“Sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast” (Carroll 5). Charles Dodgson, the author of two of the most famous children’s books in the world, was a very peculiar man. He wrote under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. Carroll is famous for writing Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There. Much of Dodgson’s characteristics and life experiences influenced how he composed his novels. Before Dodgson began writing novels, he wrote poems. These poems were full of nonsense language and sentences that do not make sense. These poems influenced his writing by setting the scene for his books. He grew up in the Victorian time period and many of the characteristics of this time period …show more content…
As a child, he was forced to learn how to entertain himself and his siblings. He developed a very strong imaginations from this. He created many games for his siblings and himself. He began using his large imagination to write. He also used it to entertain children. “He also had a stammer—what he referred to as his “hesitation”—that he never wholly overcame; by some accounts, he was able to speak more naturally and easily to children”(Lewis Carroll). This speech impediment was worse when Dodgson spoke in front of adults. When he spoke with children, the stammer disappeared. He used this disability to his advantage, and spoke frequently with children. He used this to tell the children stories and his use of nonsense amused them. His nonsense language intrigued the children. He entertained many …show more content…
Lewis Carroll is the pseudonym of Charles Dodgson. Charles Dogson was a well known author and poet. Dogson’s experiences in his life influenced how he wrote and how he created his characters in his novels. He was famous for his nonsense language in his poetry. His nonsense language created the atmosphere of Wonderland and Looking Glass World. Dogson grew up during the Victorian Era. This time period affected the novels greatly. The dominance of the woman was very important because there was a queen in control. Alice is portrayed as dominant. Dogson was the eldest son of multiple children. He was forced to learn to entertain himself and his siblings. This caused him to have a large imagination. It is also most likely the reason he was only comfortable speaking to children. One of the children he spoke to most often was Alice Liddell. Both of his novels were based on Alice. How Dodgson was raised and how he lived his life impacted his books in a large
For example one character within the story that critics are unsure of his symbolism and origin is the Cheshire Cat. In the story the Cheshire Cat is a mysterious character. He appeared when he choose to and disappeared a moment later. He had an odd sense of a personality, but spoke to Alice using wise words and thoughts. “It is not 100% clear why Carroll named this character ‘Cheshire Cat’. “To grin like a Cheshire Cat” was a common phrase in Carroll’s day. Its origin is unknown, but it may have originated from a sign painter in Cheshire, who painted grinning lions on the sign-boards of inns in the area” (Analysis). Even though the Cheshire Cat seemed crazy or “mad” he did give Alice a dose of reality in Wonderland. He said things to her such as “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there” or “Every adventure requires a first step”. He had helped Alice realize that in order to find out who she is or where she must go she has to be brave and take the first step. The Chesire Cat relates to the idea of the child-adult conflict that Alice may be going through because he helps her understand that she has to move forward in order to find out where to go and if she is not sure what path to take in her life than she has endless possibilities. The Cheshire Cat was an important character that helped Alice come to her senses. Aside from the real life symbolism many of the characters possessed, Dodgson’s “Alice in Wonderland” series had a large impact on the music
Lewis Carroll was among the many authors who left behind many memorable pieces of artwork. He was known for his pseudonym and for the way he connected with children. One of Carroll’s most famous published work was Alice Adventures in Wonderland. Along, with this recognizable novel by Carroll there was also, Through the Looking-Glass, The Hunting of the Snark, and A Tangled Tale. These stories overlooked some of the fantastic poetry he created, such as the one he wrote in 1871, which was titled Jabberwocky.
