“A worker’s paradise!”: Industrial revolution era Britain as rendered in the level ‘Hatter’s domain’ of American McGee’s Alice: Madness returns [2011]

College

College of Liberal Arts

Document Type

Article

Source Title

Tala

Volume

5

Issue

2

First Page

93

Last Page

117

Publication Date

12-2022

Abstract

Alice: Madness Returns is a 3D action platformer which follows the story of Alice Liddell in a disturbed version of Wonderland, corrupted by residual and recurred guilt and self-destruction, brought on by Alice’s fragmented memories of her family’s fiery death. The story proceeds from the events set in the first instalment of what is now the Alice series, created by American ‘Wicked Disney’ McGee. Of interest to this study is the exploration of Hatter’s Domain, a section of Wonderland which is inhabited and run by its namesake, the Mad Hatter. It focuses on a close reading of the territory in terms of how the narrative—being rendered through the sprites, audio, and characters—is inspired by the events of Industrial Revolution Era Britain; this is in terms of references to poor working conditions, the working conditions emphasizing harsh discipline, efficiency, and the lack of safety and sanitation in the workplace.

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Disciplines

Arts and Humanities

Keywords

Alice: Madness Returns (Video games); Alice Liddell (Video game character); Video games

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