Alices Adventures in Wonderland

Context
Lewis Carroll was the pseudonym of Reverend Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, a lecturer in
mathematics at Christ Church, Oxford, who lived from 183 to 18!8" Carroll#s physical
deformities, partial deafness, and irrepressi$le stammer made him an unli%ely candidate for
producing one of the most popular and enduring children#s fantasies in the &nglish language"
Carroll#s unusual appearance caused him to $ehave aw%wardly around other adults, and his
students at Oxford saw him as a stuffy and $oring teacher" 'e held strict religious $eliefs, serving
as a deacon in the (nglican Church for many years and $riefly considering $ecoming a minister"
)nderneath Carroll#s aw%ward exterior, however, lay a $rilliant and imaginative artist" ( gifted
amateur photographer, he too% numerous portraits of children throughout his adulthood" Carroll#s
%een grasp of mathematics and logic inspired the linguistic humor and witty wordplay in his
stories" (dditionally, his uni*ue understanding of children#s minds allowed him to compose
imaginative fiction that appealed to young people"
Carroll felt shy and reserved around adults $ut $ecame animated and lively around children" 'is
crippling stammer melted away in the company of children as he told them his ela$orately
nonsensical stories" Carroll discovered his gift for storytelling in his own youth when he served
as the unofficial family entertainer for his five younger sisters and three younger $rothers" 'e
staged performances and wrote the $ul% of the fiction in the family maga+ine" (s an adult,
Carroll continued to prefer the companionship of children to adults and tended to favor little girls"
Over the course of his lifetime he made numerous child friends whom he wrote to fre*uently and
often mentioned in his diaries"
,n 18-., Carroll $ecame close with the Liddell children and met the girl who would $ecome the
inspiration for (lice, the protagonist of his two most famous $oo%s" ,t was in that year that
classics scholar 'enry /eorge Liddell accepted an appointment as Dean of Christ Church, one of
the colleges that comprise Oxford )niversity, and $rought his three daughters to live with him at
Oxford" Lorina, (lice, and &dith Liddell *uic%ly $ecame Carroll#s favorite companions and
photographic su$0ects" During their fre*uent afternoon $oat trips on the river, Carroll told the
Liddells fanciful tales" (lice *uic%ly $ecame Carroll#s favorite of the three girls, and he made her
the su$0ect of the stories that would later $ecame Alices Adventures in Wonderland and Through
the Looking-Glass" (lmost ten years after first meeting the Liddells, Carroll compiled the stories
and su$mitted the completed manuscript for pu$lication"
Alices Adventures in Wonderland received mostly negative reviews when first pu$lished in
18.-" Critics and readers ali%e found the $oo% to $e sheer nonsense, and one critic sneered that
the $oo% was 1too extravagantly a$surd to produce more diversion than disappointment and
irritation"2 Only 3ohn 4enniel#s detailed illustrations garnered praise, and his images continue to
appear in most reprints of the (lice $oo%s" Despite the $oo%#s negative reception, Carroll
proposed a se*uel to his pu$lisher in 18.. and set to wor% writing Through the Looking-Glass"
5y the time the second $oo% reached pu$lication in 1861, Alices Adventures in Wonderland had
found an appreciative readership" Over time, Carroll#s com$ination of sophisticated logic, social
satire, and pure fantasy would ma%e the $oo% a classic for children and adults ali%e" Critics
eventually recogni+ed the literary merits of $oth texts, and cele$rated authors and philosophers
ranging from 3ames 3oyce to Ludwig 7ittgenstein praised Carroll#s stories"
,n 1881, Carroll resigned from his position as mathematics lecturer at Oxford to pursue writing
full time" 'e composed numerous poems, several new wor%s for children, and $oo%s of logic
pu++les and games, $ut none of his later writings attained the success of the (lice $oo%s" Carroll
continued to have close friendships with children" 8everal of his child friends served as
inspiration for the 8ylvie and 5runo $oo%s" Li%e the (lice stories, Sylvie and Bruno 9188!: and
Sylvie and Bruno Concluded 918!8: relied heavily on children#s silly sayings and a$surd
fantasies" Carroll died in 18!8 at the age of sixty;six, soon after the pu$lication of the Sylvie and
