Go Ask Alice

“How is it possible for me to be so miserable and embarrassed and humiliated and beaten and still function, still talk and smile and concentrate?”

Alice captures stereotypical teenage angst about her appearance, social status, and fluctuating emotional state. Her issues with self-esteem and self-confidence make her a vulnerable and impressionable character. Most teens can identify with Alice’s thoughts about the conflict between their inner and outer lives woes.

“It’s a completely new world I’m exploring, and you can’t even conceive the wide new doors that are opening up before me. I feel like Alice in Wonderland. Maybe Lewis G. Carroll was on drugs too.”

Go Ask Alice takes its title from the song “White Rabbit” by Jefferson Airplane, which alludes to Lewis Carroll’s character, Alice, eating and drinking substances that cause her to grow and shrink in size. Both “White Rabbit” and the protagonist in this novel use Alice in Wonderland as a metaphor for the experience of using drugs.

“I’m sorry I’ve been neglecting you, but I really have been busy with my new job and school starting and all, and you still are my very dearest friend and closest confidant, even though I am really tuned in and receive well with Chris.”

Alice personifies her diary, feeling guilty for ignoring her writing habit. Her turning to Chris instead of her diary thematically demonstrates The Need for Connection and Empathy in Adolescence. While Alice’s diary is a suitable stand-in for a close friend, she needs to feel understood by other people living through similar experiences.