Looking Glass Wars Character Analysis

Teenagers and young adults go through a lot of changes in their life sometimes good and sometimes bad. Their personality depends on who they are around and where they live. Authors can use certain literary techniques to signal these changes that are happening in the character. Beddor illustrates in the Looking Glass Wars how these changes are important to what someone will do with their life. In the Looking Glass Wars, Beddor uses diction, imagery, and details to show how the main character, Alyss is changing.

In the beginning of the novel, Alyss is characterized as bratty, imaginative, and a little too playful. She said to Bibwit Harte, “I won’t need any lessons” (Beddor 25). She thinks she is too smart for Bibwit and already knows everything. Alyss

should not think this way because she needs to train her imagination before she can do anything. Sometimes she can be a little imaginative without even meaning to: “Immediately the hoop was spurting water from tiny holes all along its surface” (Beddor 21). During the inventor parade, she imagined an invention doing something it was not supposed to just by thinking about it. Alyss does not realize it, but her imagination is really powerful and she just needs to train it. Alyss pranks Bibwit Harte “GOT HIM, I got him, I got him! A laughing Alyss left Bibwit Harte frowning at the half eaten gwormmies in his hand” (Beddor 29). This prank on Bibwit illustrates that Alyss can be too playful sometimes. Alyss should get out of this stage fast if she wants to survive. Although she can be playful and bratty, Alyss has the capability to be a good queen if she ever gets the chance.

Alyss has started to change by succumbing to her feelings, becoming more mature, and even more beautiful.

Alyss gets mad at Dodgson “‘You’re the cruelest man I’ve ever met, Mr. Dodgson, and if you had believed a single word I told you, you’d know how very cruel that is.’” (Beddor 87). After Dodgson mixed up Alyss’ story she got really mad at him and ran off. She also never wants to talk to Dodgson again because of what he did. Beddor describes Alyss maturing “‘You’re wearing the dress,’ Mrs. Liddell said. The dress she had purchased months before, but which Alyss had always refused to wear because she feared it would make her appear common.” (Beddor 90). Alyss has started to wear her dress even though it makes her look common. She has started to mature and not fight about everything. Beddor characterizes Alyss as beautiful “‘And her beauty… yes, her beauty was undeniable.’” (Beddor 96). Leopold is thinking she is beautiful during an outdoor concert. Alyss is very beautiful and everyone around her knows it. Alyss has come a long way by succumbing to her feelings, becoming more mature, and being beautiful, but she still needs to realize that Redd is powerful and it is going to take a lot of power to destroy

Redd.

At the end of the novel Alyss has become a good leader, powerful, and brave. Beddor explains “If by sacrificing herself, she could secure for them the promise of longer lives, didn’t duty demand her sacrifice?” (Beddor 169). Alyss wants to sacrifice herself for her friends, that tells the reader she is a good leader and will do whatever it takes for white imagination to survive. If Alyss did not want to sacrifice herself, she would have been considered selfish and not a great leader. The author describes, “Holding the glowing cube in one hand and the white heart scepter in the other, Alyss stood unflinching amid the fighting. A Four Card tried attacking her but she blew at him and he went crashing back through a wall of the puzzle shop.” (Beddor 171). The reader can infer she is very powerful now because of the Four Card flying backwards. Now that Alyss is powerful she will be able to fight and defend her friends from Redd. Beddor explains, “‘I’ve finished running from you Redd. It’s time for you to run.’” (Beddor 171). Alyss has started the hunt for Redd, and will stop at nothing to kill her. She has waited thirteen years to get her revenge, and the holographic message to Redd was a sign to show that Alyss is formidable. Alyss is powerful and ready to fight Redd, she will take back her queendom or lose her life.

Authors like Beddor use diction, imagery, and details to show how characters can change throughout the book. Alyss changes through the book because Beddor uses these literary techniques. Everyone in the real word changes by the words they say and how they look just like the protagonist, Alyss. How do people around you change, do they use these things to portray how they change?