Bruno $oo%s" 'e passed away in his family#s home in /uildford, &ngland"
Carroll#s sudden $rea% with the Liddell family in the early 18.<s has led to a great deal of
speculation over the nature of his relationship with (lice Liddell" 8ome $oo%s indicate that the
split resulted from a disagreement $etween Carroll and Dean Liddell over Christ Church matters"
Other evidence indicates that more insidious elements existed in Carroll#s relationships with
young children and with (lice Liddell in particular" 4his possi$ility seems to $e supported $y the
fact that =rs" Liddell $urned all of Carroll#s early letters to (lice and that Carroll himself tore
pages out of his diary related to the $rea%" 'owever, no concrete evidence exists that Carroll
$ehaved inappropriately in his numerous friendships with children" Records written $y Carroll#s
associates and (lice Liddell herself do not indicate any untoward $ehavior on his part"
Carroll#s feelings of intense nostalgia for the simple pleasures of childhood caused him to feel
deep discomfort in the presence of adults" ,n the company of children, Carroll felt understood and
could temporarily forget the loss of innocence that he associated with his own adulthood"
,ronically, Carroll mourned this loss again and again as he watched each of his child friends grow
away from him as they $ecame older" (s he wrote in a letter to the mother of one of his young
muses, 1,t is very sweet to me, to $e loved $y her as children love> though the experience of
many years have now taught me that there are few things in the world so evanescent ?fleeting@ as
a child#s love" Aine;tenths of the children, whose love once seemed as warm as hers, are now
merely on the terms of everyday ac*uaintance"2 4he sentiment of fleeting happiness pervades
Carroll#s seemingly lighthearted fantasies and infuses the (lice $oo%s with melancholy and loss"
Plot Overview
(lice sits on a river$an% on a warm summer day, drowsily reading over her sister#s shoulder,
when she catches sight of a 7hite Ra$$it in a waistcoat running $y her" 4he 7hite Ra$$it pulls
out a poc%et watch, exclaims that he is late, and pops down a ra$$it hole" (lice follows the 7hite
Ra$$it down the hole and comes upon a great hallway lined with doors" 8he finds a small door
that she opens using a %ey she discovers on a near$y ta$le" 4hrough the door, she sees a $eautiful
garden, and (lice $egins to cry when she reali+es she cannot fit through the door" 8he finds a
$ottle mar%ed 1DR,AB =&2 and downs the contents" 8he shrin%s down to the right si+e to enter
the door $ut cannot enter since she has left the %ey on the ta$letop a$ove her head" (lice
discovers a ca%e mar%ed 1&(4 =&2 which causes her to grow to an inordinately large height"
8till una$le to enter the garden, (lice $egins to cry again, and her giant tears form a pool at her
feet" (s she cries, (lice shrin%s and falls into the pool of tears" 4he pool of tears $ecomes a sea,
and as she treads water she meets a =ouse" 4he =ouse accompanies (lice to shore, where a
num$er of animals stand gathered on a $an%" (fter a 1Caucus Race,2 (lice scares the animals
away with tales of her cat, Dinah, and finds herself alone again"
(lice meets the 7hite Ra$$it again, who mista%es her for a servant and sends her off to fetch his
things" 7hile in the 7hite Ra$$it#s house, (lice drin%s an unmar%ed $ottle of li*uid and grows
to the si+e of the room" 4he 7hite Ra$$it returns to his house, fuming at the now;giant (lice, $ut
she swats him and his servants away with her giant hand" 4he animals outside try to get her out of
the house $y throwing roc%s at her, which inexplica$ly transform into ca%es when they land in
the house" (lice eats one of the ca%es, which causes her to shrin% to a small si+e" 8he wanders off
into the forest, where she meets a Caterpillar sitting on a mushroom and smo%ing a hoo%ah 9i"e", a
water pipe:" 4he Caterpillar and (lice get into an argument, $ut $efore the Caterpillar crawls
away in disgust, he tells (lice that different parts of the mushroom will ma%e her grow or shrin%"
(lice tastes a part of the mushroom, and her nec% stretches a$ove the trees" ( pigeon sees her and
attac%s, deeming her a serpent hungry for pigeon eggs"
(lice eats another part of the mushroom and shrin%s down to a normal height" 8he wanders until
she comes across the house of the Duchess" 8he enters and finds the Duchess, who is nursing a
s*uealing $a$y, as well as a grinning Cheshire Cat, and a Coo% who tosses massive amounts of
