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Alice's Adventures in Wonderland Book
This category is meant to include questions about Lewis Carroll's book, not the various film adaptations.
1,162 Questions
Is 'Alice in Wonderland' for children or for adults?
Yes, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was originally written as a book for children, although some contemporary readers consider that the language used might be too challenging for them.
Who is the third witness in Alice in Wonderland?
The third witness in Alice in Wonderland is the Dormouse. During the trial scene in the story, the Dormouse gives its testimony while sleeping, causing confusion and chaos in the courtroom.
Why was Alice a little upset that it was snowing outside?
Alice was upset that it was snowing outside because she had planned to go for a hike that day. The snow made it difficult for her to go out and enjoy the outdoors as she had intended.
The poem "Jabberwocky" was created by Lewis Carroll, who was the pen name of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson. It was published as part of his famous work "Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There" in 1871.
When Alice falls down the rabbit hole what food makes her grow and what makes her shrink?
A bottle of cordial makes Alice grow, a cake makes her shrink and a mushroom makes her grow or shrink depending on which side she eats from.
What had Alice never seen before in Alice in Wonderland?
Alice has never seen a rabbit with a waistcoat-pocket, or a watch to take out of it.
Alice started to her feet, for it flashed across her mind that she had never before seen a rabbit with either a waistcoat-pocket, or a watch to take out of it...
She has also never seen what the flame of a candle is like after the candle is blown out.
First, however, she waited for a few minutes to see if she was going to shrink any further: she felt a little nervous about this; `for it might end, you know,' said Alice to herself, `in my going out altogether, like a candle. I wonder what I should be like then?' And she tried to fancy what the flame of a candle is like after the candle is blown out, for she could not remember ever having seen such a thing.
Nor has she ever seen a grin without a cat.
`All right,' said the Cat; and this time it vanished quite slowly, beginning with the end of the tail, and ending with the grin, which remained some time after the rest of it had gone.
`Well! I've often seen a cat without a grin,' thought Alice; `but a grin without a cat! It's the most curious thing I ever say in my life!'
She has also never seen a croquet ground as curious as the Queen of Hearts'.
Alice thought she had never seen such a curious croquet-ground in her life; it was all ridges and furrows; the balls were live hedgehogs, the mallets live flamingoes, and the soldiers had to double themselves up and to stand on their hands and feet, to make the arches.
And she has never seen a mock turtle.
Then the Queen left off, quite out of breath, and said to Alice, `Have you seen the Mock Turtle yet?'
`No,' said Alice. `I don't even know what a Mock Turtle is.'
`It's the thing Mock Turtle Soup is made from,' said the Queen.
`I never saw one, or heard of one,' said Alice.
And she has never seen anyone being suppressed in a law court.
Here one of the guinea-pigs cheered, and was immediately suppressed by the officers of the court. (As that is rather a hard word, I will just explain to you how it was done. They had a large canvas bag, which tied up at the mouth with strings: into this they slipped the guinea-pig, head first, and then sat upon it.)
`I'm glad I've seen that done,' thought Alice. `I've so often read in the newspapers, at the end of trials, "There was some attempts at applause, which was immediately suppressed by the officers of the court," and I never understood what it meant till now.'
What does 'vorpal' mean in Jabberwocky?
Although Lewis Carroll gave defintions of many of the words in Jabberwocky, 'vorpal' is one of the words for which he didn't.
In a letter to a friend he wrote: I am afraid I can't explain 'vorpal balde' for you
It is arguable that the nonsense words don't really have or need proper definitions, and it is the sounds of the words, the feelings they invoke and the ideas they suggest which is what is important, therefore, all that matters is what 'vorpal' means to you, as a reader.
Vorpal is most often found in Role Playing Games and based on Carrol's usage, refers to a blade that has the ability to deal greater damage than a normal blade and with a high percentage chance of decapitation.
Who is the fat fellow encountered by Alice?
Humpty Dumpty is a famously fat fellow who Alice encountered.
The book "Solitude" was written by Michael Harris, a Canadian journalist and author. It explores the importance and benefits of solitude in the digital age.
Mad hatter day is October 6th (10/6 - which appears on the mad hatter's hat in the Disney "Alice in wonderland" It is the second silliest day, To which April fools is the first, and it tells us the world is more messed up than we think. For example:
* We travel around by taking the juice from hundred-million-year-old rotten dinosaur food and exploding it in a metal can. * A "sports fanatic" is not someone who participates in sports, but someone who sits indoors on a beautiful day, drinking beer while yelling at the picture on a little box. (Throw the ultimate football party: Forget the TV; just sit around eating and drinking with friends.) * As much as we say we like to "get away from it all", the more successful we are, the more we take it all with us when we go. (Take a vacation with all the comforts of home: Just stay home!) * We're so well-fed that we're getting food with intentionally reduced nutritional content--so we can take the trouble to eat without getting the benefit of doing so. (Enjoy the ultimate in fast-diet-food: Skip lunch.) * We've saved so much gift-giving for the Christmas season that it has entirely unbalanced the flow of cash and consumer goods through the year. So merchants decided to start the season early to have something to do the rest of the year. (There's now only one major gift-giving holiday -- but it lasts for five months. Surprise someone with a Mad Hatter Day present.) (resources: http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~ari/madHatter.html and to my knowledge. the Cheshire cat does not give information that makes sense apparently however.)
