Winnie The Pooh Analysis

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Winnie the Pooh: A Curious Enlightenment
The core of existence is rooted in the curious mind which “becomes the anxious object of conflicting, emerging views of humanity, culture and nature” (Benedict 22). The curious identity is often associated with children as they follow their desire to question and understand their world. This curious behavior may be perceived as negative or positive, influencing their identity as they grow into young adults. Childhood is a cultural and social construct that has evolved through centuries. Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and A. A Milne’s Winne-the-Pooh depict anti-Judeo-Christian perspectives in which curiosity does not lead to negative consequences. …show more content…
He characterizes Christopher Robin and Pooh as protagonists who embark on quests in the Hundred Acre Woods, fueled by a child-like curiosity to hear about their experiences in this “play world” (O’Flynn). As the narrator recounts the story, Christopher Robin interrupts to clarify events in the act of shared storytelling. When the narrator questions Pooh’s gender, Christopher R. replies, “‘He’s Winnie-ther-Pooh. Don’t you know what ‘ther’ means?’” (Milne 3). The narrator quickly agrees, accepting the childish retort and in turn, allowing Christopher Robin to create answers that enhance the story. This shared child-adult power dynamic positively pushes the child to stretch their imagination and stimulates their curiosity. Likewise, when Christopher R. disrupts the storytelling to ask questions since “‘Winnie-the-Pooh [isn’t] sure,’” the narrator pauses for explanations (Milne 4). This acknowledgment of Christopher R.’s toys as lifelike beings motivates the child’s curiosity as they imagine adventures with their favorite toys. When Pooh falls into the gorse-bush, “the first person he [thinks] of [is] Christopher” and Christopher R. is “awed” and “hardly [dares] to believe it” (Milne 10). Through the portrayal of Christopher R. as the adult solving problems, the child’s curiosity is heightened to discover how he creates the solution. The narrator also uses second person pronouns like “you said” when Christopher R. engages in conversation with the animals (Milne 12). This directs the story at Christopher R., animating the intimate storytelling process and permitting the child to imagine himself in the adventure. Thus, the narrator inspires the curiosity of Christopher R. through equal participation in storytelling, confirming Pooh’s existence, and depicting the child as an adult role model, who leads adventures in the

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