pepper into a cauldron of soup" 4he Duchess $ehaves rudely to (lice and then departs to prepare
for a cro*uet game with the Cueen" (s she leaves, the Duchess hands (lice the $a$y, which
(lice discovers is a pig" (lice lets the pig go and reenters the forest, where she meets the
Cheshire Cat again" 4he Cheshire Cat explains to (lice that everyone in 7onderland is mad,
including (lice herself" 4he Cheshire Cat gives directions to the =arch 'are#s house and fades
away to nothing $ut a floating grin"
(lice travels to the =arch 'are#s house to find the =arch 'are, the =ad 'atter, and the
Dormouse having tea together" 4reated rudely $y all three, (lice stands $y the tea party,
uninvited" 8he learns that they have wronged 4ime and are trapped in perpetual tea;time" (fter a
final discourtesy, (lice leaves and 0ourneys through the forest" 8he finds a tree with a door in its
side, and travels through it to find herself $ac% in the great hall" 8he ta%es the %ey and uses the
mushroom to shrin% down and enter the garden"
(fter saving several gardeners from the temper of the Cueen of 'earts, (lice 0oins the Cueen in a
strange game of cro*uet" 4he cro*uet ground is hilly, the mallets and $alls are live flamingos and
hedgehogs, and the Cueen tears a$out, frantically calling for the other player#s executions"
(midst this madness, (lice $umps into the Cheshire Cat again, who as%s her how she is doing"
4he Bing of 'earts interrupts their conversation and attempts to $ully the Cheshire Cat, who
impudently dismisses the Bing" 4he Bing ta%es offense and arranges for the Cheshire Cat#s
execution, $ut since the Cheshire Cat is now only a head floating in midair, no one can agree on
how to $ehead it"
4he Duchess approaches (lice and attempts to $efriend her, $ut the Duchess ma%es (lice feel
uneasy" 4he Cueen of 'earts chases the Duchess off and tells (lice that she must visit the =oc%
4urtle to hear his story" 4he Cueen of 'earts sends (lice with the /ryphon as her escort to meet
the =oc% 4urtle" (lice shares her strange experiences with the =oc% 4urtle and the /ryphon,
who listen sympathetically and comment on the strangeness of her adventures" (fter listening to
the =oc% 4urtle#s story, they hear an announcement that a trial is a$out to $egin, and the
/ryphon $rings (lice $ac% to the cro*uet ground"
4he Bnave of 'earts stands trial for stealing the Cueen#s tarts" 4he Bing of 'earts leads the
proceedings, and various witnesses approach the stand to give evidence" 4he =ad 'atter and the
Coo% $oth give their testimony, $ut none of it ma%es any sense" 4he 7hite Ra$$it, acting as a
herald, calls (lice to the witness stand" 4he Bing goes nowhere with his line of *uestioning, $ut
ta%es encouragement when the 7hite Ra$$it provides new evidence in the form of a letter written
$y the Bnave" 4he letter turns out to $e a poem, which the Bing interprets as an admission of
guilt on the part of the Bnave" (lice $elieves the note to $e nonsense and protests the Bing#s
interpretation" 4he Cueen $ecomes furious with (lice and orders her $eheading, $ut (lice grows
to a huge si+e and %noc%s over the Cueen#s army of playing cards"
(ll of a sudden, (lice finds herself awa%e on her sister#s lap, $ac% at the river$an%" 8he tells her
sister a$out her dream and goes inside for tea as her sister ponders (lice#s adventures"
Character List
Alice ; 4he seven;year;old protagonist of the story" (lice $elieves that the world is orderly and
sta$le, and she has an insatia$le curiosity a$out her surroundings" 7onderland challenges and
frustrates her perceptions of the world"
The White Rabbit ; 4he frantic, harried 7onderland creature that originally leads (lice to
7onderland" 4he 7hite Ra$$it is figure of some importance, $ut he is manic, timid, and
occasionally aggressive"
The Queen of Hearts ; 4he ruler of 7onderland" 4he Cueen is severe and domineering,
continually screaming for her su$0ects to $e $eheaded"
The King of Hearts ; 4he coruler of 7onderland" 4he Bing is ineffectual and generally
unli%ea$le, $ut lac%s the Cueen#s ruthlessness and undoes her orders of execution"
The Cheshire Cat ; ( perpetually grinning cat who appears and disappears at will" 4he
Cheshire Cat displays a detached, clearheaded logic and explains 7onderland#s madness to
(lice"
The Duchess ; 4he Cueen#s uncommonly ugly cousin" 4he Duchess $ehaves rudely to (lice at
first, $ut later treats her so affectionately that her advances feel threatening"