In particular, Alice’s fluctuating size and “opening out like” (Carroll 11) a telescope parallel with a child’s seemingly spontaneous growth spurts, which occur frequently and most noticeably during pre-adolescent and adolescent years. In fact, Alice Liddell, the inspiration for the original tale, was ten when Lewis Carroll (the pen name of Charles Dodgson) first told the tale (Vallone 245). In addition, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland began as tale about the adventures of seven year-old Alice Liddell (Vallone 245). In reality, most children like Alice Liddell grow, but in Wonderland, Alice changed drastically and symbolically. Physically Alice’s growth correlates in many instances with her behavior. For instance, prior to drinking the mysterious liquid, Alice ponders on the substance’s toxicity, however, she fails to consider possible outcomes while forgetting the golden key. Consequently, Alice grew smaller as her behavior was incongruous to a practical and experienced adult. In contrast prior to consuming the cookie, Alice muses “‘if it makes me grow larger, I can reach the key; and if it makes me grow smaller, I can creep under the door so either way I’ll get into the garden’” (Carroll 9). Hence, Alice exemplifies problem
In 1862, floating upon the river Isis, Charles Dodgson narrated for Alice Liddell and a few others in company his original tale of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Gliding along underneath the blue sky, Dodgson wove his words into one of the most classic children stories of all time. Thesis: Although Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland may have only begun as a children’s story, many adults have sought to discover the “true meaning” of the novel. Curiosity has led to years of searching and interpretation of the origins of Carroll’s novels, and the symbols inside, developing into theories ranging from practical to nearly impossible, eventually evolving into their own stories in the film industry.
Lewis Carroll (Charles Lutwidge Dodgson) was born on January 27, 1832 at Daresbury, Cheshire. He attended the Richmond Grammar School while contributing prose, poetry and drawings to a series of family magazines. Later, he moved to many different schools. Dodgson also knew mathematics really well. His academic record and mathematical skills won him the Christ Church Mathematical Lectureship in 1855. But he continued to publish his works under name, Lewis Carroll. One Of the most famous Carroll’s books is Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Lewis Carroll also wrote poem “Jabberwocky” in 1871. “Jabberwocky” by Lewis Carroll represents theme of human and natural world. Carroll puts his hero against the beast, and it is essentially an old story of
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, also known as Lewis Carrol was born on January 27, 1832, in Daresbury. He was the third son and the first male of the Dodgson family. When Charles was eleven, his father was appointed pastor of Croft-on-Tees in North Yorkshire, and the whole family moved there for the next 25 years. He began his education in his own house. He suffered from a stutter and deafness, which affected his social relations all his life. His great ability with mathematics allowed him to gain a position as Professor Christ Church, which he held for 26 years. At Oxford he was diagnosed with epilepsy, which by then constituted a considerable social stigma. He died on January 14, 1898. Charles wrote several books of mathematics, stood out in geometry, algebra, and logic. Then I refer to two writings where this brilliant author made use of the logic.
Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland creates a warped reality, causing each character’s identity to become confused. An exception to this confusion of identity is the Cheshire Cat, who shows an uncanny awareness of his own madness, giving him considerable control over his presence and allowing him to occasionally leave only a grin behind. Alice, contrarily, is strewn all over as she loses herself in Wonderland. In Wonderland, all are “mad,” but to Alice this is preposterous, even as she fails to explain who she is – both to herself and to others. Carroll’s juxtaposition of the Cheshire Cat and Alice in their first meeting scene exaggerates Alice’s insecure identity and its development throughout her adventures in Wonderland.
Many themes are explored when reading Lewis Carrol’s, Alice in Wonderland. Themes of childhood innocence, child abuse, dream, and others. Reading the story, it was quite clear to see one particular theme portrayed through out the book: child to adult progression. Alice in Wonderland is full of experiences that lead Alice to becoming more of herself and that help her grow up. It’s a story of trial, confusion, understanding, and success. And more confusion. Though others might argue that the story was distinctly made for children just to get joy out of funny words, and odd circumstances, the tale has obvious dynamics that confirm the fact of it being a coming of age story.
