The Mad Hatter

     In the films, the Mad Hatter is an extremely memorable, if not central, character. Both the original animated film and the Tim Burton film upscale his role. The animated film's most memorable scene is probably the tea party. The Tim Burton film definitely places him as a major character, developing the relationship between he and Alice and attempting to give him a more complex story. This adaptation attempts to make him more human, rather than a comical-yet, very sad-madman. The addition of his past also allows for a more complex and detailed story, as a plot is not very strong in the novel. If the novel was meant to be a political satire, there is surely something he may have been written to represent. This may be dealt with in the movie, as he is one of the few good characters, along with the March Hare and the White Queen. Though these characters are virtuous, they are virtually powerless until Alice comes and saves them. Perhaps the same can be said of the novel. Many of the characters are "mad," but they are kind to Alice for the most part. They are also powerless over the Queen of Hearts, who loves to cut off people's heads. Though the Mad Hatter appears in both Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, I would not consider him as important of a character as the film adaptations portrayed him to be. The Mad Hatter in the Tim Burton film could have been made a central character for a number of reasons. This could be an attempt to use a Hollywood name in order to draw attention to the movie, as he was played by Johnny Depp, or it could be an attempt to make sense of the many characters introduced in Carrol's novels.