The Caterillar ; ( 7onderland creature" 4he Caterpillar sits on a mushroom, smo%es a
hoo%ah, and treats (lice with contempt" 'e directs (lice to the magic mushroom that allows her
to shrin% and grow"
The !a" Hatter ; ( small, impolite hatter who lives in perpetual tea;time" 4he =ad 'atter
en0oys frustrating (lice"
The !arch Hare ; 4he =ad 'atter#s tea;time companion" 4he =arch 'are ta%es great pleasure
in frustrating (lice"
The Dor#ouse ; 4he =ad 'atter and =arch 'are#s companion" 4he Dormouse sits at the tea
ta$le and drifts in and out of sleep"
The $r%hon ; ( servant to the Cueen who $efriends (lice" 4he /ryphon escorts (lice to see
the =oc% 4urtle"
The !oc& Turtle ; ( turtle with the head of a calf" 4he =oc% 4urtle is friendly to (lice $ut is
exceedingly sentimental and self;a$sor$ed"
Alice's sister ; 4he only character whom (lice interacts with outside of 7onderland" (lice#s
sister daydreams a$out (lice#s adventures as the story closes"
The Knave of Hearts ; (n attendant to the Bing and Cueen" 4he Bnave has $een accused of
stealing the Cueen#s tarts"
The !ouse ; 4he first 7onderland creature that (lice encounters" 4he =ouse is initially
frightened of (lice and her tal% a$out her pet cat, and eventually tells the story of Dury and the
=ouse that foreshadows the Bnave of 'eart#s trial"
The Do"o ; ( 7onderland creature" 4he Dodo tends to use $ig words, and others accuse him of
not %nowing their meanings" 'e proposes that the animals participate in a Caucus race"
The Duc&( the Lor%( an" the )aglet ; 7onderland creatures who participate in the Caucus
race"
The Coo& ; 4he Duchess#s coo%, who causes everyone to snee+e with the amount of pepper she
uses in her coo%ing" 4he Coo% is ill;tempered, throwing o$0ects at the Duchess and refusing to
give evidence at the trial"
The Pigeon ; ( 7onderland creature who $elieves (lice is a serpent" 4he pigeon is sul%y and
angry and thin%s (lice is after her eggs"
Two( *ive( an" +even ; 4he playing;card gardeners" 4wo, Dive, and 8even are fearful and
fum$ling, especially in the presence of the Cueen"
,ill ; ( li+ard who first appears as a servant of the 7hite Ra$$it and later as a 0uror at the trial"
5ill is stupid and ineffectual"
The *rog-*oot#an ; 4he Duchess#s footman" 4he Drog;footman is stupid and accustomed to
the fact that nothing ma%es sense in 7onderland"
Anal%sis of !a.or Characters
Alice
(lice is a sensi$le prepu$escent girl from a wealthy &nglish family who finds herself in a strange
world ruled $y imagination and fantasy" (lice feels comforta$le with her identity and has a
strong sense that her environment is comprised of clear, logical, and consistent rules and features"
(lice#s familiarity with the world has led one critic to descri$e her as a 1disem$odied intellect"2
(lice displays great curiosity and attempts to fit her diverse experiences into a clear
understanding of the world"
(lice approaches 7onderland as an anthropologist, $ut maintains a strong sense of no$lesse
o$lige that comes with her class status" 8he has confidence in her social position, education, and
the Eictorian virtue of good manners" (lice has a feeling of entitlement, particularly when
comparing herself to =a$el, whom she declares has a 1po%y little house,2 and no toys"
(dditionally, she flaunts her limited information $ase with anyone who will listen and $ecomes
increasingly o$sessed with the importance of good manners as she deals with the rude creatures
of 7onderland" (lice maintains a superior attitude and $ehaves with solicitous indulgence
toward those she $elieves are less privileged"
4he tension of Alices Adventures in Wonderland emerges when (lice#s fixed perspective of the
world comes into contact with the mad, illogical world of 7onderland" (lice#s fixed sense of
order clashes with the madness she finds in 7onderland" 4he 7hite Ra$$it challenges her
perceptions of class when he mista%es her for a servant, while the =ad 'atter, =arch 'are, and
Figeon challenge (lice#s notions of ur$ane intelligence with an unfamiliar logic that only ma%es
sense within the context of 7onderland" =ost significantly, 7onderland challenges her
perceptions of good manners $y constantly assaulting her with dismissive rudeness" (lice#s
fundamental $eliefs face challenges at every turn, and as a result (lice suffers an identity crisis"
8he persists in her way of life as she perceives her sense of order collapsing all around her" (lice
