A Comparison Of Alice And Ofelia In Pan's Labyrinth

This film study will analyze the important thematic misconception of escapism in the fantasy-based characterization of Alice and Ofelia in Pan's Labyrinth (2006) and Alice in Wonderland (2010). The adventures of Alice in Alice in Wonderland (2010) define the escape from the drudgery of boredom, yet she encounters many very dangerous interactions with characters, such as the Red Queen. Alice’s escapist mentality defines the fantasy-based interactions meant to relieve her of the burden of the “real world”, yet the dangers she are more like the dangers of the adult world. Similarly, Ofelia, in Pan’s Labyrinth (2006), escapes the fascist world of Franco’s Spain in order to reinstate Princess Moanna as the Queen of the Underworld, but she must face demons and mischievous faeries that may threaten her life. This form of escapism is not unlike Alice’s determination to find a more magical world, yet, like Ofelia; the

The film amalgamates the horrific realities of the Civil War under fascist occupation, yet it also attempts to adapt the fantasy genre as an imaginary world. Ofelia is a young girl that finds an escape from reality by being asked to find the missing Princess Moanna in an imaginary labyrinth. However, the opening lines of the film imply that the horrors of Spanish Civil war will be forgotten, and that Ofelia will escape into the faery Underworld: “A long time ago, in the underground realm, where there are no lies or pain, there lived a Princess who dreamed of the human world” (Del Toro). These opening lines, however, are incorrect, since Ofelia must face monsters, such as demons, and other hostile forces in her attempt to liberate the lost princess. Scott (2006) defines the adult themed content of this film, which shifts away from the child-like imagination of the underworld as an escapist