Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland turns the concepts of education and authority upside down and shows how absurd they can be at times. Let's look at some examples.

When Alice and the animals and birds are all splashing around in the pool of Alice's tears, the Dodo suggests running a Caucus Race so they can dry off. Alice does not know what the Dodo means and asks what a Caucus Race is. The Dodo responds that doing it is the best way to explain it. Here is a comment on education and the necessity of practical experience although we might say that explanation would certainly be a necessary addition if one is actually to do anything properly. But this is Wonderland, so things do not have to make sense, and the less sense they make, the more they prod us to think about real life and some of the nonsense we find in it, too.

We catch another glimpse of educational commentary in Alice's interaction with the caterpillar. The caterpillar tells Alice to recite, and when she does, he tells her that she is “wrong from beginning to end.” He does not, however, tell her what is right. In the end, the caterpillar does teach Alice something very important about how to change her size, but he takes a long time getting around to sharing that information.

In terms of authority, we must, of course, look at the Duchess and the Queen. The Duchess is too weak as a leader, and the Queen is far too strong, for she wants to cut off everyone's heads for the slightest offenses and give sentences before verdicts. Alice finally gets disgusted with the whole business, and takes authority upon herself. After all, the court and guards are nothing but a pack of cards.