must choose $etween retaining her notions of order and assimilating into 7onderland#s
nonsensical rules"
The Cheshire Cat
4he Cheshire Cat is uni*ue among 7onderland creatures" 4hreatened $y no one, it maintains a
cool, grinning outsider status" 4he Cheshire Cat has insight into the wor%ings of 7onderland as a
whole" ,ts calm explanation to (lice that to $e in 7onderland is to $e 1mad2 reveals a num$er of
points that do not occur to (lice on her own" Dirst, the Cheshire Cat points out that 7onderland
as a place has a stronger cumulative effect than any of its citi+ens" 7onderland is ruled $y
nonsense, and as a result, (lice#s normal $ehavior $ecomes inconsistent with its operating
principles, so (lice herself $ecomes mad in the context of 7onderland" Certainly, (lice#s
$urning curiosity to a$sor$ everything she sees in 7onderland sets her apart from the other
7onderland creatures, ma%ing her seem mad in comparison"
The Queen of Hearts
(s the ruler of 7onderland, the Cueen of 'earts is the character that (lice must inevita$ly face
to figure out the pu++le of 7onderland" ,n a sense, the Cueen of 'earts is literally the heart of
(lice#s conflict" )nli%e many of the other characters in 7onderland, the Cueen of 'earts is not
as concerned with nonsense and perversions of logic as she is with a$solute rule and execution" ,n
7onderland, she is a singular force of fear who even dominates the Bing of 'earts" ,n the
Cueen#s presence, (lice finally gets a taste of true fear, even though she understands that the
Cueen of 'earts is merely a playing card" 4he /ryphon later informs (lice that the Cueen never
actually executes anyone she sentences to death, which reinforces the fact that the Cueen of
'earts#s power lies in her rhetoric" 4he Cueen $ecomes representative of the idea that
7onderland is devoid of su$stance"
The#es( !otifs / +%#bols
The#es
4hemes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary wor%"
The Tragic and Inevitable Loss of Childhood Innocence
4hroughout the course of Alices Adventures in Wonderland, (lice goes through a variety of
a$surd physical changes" 4he discomfort she feels at never $eing the right si+e acts as a sym$ol
for the changes that occur during pu$erty" (lice finds these changes to $e traumatic, and feels
discomfort, frustration, and sadness when she goes through them" 8he struggles to maintain a
comforta$le physical si+e" ,n Chapter ,, she $ecomes upset when she %eeps finding herself too $ig
or too small to enter the garden" ,n Chapter E, she loses control over specific $ody parts when her
nec% grows to an a$surd length" 4hese constant fluctuations represent the way a child may feel as
her $ody grows and changes during pu$erty"
Life as a Meaningless Puzzle
,n Alices Adventures in Wonderland, (lice encounters a series of pu++les that seem to have no
clear solutions, which imitates the ways that life frustrates expectations" (lice expects that the
situations she encounters will ma%e a certain %ind of sense, $ut they repeatedly frustrate her
a$ility to figure out 7onderland" (lice tries to understand the Caucus race, solve the =ad
'atter#s riddle, and understand the Cueen#s ridiculous cro*uet game, $ut to no avail" ,n every
instance, the riddles and challenges presented to (lice have no purpose or answer" &ven though
Lewis Carroll was a logician, in Alices Adventures in Wonderland he ma%es a farce out of 0o%es,
riddles, and games of logic" (lice learns that she cannot expect to find logic or meaning in the
situations that she encounters, even when they appear to $e pro$lems, riddles, or games that
would normally have solutions that (lice would $e a$le to figure out" Carroll ma%es a $roader
point a$out the ways that life frustrates expectations and resists interpretation, even when
pro$lems seem familiar or solva$le"
Death as a Constant and Underlying Menace
(lice continually finds herself in situations in which she ris%s death, and while these threats
never materiali+e, they suggest that death lur%s 0ust $ehind the ridiculous events of Alices
Adventures in Wonderland as a present and possi$le outcome" Death appears in Chapter ,, when
the narrator mentions that (lice would say nothing of falling off of her own house, since it would
li%ely %ill her" (lice ta%es ris%s that could possi$ly %ill her, $ut she never considers death as a
possi$le outcome" Over time, she starts to reali+e that her experiences in 7onderland are far
