that the king and queen's threats of violence are not real, it is her confidence in her ability to communicate that gives Alice the courage to speak out and stand up to the queen. This newfound courage, combined with Alice's physical growth, pushes her to challenge authority. However, has Alice's confidence really skyrocketed or is her verbal aggression simply a learned behavior? Alice seems to imitate the example set for her by the other aggressive characters. Alice has adapted to Wonderland's verbally aggressive ways for the sake of survival. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Despite her large size and confident language skills, Alice is still a child at heart. And i, 1996, 333-385.