What was the reference to sex that caused Alice in Wonderland to be banned?

Answer 1

Oh, dude, Alice in Wonderland wasn't banned because of some scandalous sex reference. It was actually banned in some places because they thought it promoted drug use with all that trippy tea party stuff. But like, it's just a whimsical story about a girl falling down a rabbit hole, not some scandalous tell-all.

Answer 2

Alice in Wonderland was banned in some places due to its perceived references to drugs and sexuality. One specific reference that caused controversy was the scene where Alice eats a mushroom to change her size, which some interpreted as a metaphor for drug use. Additionally, some believed that the character of the Caterpillar smoking a hookah pipe was a reference to drug use, leading to further concerns about the book's content.

Answer 3

The University of California's Banned Books Week website has claimed that in 1900 the Woodsville High School in Haverhill, New Hampshire suspended the book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, pending review because "the novel contains expletives, references to masturbation and sexual fantasies, and derogatory characterizations of a teachers and of religious ceremonies." However, as they failed to provide a source for this claim, and the associated webpage has since been removed, it is difficult to know whether there is any truth to this.

Further details remain elusive so if it is true, then what the complainant was referring to when they said the book contained expletives and sexual references remains a mystery as none are obvious in the text.