more threatening than they appear to $e" (s the Cueen screams 1Off with its headG2 she
understands that 7onderland may not merely $e a ridiculous realm where expectations are
repeatedly frustrated" Death may $e a real threat, and (lice starts to understand that the ris%s she
faces may not $e ridiculous and a$surd after all"
!otifs
=otifs are recurring structures, contrasts, or literary devices that can help to develop and inform
the text#s ma0or themes"
Drea
Alices Adventures in Wonderland ta%es place in (lice#s dream, so that the characters and
phenomena of the real world mix with elements of (lice#s unconscious state" 4he dream motif
explains the a$undance of nonsensical and disparate events in the story" (s in a dream, the
narrative follows the dreamer as she encounters various episodes in which she attempts to
interpret her experiences in relationship to herself and her world" 4hough (lice#s experiences
lend themselves to meaningful o$servations, they resist a singular and coherent interpretation"
!ubversion
(lice *uic%ly discovers during her travels that the only relia$le aspect of 7onderland that she
can count on is that it will frustrate her expectations and challenge her understanding of the
natural order of the world" ,n 7onderland, (lice finds that her lessons no longer mean what she
thought, as she $otches her multiplication ta$les and incorrectly recites poems she had
memori+ed while in 7onderland" &ven (lice#s physical dimensions $ecome warped as she grows
and shrin%s erratically throughout the story" 7onderland frustrates (lice#s desires to fit her
experiences in a logical framewor% where she can ma%e sense of the relationship $etween cause
and effect"
Language
Carroll plays with linguistic conventions in Alices Adventures in Wonderland, ma%ing use of
puns and playing on multiple meanings of words throughout the text" Carroll invents words and
expressions and develops new meanings for words" (lice#s exclamation 1Curious and curiouserG2
suggests that $oth her surroundings and the language she uses to descri$e them expand $eyond
expectation and convention" (nything is possi$le in 7onderland, and Carroll#s manipulation of
language reflects this sense of unlimited possi$ility"
Curious" 0onsense" and Confusing
(lice uses these words throughout her 0ourney to descri$e phenomena she has trou$le explaining"
4hough the words are generally interchangea$le, she usually assigns curious and confusing to
experiences or encounters that she tolerates" 8he endures is the experiences that are curious or
confusing, hoping to gain a clearer picture of how that individual or experience functions in the
world" 7hen (lice declares something to $e nonsense, as she does with the trial in Chapter H,,,
she re0ects or critici+es the experience or encounter"
+%#bols
8ym$ols are o$0ects, characters, figures, or colors used to represent a$stract ideas or concepts"
The #arden
Aearly every o$0ect in Alices Adventures in Wonderland functions as a sym$ol, $ut nothing
clearly represents one particular thing" 4he sym$olic resonances of 7onderland o$0ects are
generally contained to the individual episode in which they appear" Often the sym$ols wor%
together to convey a particular meaning" 4he garden may sym$oli+e the /arden of &den, an
idyllic space of $eauty and innocence that (lice is not permitted to access" On a more a$stract
level, the garden may simply represent the experience of desire, in that (lice focuses her energy
and emotion on trying to attain it" 4he two sym$olic meanings wor% together to underscore
(lice#s desire to hold onto her feelings of childli%e innocence that she must relin*uish as she
matures"
The Cater$illars Mushroo
Li%e the garden, the Caterpillar#s mushroom also has multiple sym$olic meanings" 8ome readers
and critics view the Caterpillar as a sexual threat, its phallic shape a sym$ol of sexual virility" 4he
Caterpillar#s mushroom connects to this sym$olic meaning" (lice must master the properties of
the mushroom to gain control over her fluctuating si+e, which represents the $odily frustrations
that accompany pu$erty" Others view the mushroom as a psychedelic hallucinogen that
compounds (lice#s surreal and distorted perception of 7onderland"
1#ortant Quotations )xlaine"
1" 17ho in the world am ,I2 (h, that#s the great pu++le"
&xplanation for Cuotation 1 JJ
(lice as%s this *uestion of herself in Chapter ,, of Alices Adventures in Wonderland, 0ust after
she has grown to a giant si+e and frightened the 7hite Ra$$it away" (lice reali+es that she is not
