Malice in Wonder-How-This-Happened Land: Falling Down the Political Rabid Hole of Academia

Abstract

Spiritedly inspired by the well-known, nonsensical children’s stories Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, this satirical narrative describes common academic experiences within a fictitious frame. Many children’s stories present a foundational basis for the early life lessons of justice, truth, fairness, and how power corrupts. Therefore, regression to a simpler understanding of complex social interactions potentially frees one’s thinking, which frequently becomes muddled in adult-acquired ego, hubris, and sense of status. So, when adults act illogically (or like children), sense can be made of unreasonable juvenile actions by re-storying irrational episodes through the logical lens of adolescent literature and satire; thereby, establishing a safe distance for examining emotional issues and tapping into imagination for making meaning of taxing experiences. This deliberately playful narrative explores how in academia, the projection of privilege and power often generates troublesome challenges that lead down a political rabid hole of unsolvable riddles.