“Dreams feel real while we’re in them. It’s only when we wake up that we realize something was actually strange. -Inception” (50 Dream Quotes). Carroll writes Through the Looking Glass based off of the dream concept. This novel is strange compared to most because of the dream Alice has. In the beginning, Alice is playing with her kittens. As she drifts off to sleep, Alice goes through the mirror and enters Looking Glass World. While there, Alice joins a chess game as a pawn. She continues across the board and meets all sorts of characters who help Alice in her journey to become Queen. She meets the Red Queen, White Queen, Humpty Dumpty, and White Knight in different squares throughout the game. When she reaches the honor of Queen, Alice is
Lewis Carroll's use of puns and riddles in Alice in Wonderland help set the theme and tone. He uses word play in the book to show a world of warped reality and massive confusion. He uses such play on words to reveal the underlying theme of growing up', but with such an unusual setting and ridiculous characters, there is need for some deep analyzing to show this theme. The book contains many examples of assonance and alliteration to add humor. Carroll also adds strange diction and extraordinary syntax to support the theme.
The Victorian Era was a time where not many ethical ideals and moral standards were sustained. Yet, it is also an Era in which modern society uses to make advancements in both humanity, and philosophy. Lewis Carroll, author of Alice in Wonderland, was a novelist who wrote pass his time. He wrote further in the future of the "common" Victorian Era. The ideology he presents in Alice in Wonderland is conducive to an individual attempting to bring attention to the deteriorating mental health and humane conditions in Victorian-Era England. Alice is representative of a normal child in everyday-Victorian England. This child, Alice, has not been exposed to the likes of diversity, but instead solidarity. The type of solidarity that is all too prevalent throughout the Victorian Era, primarily in the upbringing of children during this time. Children in Victorian Era England were taught to be followers of the norms already established by adults, and to ask no questions. These types of parameters placed restraints on children growing-up during this time; not only physical restraints, but also mental restraints, such as their imaginations'. Carroll was no stranger to this ideal or the likes of this concept; In fact, he constructed Alice in The Wonderland with this in mind, to defy the imaginative 'norm' of Victorian-Era England. He created a character that dreamt of falling down a rabbit hole into another universe. This dream or imagination becomes so vivid in his novel that the
'Alice in Wonderland' by Lewis Carroll seems a first a simple fairy tale, but in fact its meaning is a lot more profound. This novel criticizes the way children were brought up during the Victorian era. Carroll presents the readers with the complications these offspring must endure in order to develop their own personalities/egos, as they become adults. For Alice, Wonderland appears to be the perfect place to start this learning adventure. A way to understand her story is by compering it to the world as if being upside-down. Nothing in Wonderland seems to be they way it’s supposed to. The first lesson, Alice must learn in this peculiar journey through Wonderland is to achieve separation from the world around her and to stop identifying herself through others, in order to discover who she
Alice in Wonderland by Charles L Dodgeson (Lewis Carrol) is a classic masterpiece and example of great literature. Many people know of this book as merely a child’s tale or a Disney movie. As both were adopted from the book, many of the ideas were not. I have my own feelings and opinions of this book. Remarkable use of words and an originally creative theme and plot structure are both used in this book. The author of this novel used many hidden meanings, symbolism, and ambiguous terms to greatly describe the actual nature of the story. Many people have different views as to the type of book it is and the novel’s actual meaning. Although this book inspires many people to laugh, it also inspires them think.
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, was a children’s book written by Lewis Carroll. The focus of
Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll endures as one of the most iconic children 's books of all time. It remains one of the most ambiguous texts to decipher as Alice 's adventures in Wonderland have created endless critical debate as to whether we can deduce any true literary meaning, or moral implication from her journey down the rabbit hole. Alice 's station as a seven year old Victorian child creates an interesting construct within the novel as she attempts to navigate this magical parallel plain, yet retain her Victorian sensibilities and learn from experience as she encounters new creatures and life lessons. Therefore, this essay will focus on the debate as to whether Alice is the imaginatively playful child envisaged by the Romantics, or a Victorian child whose imagination has been stunted by her education and upbringing.