The distinctive character the Mad Hatter depicts one whom may suffer from dissociative identity disorder, also known as DID. As majority of the characters in the realm of Alice in Wonderland displays a number of paranoid personality disorders, the Mad Hatter ‘s uncommon and queer individuality stands out the most.
The Mad Hatter, who is described as “mad as a hatter” is an impulsive character who always seems on edge. His daily routine consists of tea throughout the day and persists on keeping “tea time” or the hour of 6 around “forever”. A part of his habitual routine includes having tea, with the Mad Hare and the dormouse, at a long and narrow table. Set up with many different teacups that could accompany a great number of guests, every now and again the Hatter would announce the want of a clean teacup, where they would move along the table throughout the tea party. Despite the fact that there is so much room and space, the Hatter becomes distraught when Alice invites herself to their tea party. During the tea party, the Hatter continuously checks his pocket watch in a nervous manner in caution of wasting time. His obsession of time and fear of wasting it comes from his traumatic experience with the castration anxiety Queen of Hearts. Once at a concert, the Mad Hatter was asked to sing before the Queen of Hearts. Unsatisfied by the Hatter’s performance and what she was hearing, she accused him of “murdering the time” and sentenced him to be decapitated. Fortunately the Hatter escaped his execution and since the appalling incident his caution of time described as a person or “him” has been carefully used. Regardless of these fears the Hatter,along with the Mad Hare and dormouse, finds entertainment from taunting Alice’s every inquiry by reversing what she implies, telling senseless stories that has no significance or meaning and telling riddles that does not have answers.
Dissociative identity disorder is a “psychiatric diagnosis that describes a condition in which a person displays multiple distinct identities or personalities (known as alter egos), each with its own pattern of perceiving and interacting with the environment.” One who is diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder usually posses at least two personalities that occasionally dominates and takes over the individual. One who has DID demonstrates a number of signs and symptoms that can vary in “daily functioning to normal or high abilities.” Symptoms includes multiple mannerisms meaning habitual behaviors, different attitudes and beliefs that has no relation with one another, distortion or loss of subjective time, depersonalization, severe memory loss, drug intoxication, flashbacks of abuse or traumatic encounters, sudden anger without substantial reasoning, frequent panic or anxiety attacks and paranoia. Dissociative identity disorder includes a few other symptoms but these listed are ones that are most common amongst the individual. Theoretically the cause of this disorder can possibly be connected with overwhelming stress, frightening incidents and a natural ability to “dissociate memories or experiences from consciousness.”The Mad Hatter’s unpredictable ways and actions accommodate one whom may have dissociative identity disorder. The Mad Hatter presents signs of multiple mannerisms throughout the chapter titled “A Mad Tea-Party.” Tea, which can be a representation of a drug intoxication, is constantly drunk by the Hatter and seems to be the only things he intakes. Along with consistently drinking tea, the Mad Hatter does not remain at one part of the table but rather moving along at every other seat randomly. Another habit the Hatter has is the repetition of reciting poems and saying riddles that does not have answers. These actions shows the Hatters continuous need in having to maintain this routine otherwise will be bothersome. Along with his multiple mannerisms the Hatter displays his loss of subjective time as well as his obsession with it. As the tea party takes place Alice asks what day of the month it is and in response he takes his watch out of his pocket and peers at it “uneasily,shaking it every now and then, and holding it to his ear.” Also when Alice makes a comment about wasting time with riddles with no answers he replies “If you knew the Time as well as I do...you wouldn’t talk about wasting it. It’s him.” This clearly shows how he perceives time as a person and dare not disrespect it by putting it to no usage of wasting it. His absurd beliefs towards time is another sign of DID. He strongly believes that “if you only stay on good terms with him, he’d do almost anything you liked with the clock. For instance,suppose it were nine o clock....you’d only have to whisper a hint to Time, and round goes the clock...half past one, time for dinner!” In this quote Hatter’s term of “him” defines time. His ridiculous belief of sort of being somewhat obiedient and not “beating” or wasting time will play in one’s favor in bringing them any time of day they request.
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