Alice and Pigeon 

Arthur Rackham made this illustration, *Alice and Pigeon*, using pen and ink to accompany Lewis Carroll's novel, *Alice's Adventures in Wonderland*. Rackham, working in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, operated in a world steeped in the social norms of Victorian and Edwardian England. He was known for his distinctive style, which often featured gnarled trees and grotesque figures. Rackham's illustrations, while seemingly whimsical, often touch on the unsettling aspects of childhood, a theme that resonates in Carroll's original narrative. In this particular illustration, Alice’s encounter with the pigeon is loaded with complex themes of identity and perception. Alice, having changed size, is mistaken for a serpent by the pigeon, leading to a fraught exchange about identity and belonging. Are we defined by our appearance, by how others perceive us, or by something deeper? Rackham captures the emotional heart of this exchange, inviting us to reflect on the instability of identity and the challenges of self-definition in a world that constantly seeks to categorize and label us.