http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/Alice : accessed 04/03/12
The act of the bedtime story is an intimate experience, usually shared between parent and child. It is almost always a private occurrence. So, by creating a performance with it and making it public, it no longer has the element of privacy. It is often understood that the mothers are more likely to read to their child than fathers. “Not only do mothers still do the majority of shared reading, studies suggest that they do it more effectively than fathers.” ((Blake, J, & Maiese, N 2008, ‘No fairytale… the benefits of the bedtime story’, Psychologist, 21, 5, p. 386-388, EBSCOhost: accessed 27 February 2013. Page 387.)) Having a mixed gender group, this is a concept that can be challenged. Would an audience member respond differently if read a story by a male rather than a female?
“Storytelling is sometimes seen as an innocent activity best suited to young children” ((Killick, S, & Frude, N 2009, ‘The teller, the tale and the told’, Psychologist, 22, 10, p. 850-853, EBSCOhost: accessed 27 February 2013. Page 850.)) Therefore, combining the sexual content of a raunchy novel with the innocence of a fairy tale blurs this theory. The audience go from the safety of a bedtime story to the unnerving effects of the adult content. Because they won’t be expecting it, then it should come as a shock to them.
“Beware the stories you read or tell: subtly, at night, beneath the waters of consciousness, they are altering your world.” ((Killick, S, & Frude, N 2009, ‘The teller, the tale and the told’, Psychologist, 22, 10, p. 850-853, EBSCOhost: accessed 27 February 2013. Page 850.))
If this quote is true, this story should stir a deeper reaction than just uncomfortable shifting or nervous laughter. Even though the audience are not going to sleep, the crossing over of child and adult content may have an effect on them after they leave the room. They may look at fairy tales in a different light and be able to pick out the Freudian elements in a lot of them. Alice in Wonderland itself is a very Freudian story.