Complete Alice in Wonderland - L. Carroll [156]
In Retrospect: Alice Liddell
ALICE PLEASANCE LIDDELL was born on May 4, 1852. Her father was Henry Liddell, an esteemed scholar who would later become the Dean of Christ Church College in Oxford. Her mother was Lorina Hanna Liddell, a beautiful and strong-willed woman who did much to shape the social destinies of her children. Alice had two surviving elder siblings: a brother Harry, and her sister Lorina.
When Alice was born, her father was working as the Headmaster of Westminster School. When her father was appointed as Dean, the family moved to Oxford, where she met Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (Lewis Carroll). Alice and her sisters had many adventures, exploring the wondrous grounds of Christ Church and the many meadows along the River Isis. This time in her life, when her explorations were often guided by Carroll and his friends, is further detailed in the chronology of the “Alice” stories (which follows hereafter).
As one of several intelligent and educated daughters of an esteemed and well-traveled family, Alice had many escapades and journeys in the years following her “golden childhood.” She was taught to paint and draw by the famous artist, architect and romanticist, John Ruskin. She met Prince Leopold (one of the sons of Queen Victoria), and may have even had a romantic interest in him. Edith, Lorina and Alice also went on the Grand Tour, exploring the European continent, absorbing the culture and learning all the while.
Alice eventually married a gentleman named Reginald Hargreaves. They had three handsome sons, Alan, Leopold and Caryl. After a long and happy life together, Reginald passed away. Alice, pressed into hard financial times, was forced to sell her unique manuscript copy of Alice’s Adventures Under Ground. The Sotheby’s auction of the book caused a nationwide sensation, as the bids reached the stratospheric sum of 15,400 pounds. (The book was later returned to England as a national treasure.) This auction not only solved Alice’s financial difficulties; it also made the reclusive “real” Alice (again) something of a worldwide celebrity.
In 1932, the centenary of the birth of Lewis Carroll was celebrated, and Alice was invited to a great celebration at Columbia University in the United States. There she enjoyed an orchestral suite of “Alice in Wonderland” set to music, and was presented with an honorary doctorate. The eighty-year-old Alice was quite tickled to see all of the fuss over little old her, and clearly enjoyed herself, as the surviving newsreels of the event reveal to us.
Alice passed away peacefully in 1934.
The best books (in my opinion) detailing the wonderful life of Alice Pleasance Liddell are The Real Alice, by Anne Clark; and Beyond the Looking-Glass: Reflections of Alice and Her Family, by Colin Gordon.
A Detailed Chronology of the “Alice” Stories
Compiled by Kent David Kelly
THE FOLLOWING extensive (but by no means exhaustive!) timeline is intended to summarize not only the publication of the Alice books, but also the events in Carroll’s life which directly informed his creative process in writing them. Allusions to specific characters and episodes are detailed hereafter in parenthetical annotations.
It is hoped that this chronological approach to Carroll’s development of the stories will allow the reader some deeper understanding of how Carroll’s life, and his ever-changing relationship with Alice Liddell, governed the inclusion of particular themes and caricatures throughout the stories themselves.
Of all of the essays I have written for this work, this chronology has been by far the most demanding. If any Carrollian scholars would care to provide corrections, clarifications, or further entries of particular interest, I would be grateful for the assistance!
To date, however, this is certainly