What does 'I'm late' mean in Alice in Wonderland?

Answer 1

In Lewis Carroll's book, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, the White Rabbit is concerned that he will be late for an appointment with the Duchess.
`Oh! the Duchess, the Duchess! Oh! won't she be savage if I've kept her waiting!'
This is a truly terrifying prospect for him, as he believes that she will have him executed if he doesn't arrive on time.
`The Duchess! The Duchess! Oh my dear paws! Oh my fur and whiskers! She' ll get me executed, as sure as ferrets are ferrets!'

Answer 2

In the 1951 Disney adaptation, the White Rabbit says that he is late several times. I'm late, I'm late, for a very important date. No time to say 'hello, goodbye', I'm late, I'm late, I'm late

But other than "a very important date", he never specifies what it is that he is late for.

When he arrives at the mad tea tarty, the White Rabbit is still proclaiming his lateness, although he never says that the tea party is the thing that he is late for, and as he is still fretting about being late after the party, it is unlikely to be this - unless we assume that he is just the sort of person who is always late for everything, wherever he goes.

Unlike in the book, he is still rushing around at the end of the story, and arrives at the Queen's croquet ground in a great hurry. It might be inferred from this that the croquet match is the event he is late for.

In Lewis Carroll's book, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, the White Rabbit is concerned that he will be late for an appointment with the Duchess.
`Oh! the Duchess, the Duchess! Oh! won't she be savage if I've kept her waiting!'

Early on in the book, he is constantly worried that he won't arrive on time, but subsequent to the incident where Alice gets stuck in his house, he doesn't mention being late again, so we are forced to assume that the appointment has taken place. Whether he was actually late for his assignation is never revealed.

Answer 3

In the 1951 Disney animation, the White Rabbit says, "I'm late, I'm late, for a very important date. No time to say 'hello, goodbye', I'm late, I'm late, I'm late!"