Complete Alice in Wonderland - L. Carroll [130]
Magic Without a Source: When Alice shrinks in White Rabbit’s house, it is not because she eats anything. She simply begins to shrink for no reason at all. Carroll may have decided that this was inconsistent with the “magical laws” he later set forth for Wonderland, and so the version with the little cakes was re-written for publication.
Chapter III
The Little Terrier: Carroll’s illustration makes it appear that the enormous puppy is in fact a terrier, which coincides interestingly with Alice’s earlier musings about the farmer’s dog. Sir John Tenniel’s illustration, however, makes the breed of the puppy much more ambiguous.
The Color of a Caterpillar: The Caterpillar is traditionally regarded as green, but Carroll makes clear here that it is a blue one.
What Are You Smoking?: The illustration Carroll uses for the Caterpillar appears to show a long opium pipe. In Victorian times, opium was an extremely popular drug, and even in some circles accepted among “poets and dreamers.” Tenniel’s later illustration, showing the Caterpillar with the hookah but not a pipe, is not quite so direct (although it is still suggestive of an “opium eater.”)
Father William and Son: Carroll’s illustrations for Father William and William the Younger appear to show a middle-aged, retired barrister, and a well-to-do son in an urban context. Tenniel’s later illustrations changed the son into more of a country bumpkin.
The Missing Chef: Carroll’s illustration reveals a chef character, who has served Father William a goose and is now sitting at table. Tenniel’s picture omits this detail.
Which Way of the Mushroom?: The original manuscript has Alice partake of the top of the mushroom, and the stalk. The published version, however, has her take pieces from the left and right instead. The original version makes more sense, with the top making Alice taller, and the stalk making her smaller (and closer to the ground). Also, the episode of Alice’s neck turning serpentine makes more sense in the original, with her head being much like the mushroom’s top, and her neck like the stalk.
Chapter IV
The Nature of the Cards: Tenniel’s illustrations depict the cards (with one exception) as normal people in various regalia, which causes some of Carroll’s passages to become confusing. We have a harder time visualizing the danger of cards becoming wet, or moving, or having two sides, when we have only Tenniel’s guide to go by! Carroll’s illustrations, however, reveal that the lower suits (Spades and Clubs) are actual cards, with arms and legs sticking out at the edges. This makes such events as the Clubs bending themselves into croquet-hoops much more visual and comprehensible.
All Hail the King and Queen!: Carroll’s capitalization of “THE KING AND QUEEN OF HEARTS” is a slight jest which often goes unnoticed (or un-reproduced, for that matter). Generally speaking, inscriptions for royal Victorian figures were capitalized on first instance, regardless of context.
The Magic Pocket: Somehow, when Alice is protecting the three Spades from the Queen, they change size and are able to leap into her pocket. For the published version, this was changed so that Alice hid them in a large flower pot.
Who Is the Marchioness?: In the original manuscript, the White Rabbit explains to Alice that the Queen is the Marchioness! This is a reasonable matter, since a Queen would be a noblewoman of some kind prior to taking the throne. In the published version, however, the new character of the Duchess was introduced, and the Marchioness became the Duchess. Indirectly, this leaves open the implication that the Duchess may be related to the Queen by blood!
The Marchioness of Mock Turtles: This wonderful title is sadly lost in the published version, since “Duchess of Mock Turtles” carries none of the amusing gravity of the original.
What Species is Your Mallet?: The croquet mallets in the original are