0ust trying to figure out 7onderland, $ut also attempting to determine who she is and what
constitutes her identity in a world that actively challenges her perspective and sense of self"
7onderland has already $egun to affect (lice, and she rightly understands that her self
perception cannot remain fixed in a world that has drastically different rules from her own" ,n
7onderland, (lice has a slippery grasp of her identity" 8ince 7onderland is a $yproduct of her
own imagination, it $ecomes clear that it is (lice#s identity and not 7onderland itself that is
$eing called into *uestion" 4he nonsensical features and characters that ma%e up 7onderland
extend from (lice#s own psyche, so her *uest to understand 7onderland $ecomes a *uest to
understand the forces and feelings that comprise her identity" 4he idea of the great pu++le also
supports Carroll#s notion that life is an unduly complicated mystery that human $eings must use
rational thought and intelligence to understand"
Close
" Lastly, she pictured to herself how this same little sister of hers would, in the after;time, $e
herself a grown womanK and how she would %eep, through all her riper years, the simple and
loving heart of her childhoodK and how she would gather a$out her other little children, and ma%e
their eyes $right and eager with many a strange tale, perhaps even with the dream of 7onderland
of long agoK and how she would feel with all their simple sorrows, and find a pleasure in all their
simple 0oys, remem$ering her own child;life, and the happy summer days"
&xplanation for Cuotation JJ
4his *uote is the very final sentence of Alices Adventures in Wonderland" (lice has gone inside
for tea, leaving her sister $y the river$an% to muse over (lice#s wondrous dream" 4his passage
has a tone of long winded, golden nostalgia and differs dramatically from the rest of the story,
which is generally economical in words and nightmarish for (lice" 4his tonal shift results from
the shift in perspective from (lice to her sister, which in turn alters the reader#s perception of
(lice#s adventures" 7hile she experiences her adventures, (lice finds her 0ourney to $e
confounding and nightmarish" On the other hand, (lice#s sister sees her story as a strange tale
from a simple heart" 8he triviali+es (lice#s identity shattering 0ourney, distancing the trauma
(lice experienced in her dream with her own a$oveground faith in an orderly universe" ,n a story
studded with su$version, (lice#s sister $ecomes the ultimate su$version who undermines (lice#s
search for meaning and identity as she imagines (lice growing up and mystifying other
simple;hearted children with her stories"
4his *uote also serves as Carroll#s commentary on the character of (lice, the fictionali+ed
version of his muse (lice Liddell" Carroll $ecame deeply preoccupied with the dissolution of his
friendship with Liddell as she reached maturity and grew apart from him" 4his final line has a
nostalgic, wistful longing for 1the happy summer days2 in which he would visit with the Liddell
sisters and delight them 1with many a strange tale"2 )ltimately, Carroll reali+es that these happy
summer days cannot last, and li%e (lice#s dream or even (lice#s sister#s dream, the simple
hearted love of a child will fade, leaving him only with memories of 1child;life"2
Ke% *acts
full title L Alices Adventures in Wonderland
author L Lewis Carroll
t%e of wor& L Aovella
genre L Dairy taleK children#s fictionK satireK allegory
language L &nglish
ti#e an" lace written L 18.M18.3, Oxford
"ate of first ublication L 18.-
ublisher L =acmillan N Co"
narrator L 4he narrator is anonymous and does not use many words to descri$e events in the
story"
oint of view L 4he narrator spea%s in third person, though occasionally in first and second
person" 4he narrative follows (lice around on her travels, voicing her thoughts and feelings"
tone L 8traightforwardK avuncular
tense L Fast
setting 2ti#e3 L Eictorian era, circa pu$lication date
setting 2lace3 L &ngland, 7onderland
rotagonist L (lice
#a.or conflict L (lice attempts to come to terms with the pu++le of 7onderland as she undergoes
great individual changes while entrenched in 7onderland"
rising action L (lice follows the 7hite Ra$$it down a well and pursues him through
7onderland"
cli#ax L (lice gains control over her si+e and enters the garden, where she participates in the trial
of the Bnave of 'earts"