Are there illustrations of the Walrus and the Carpenter?
Yes, there are various illustrations of "The Walrus and the Carpenter" from Lewis Carroll's "Through the Looking-Glass." These can be found in different editions of the book or through online resources.
Are Tweedledum and Tweedledee from one of Lewis Carroll's books?
Tweedledum and Tweedledee appear in the book Through the Looking-Glass And What Alice Found There, which is usually shortened to Through The Looking-Glass.
It is the sequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
What does 'manxome' mean in Jabberwocky?
'Manxome' is a word invented by Lewis Carroll which he used to describe the monstrous Jabberwock in his poem Jabberwocky,but it is one for which he never gave a definition.
He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought --
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.
As such, we as readers have to define the word and choose a meaning for ourselves.
According to Dr Bill Long, the word is a portmanteau of the words 'manly' and 'buxom' and means 'fearsome' (See related link)
However, there is no evidence that this was Carroll's intention when he invented the word and as it does not follow the usual rules of portmanteau, this seems unlikely to be accurate.
In other portmanteau words, the new word carries the combined meaning of the words of which it is composed, for example 'mimsy' means 'miserable' and 'flimsy' and those are the words which comprise it. But, as the old uses of the word 'buxom' were 'vivacious' and 'compliant', it does not seem possible that when combined with the word 'manly' this would create the meaning 'fearsome'.
It is more likely that 'manxome' is not a portmanteau of 'manly' and 'buxom' at all and is one of the words in Jabberwockywhich lacks a definitive meaning.
Why does the mad hatter wear spools of threads?
The Mad Hatter is depicted wearing spools of thread on his hat in the novel "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" as a nod to the hat-making industry. Back in the 19th century, mercury was used in the process of making felt hats, which led to mercury poisoning causing neurological damage. This association with madness is reflected in the character of the Mad Hatter.
What does 'whiffling' mean in Jabberwocky?
Lewis Carroll doesn't offer a definition for the word 'whiffling', but in his Annotated Alice, Martin Gardner says:
Whiffling is not a Carrollian word. It had a variety of meanings in Carroll's time, but usually had reference to blowing unsteadily in short puffs, hence it came to be a slang term for being variable and evasive. In an earlier century whifflingmeant smoking and drinking.
Who is telling the story in Jabberwocky?
"Jabberwocky" is a nonsensical poem by Lewis Carroll that features an unnamed hero slaying the Jabberwock creature. The narrator is not identified within the poem itself, but it is commonly assumed to be an external or omniscient voice recounting the events.
Which girl had adventures in Wonderland?
Alice had adventures in Wonderland in the book "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll.
What creates humor in the poem you are old father William?
Humor in the poem "You Are Old, Father William" is created through the exaggeration of the father's physical feats despite his old age, such as standing on his head and performing various acrobatic stunts. The contrast between the father's actions and his age adds a comical element to the poem.
What was confusing in Alice in Wonderland?
In the book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland Alice finds her frequent size changes confusing.
....being so many different sizes in a day is very confusing.'
Some of the things the inhabitants of Wonderland say to her is also confusing.
`But they were IN the well,' Alice said to the Dormouse, not choosing to notice this last remark.
`Of course they were', said the Dormouse; `--well in.'
This answer so confused poor Alice, that she let the Dormouse go on for some time without interrupting it.
`They were learning to draw,' the Dormouse went on, yawning and rubbing its eyes, for it was getting very sleepy; `and they drew all manner of things--everything that begins with an M.... such as mouse-traps, and the moon, and memory, and muchness-- you know you say things are "much of a muchness"--did you ever see such a thing as a drawing of a muchness?'
`Really, now you ask me,' said Alice, very much confused, `I don't think--'
`Then you shouldn't talk,' said the Hatter.
And she is confused by the game of croquet.
....you've no idea how confusing it is all the things being alive; for instance, there's the arch I've got to go through next walking about at the other end of the ground--and I should have croqueted the Queen's hedgehog just now, only it ran away when it saw mine coming!'
Readers of the book might find it confusing as the language is quite difficult and the place and the people there are hard to understand.
What is the occasion celebrated in Through the Looking Glass?
Through the Looking Glass is based on a game of chess. This is the principal device running through the book, which serves both to define the action and to push it forward. The whole of the Looking-glass World is laid out like a giant chess board, all the characters Alice meets represent chess pieces and the action of the book itself mirrors the action of a chess game.
Other themes which are explored (in both Alice books) include exploration, identity, language and communication, youth, education, freedom and confinement, violence, and madness.
For further exploration of these themes, refer to the Related Link below.
Alice slays the Jabberwocky in Lewis Carroll's "Through the Looking-Glass." This event takes place during the poem "Jabberwocky," where Alice confronts and defeats the fearsome creature with the vorpal sword.
What was the first theatrical production of Alice in Wonderland?
The first theatrical production of "Alice in Wonderland" was a play by Henry Savile Clarke and first performed in 1886 at the Prince of Wales Theatre in London, England. It was authorized by Lewis Carroll and featured music by Walter Slaughter.
In "Through the Looking-Glass" by Lewis Carroll, Alice's rebirth is symbolized by her journey through the Looking-Glass as she transforms from a child to a more mature and self-assured individual. Through her adventures and interactions with the characters in the mirror world, Alice gains a better understanding of herself and the world around her, signifying her symbolic rebirth.
