Alice’s Adventures Underground by Lewis Carroll is a literary piece displaying various character archetypes. This outstanding novel falls under the genre of magical realism. This whimsical tale presents the reader with figures characterized as heroes, heralds, and shadows. Carroll’s narrative follows a journey consisting of many complex archetypal concepts. 

The archetypal hero, Alice, is the protagonist that we follow through the hero’s journey. Alice ventures into a wonderland where she undergoes transformations and encounters many difficult tasks. Her curious and confident nature is presented through the following quote, “The Queen turned crimson with fury, and, after glaring at her for a minute, began in a voice of thunder ‘off with her-’ ‘Nonsense!’ said Alice, very loudly and decidedly, and the Queen was silent” (Carroll 74). Through Alice’s bizarre encounters underground, she grows from an innocent young girl into a courageous and optimistic being. She stands up to the Queen of Hearts and defends helpless subjects awaiting trial. Alice unveils hidden facets within her personality. The story begins with a timid girl who develops into a more self-aware individual. A quote that proves this is, “‘I won’t!’ said Alice, ‘you’re nothing but a pack of cards! Who cares for you?’” (Carroll 88). She refuses to obey the order of the Queen and her cards. Strong willed and determined Alice develops into a character who refuses to back down from a challenge. Alice becomes the central figure in her very own quest through the hero's journey.

Archetypal Herald, the White Rabbit, leads Alice on her journey through wonderland. The White Rabbit signals the call to adventure and poses as a continuous mystery that curious Alice longs to solve. A relevant quote is, “Before her was another long passage, and the white rabbit was still in sight, hurrying down it. There was not a moment to be lost: away went Alice like the wind” (Carroll 5). Alice is constantly on her toes following the mischievous rabbit. He guides Alice deeper into the unconscious mind and his hurried demeanor initiates many of the storys’ major events. The White Rabbit directs Alice through the threshold. This is symbolized in the following quote. “Alice was so much frightened that she ran off at once, without saying a word, in the direction which the rabbit had pointed out” (Carroll 34). White Rabbit appears unexpectedly and provides Alice with directions from time to time. He is demanding and mysterious. The White Rabbit is vital to initiating the adventures that occur in the story. He is a classic representation of a Herald. 

Irrational and chaotic Queen of Hearts, is the shadow in the fable. The Queen challenges Alice to grow and gain a deep understanding of herself. She is the main antagonist in the fable. The Queen’s aggressive behavior, harsh words, cruel punishments, and superiority pose an obstacle towards the other characters. “The Queen was in a furious passion, and went stamping about and shouting ‘off with his head!’ or ‘off with her head! About once in a minute” (Carroll 77). This quote proves the Queen’s unpredictability and temperamental outbursts are common issues. Her tendency to assign death sentences is also problematic. A conversation from the book demonstrates this effectively. “‘No!’ said the Queen, ‘first the sentence, then the evidence’” (Carroll 88). Exaggerated expectations and irrational judgements support that the Queen is a villain. The Queen of Hearts is an external force that challenges the hero. She has no remorse for her actions and is Alice’s enemy. 

Alice's Adventures Underground by Lewis Carroll thoroughly represents character archetypes in magical realism. Alice - the hero, the White Rabbit - the herald, and the Queen - the shadow, all contribute to the idea of archetypes and their responsibilities when incorporated into the hero's journey. By recognizing these archetypal characters, the reader can clearly understand the deeper layers within the story.