falling action L (lice reali+es that 7onderland is a sham and %noc%s over the playing card court,
causing her to wa%e up and dispel the dream of 7onderland"
the#es L 4he tragic and inevita$le loss of childhood innocenceK Life as a meaningless pu++leK
Death as a constant and underlying menace
#otifs L DreamK su$versionK languageK 1curious,2 1nonsense,2 and 1confusing2
s%#bols L 4he gardenK the mushroom
foresha"owing L 4he =ouse#s history a$out Dury and the =ouse foreshadows the trial at the end
of the story"
+tu"% Questions / )ssa% Toics
+tu"% Questions
1" Discuss the significance of the Cueen of 'earts in Alices Adventures in Wonderland"
(nswer for 8tudy Cuestion 1 JJ
(s the ruler of 7onderland, the Cueen of 'earts functions as (lice#s primary antagonist,
controlling the realm that thwarts (lice at every turn" (s the suit of hearts suggests, she is the
heart of (lice#s conflict with 7onderland" 7hen (lice exposes the Cueen as a fraud who is
nothing more than a playing card, the dream of 7onderland ends a$ruptly and (lice regains the
world of sense and order she has %nown since $irth" 4hough (lice guesses the Cueen of 'eart#s
secret midway through the $oo%, she hesitates to call her out, demonstrating the power that the
Cueen of 'eats has over the characters in 7onderland" 4hough the Cueen#s threats are, li%e
7onderland itself, devoid of su$stance, she still instills fear in her su$0ects and (lice ali%e"
4he Cueen of 'earts poses an additional threat to (lice in her 0ourney toward womanhood"
Alices Adventures in Wonderland recounts (lice#s metaphorical 0ourney to adulthood" Over the
course of her adventures, she faces several threatening situations with sexual overtones, $ut the
Cueen of 'earts#s threat is $oth the most direct and the most su$tle" ,n screaming 1Off with her
headG2 to (lice, the Cueen of 'earts threatens her life $ut also her sexuality, since the word
refers $oth to (lice#s literal head and her maidenhead, or maidenhood 9virginity:" 4he Cueen of
'earts violently attempts to force (lice#s sexual awa%ening against her will, and only with
(lice#s growing power and sense of self can she stand up to the Cueen and 1call her hand2 $y
revealing her to $e a mere playing card"
Close
" 7hat role does the garden play in Alices Adventures in WonderlandI
(nswer for 8tudy Cuestion JJ
4he garden in Alices Adventures in Wonderland exists as an &denic o$0ect of desire for (lice"
4he sight of the garden draws (lice in with its 1$eds of $right flowers2 and 1cool fountains,2 and
her ina$ility to enter sets the tone for the exasperating detours that follow one after the other"
7hen viewed in terms of the metaphorical onset of (lice#s pu$erty, the garden initially
sym$oli+es the 5i$lical /arden of &den, a place of childli%e grace and innocence that precedes
the %nowledge of good and evil" (lice#s desire to enter the garden corresponds to her desire to
remain a child indefinitely"
7hen she finally enters the garden, (lice discovers that it is not a pictures*ue childhood
paradise, $ut a flimsy sham where the roses are painted and the inha$itants are dangerous and ill
tempered" 4he garden falls short of (lice#s expectations largely $ecause of the experiences that
have preceded her arrival there" 5y the time she reaches the garden, she has grown up
metaphorically and gained control over her fluctuating si+e" 'er growing wariness of
7onderland allows her to perceive the garden with a critical, o$servant eye" 4he garden initially
exists as a manifestation of (lice#s desire to remain a child, $ut she reali+es it is a poor mimicry
of adulthood, in which two;dimensional adults follow ar$itrary manners and conventions that
parody the conventions of the a$oveground world"
Close
+uggeste" )ssa% Toics
1" Contrast the role of dreams in Alices Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-
Glass"
" Discuss (lice#s treatment $y the different characters she encounters in the $oo%s" 7hy do you
thin% they act they way they do, and what does their $ehavior say a$out (liceI
3" Discuss the role of poetry in $oth $oo%s" 7hat are the differences $etween the poems in
Alices Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-GlassI
O" 7hat is the significance of (lice#s fluctuations in si+e and shape in Alices Adventures in
WonderlandI
-" 4hroughout $oth stories, there are occasional o$li*ue references to death" 7hat purpose do
these references serve in the stories, and why might Carroll include themI