Complete Alice in Wonderland - L. Carroll [40]
I ask only that you please do enjoy the secrets of Wonderland. The adventures will continue!
Chapter I
Sitting on the River’s Bank: The riverbank that Alice and her sister are sitting on is that of the River Isis, which is the local name of the Thames in Oxfordshire. This region—near Godstow and the beautiful ruins of a nunnery—was a favored holiday and picnic ground in Carroll’s time.
The Secret of Alice’s Sister (and Other Siblings): The sister in the story is Lorina Charlotte Liddell, Alice’s elder sister. Alice had many other siblings—Edward Henry, James Arthur Charles (who only lived to be three), Edith Mary, Albert Edward Arthur (who died at eight weeks), Rhoda Caroline Anne, Violet Constance, Frederick Francis, and Lionel Charles. In Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, the siblings who appear are Lorina (on the riverbank and as the Lory), Edith (as the Eaglet), and Edward Henry (Harry), by the mention of his Latin primer.
The Origins of the White Rabbit: The Rabbit may have been inspired by a painting created by Sir Edwin Henry Landseer, “Scene from ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream.’” After viewing this painting on November 17, 1857, Carroll wrote in his diary, “There are some wonderful points in it … the white rabbit especially.” The painting in question portrays Titania, Bottom, and a host of fairy-land creatures from Shakespeare’s classic play. (White rabbits, of course, are also the classic “apprentices” of stage magicians, popping out of holes and top hats.)
Some Details Concerning Alice and the White Rabbit: He is not often regarded in this manner today, but originally, Carroll intended the White Rabbit to be a caricature of a hurried old man rushing about on errands. In his article “‘Alice’ on the Stage,” Carroll wrote the following when comparing the Rabbit to Alice: “And the White Rabbit, what of him? Was he framed on the ‘Alice’ lines, or as a contrast? As a contrast, distinctly. For her ‘youth,’ ‘audacity,’ ‘vigour’ and ‘swift directness of purpose,’ read ‘elderly,’ ‘timid,’ ‘feeble,’ and ‘nervously shilly-shallying,’ and you will get something of what I meant him to be. I think the White Rabbit should wear spectacles. I am sure his voice should quaver, and his knees quiver, and his whole air suggest a total inability to say ‘Boo’ to a goose!”
“I Shall Be Too Late!”: The Rabbit’s sense of urgency has, over time, become quite famous beyond its own reason for being. Why is the Rabbit late in returning to Wonderland? This obsession with timekeeping (shared by the Hatter) may be a jest about the Great Tom bell in Tom Tower, which is located near to where both Carroll and Alice lived. Oxford is situated five miles west of Greenwich, and so the bell of Great Tom rings five minutes after the actual hour. If the poor White Rabbit (being a tourist of Oxfordshire while he is above ground) has his own watch set to Great Tom instead of Wonderland, he will always be late!
Dinah, Alice’s Favored Pet: The Liddells’ cat Dinah was an actual pet, originally given to Alice’s sister Lorina. But Alice loved Dinah more than anything. Per Alice Liddell’s reminiscences, the cat “was given to Ina, but became my special pet … Dinah I was devoted to.” Dinah originally had a male companion, Villikens. The two were named in honor of the characters in a popular Victorian song, “Villikens and His Dinah.” Whether Villikens was the father of Kitty and Snowdrop (featured in Through the Looking-Glass) remains an open question.
The Carrollian Dream-Child: Alice changes as she falls down the rabbit-hole. Although the distinction is not often commented upon, it is clear that Alice “in Wonderland” is quite a different person than Alice Pleasance Liddell. Carroll’s illustrations in Alice’s Adventures Under Ground—the first draft of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland—portrayed Ms. Liddell herself, but they were idealized