“A Worker’s Paradise!”: Industrial Revolution Era Britain as Rendered in the Level ‘Hatter’s Domain’ of American McGee’s Alice: Madness Returns [2011]

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.