Complete Alice in Wonderland - L. Carroll [50]
The Lobsters at the Dance: English soldiers in the 1700s and 1800s were known as redcoats, due to their scarlet uniforms. In Victorian times, English officers (of the Lancers particularly) were known as excellent dancers. Most likely, this is due to the stately and measured forms of court dance, and the similarity of such dances to parade maneuvers. The Lobsters of Wonderland would be an obvious representation (to Victorian readers) of British ballroom officers parading about in preening self-obsession.
The Ridiculousness of Dancing: This episode may be a parody of Alice’s dancing skill, and Carroll’s lack of same. Carroll once wrote in a letter, “I never dance, unless I am allowed to do it in my own peculiar way. There is no use trying to describe it: it has to be seen to be believed. The last house I tried it in, the floor fell through ... Did you ever see a rhinoceros and hippopotamus ... trying to dance a minuet together?”
“The Further Off from England …”: These lines of the song refer to the English Channel. Since Wonderland exists underground in the subterranean reaches of Oxfordshire, we can speculate that the seas of Wonderland are quite similar to those of England. (As we shall see in the later “Alice” stories, however, it is likely that the Isle of the Jabberwock lies to the west of Looking-Glass Land and Wonderland, not to the east!)
Blacking and Whiting: Carroll here is making a mild pair of jokes. A whiting is a common food fish in England, often served in fish and chips. Blacking is the sooty substance that is used to cover scuffs on black boots. Under the sea, where everything is done differently, whiting “does the boots and shoes” instead of blacking. Since whiting is also a fish, it “logically” follows that the whiting (fish) are servants who work as boot shiners for the Underwater School. Confusing? But of course!
Chapter XI
A Caricature of Justice: After Carroll had completed the writing of Alice’s Adventures Under Ground, he added more intricate scenes for publication, including the now-famous trial for the tarts. On March 5, 1863 (after Under Ground had been completed), Carroll published a parody entitled “The Majesty of Justice.” This poem includes the lines: “They say that justice is a Queen / A Queen of awful Majesty.” It is likely that this line of thought led to the elaboration of the trial scene as it appears in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
The Nervous Hatter: The Hatter is nervous because he does not want the Queen of Hearts to recognize him. In March, he had sung poorly at the Queen’s royal concert, and thus received a sentence of execution. He is relying on the Queen’s lack of reason and memory to ensure his own survival, but with every passing minute the danger of her recognition grows more dire!
Fourteenth, Fifteenth, Sixteenth: A casual reading seems to indicate that the March Hare and Dormouse are simply wrong, and are trying to cast doubt on the Hatter to save their own skins. Actually, however, it is quite possible that they are all correct from their own points of view, since they were trapped in the Mad Tea-Party by Father Time and Hatter’s watch had broken. Any of these dates would then be correct, because their actions were continuously repeating.
Alice Growing on Her Own: Quite literally, Alice is growing up on her own as she sits in the court. As her conviction that the cards’ entreaties are nonsense grows stronger, she gains confidence, courage and control over her dreams. She no longer needs food or drink (elements of the illusion) to change her size; in defying the adult characters of the stories, she is growing up regardless!
The Art of Suppression: Carroll here is having a bit of fun with the Latin roots of the English language. “Suppress