The Complete Alice in Wonderland (43 page)

Chapter XI

Shaking, Waking:
In this scene, Alice is finally angered into forgetting all meek propriety. She simply
defies
the Red Queen’s mischief. In doing so, she reveals the true nature of what has happened: in the dream of the Red King which Alice fell into, Kitty (the black kitten of Alice’s reality) embodied the Red Queen. Once Alice asserted herself and punished the Red Queen/Kitty for her flaws in behavior, Alice woke herself out of the Red King’s dream, and found herself safely back in the drawing-room of the Deanery.

Chapter XII

Which Do
You
Think It Was?:
It’s a grave question, with no certain answer. If Alice was dreaming, then Looking-Glass Land was her own creation, and she was simply struggling with different aspects of herself until she resolved to begin growing up. If the Red King was dreaming, then Looking-Glass Land was a trial of life and death, since Alice would have “gone out like a candle” if she had not woken up in time.

The Closing Poem

Still She Haunts Me:
This is Carroll’s farewell to the Alice of youth. As Alice grows up and begins to lose interest in imagination and grows enamored with the reality of life, there is no real place for Carroll to be with her any longer. But he remembers her with an eternal affection, and for that reason alone these stories were written down.

The Name in Farewell:
The first letters of each line spell out ALICE PLEASANCE LIDDELL.

The Wasp in a Wig

The Nature of the Wasp:
The Wasp character is a continuation and extension of the concept introduced by the Gnat: namely, the idea of the downtrodden lower class with their own hopes, insights and sorrows. Whereas the Gnat was morbidly aware of his life’s futility and nearness to death, the Wasp is similarly very old and resigned in his belief that nothing will ever change. His insights come not through mere depression, but through defeating experience. The fact that a young girl as well-to-do as Alice is willing to speak with him, however, gives him a glimmer of hope.

Worrity:
This simply means “worry,” but the usage tells us that the Wasp has probably always belonged to the struggling lower class.

The Latest News:
This aside is a parody of those African and Indian adventures that were often in the Victorian papers, as technology rushed through the world and colonialism marched boldly on.

“I Think I Must Be Going Now”:
Alice has shown a considerable degree of patience with the crotchety Wasp, and much goodwill. Carroll probably intended this episode to show that Alice did not simply desire to be a Queen, but she was also
worthy
of it. The fact that Alice gently departs from the crotchety Wasp—but still departs, all the same—tells us much not only about the dream-child, but also about the young lady Alice Pleasance Liddell.

Speculative Chronology of Looking-Glass Land

By Kent David Kelly

THE FOLLOWING dates, as before, can be derived from the hints and allusions hidden throughout the text.

June 3, 1758 (Saturday):
The White Queen is born. (We can calculate this day by the White Queen’s precise reckoning of her age during her conversation with Alice.)

November, 1765:
The White Queen, practicing hard, teaches herself the art of believing as many as six impossible things before breakfast. (The White Queen says to Alice, “When I was your age ...” which indicates seven-and-one-half years of age.)

October?, 1859:
The Hatter is released from prison in Wonderland.

November 1, 1859 (Tuesday):
A massive thunderstorm passes through Looking-Glass Land.

November 3, 1859 (Thursday):
This is the day before the chess match begins in Looking-Glass Land. The Red Queen marshals her forces. The White Queen, meanwhile, loses her comb. (The White Queen also tells us that she has a hippopotamus in her home on Thursdays!)

November 4, 1859 (Friday):
Alice has her adventures in Looking-Glass Land. (She is exactly seven and one-half years old, and her birthday was on May 4, 1852.)

November 4, 1859 (Early Afternoon):
Lewis Carroll and Alice play chess in the Deanery drawing-room. Dinah, meanwhile, grooms the black kitten.

November 4, 1859 (Early Afternoon):
The chess match between red and white begins in Looking-Glass Land. (Most likely, at the same time that Alice begins playing chess in the Deanery.)

November 4, 1859 (Throughout the Afternoon):
In Looking-Glass Land, many of the chess pieces are captured, and red begins to win the match.

November 4, 1859 (Mid-Afternoon):
Alice plays with Kitty and Snowdrop in the drawing-room. (Carroll tells us in the text that it is afternoon, and has been for awhile.)

November 4, 1859 (3:30 PM?):
Alice reads Jabberwocky and passes through the looking-glass. (The exact time is inconclusive, but from Tenniel’s illustration, the time may be 3:30 PM.)

November 4, 1859 (Mid-Afternoon):
Alice explores the Looking-Glass House and enters the Garden of Live Flowers. She meets the Red Queen and becomes a White Pawn in the ongoing chess game.

November 4, 1859 (Mid-Afternoon):
Alice boards the train and journeys further into Looking-Glass Land. She meets the Gnat and sees the Looking-Glass Insects.

November 4, 1859 (Mid- to Late Afternoon):
Alice wanders through the nameless wood, and finds the Fawn.

November 4, 1859 (Late Afternoon):
Alice meets Tweedledum and Tweedledee.

November 4, 1859 (Late Afternoon):
The twin brothers have their battle. (We do not know how long it lasts, but Tweedledum says that they will fight until 6:00 PM, and then have dinner. They are of course interrupted by the monstrous crow.)

November 4, 1859 (Early Evening):
Alice meets the White Queen (and the Sheep), and boats on the river of dreams.

November 4, 1859 (Early Evening):
Alice meets Humpty Dumpty, the Anglo-Saxon Messengers, the White King, the Lion and the Unicorn.

November 4, 1859 (Early Evening):
Alice meets the White Knight and enjoys his company. (Carroll tells us that the sun is setting at this time.)

November 4, 1859 (6:15 PM?):
Alice castles, and dines with the Red and White Queens. (It may be a bit after 6:00 PM, since Tweedledum and Tweedledee were intending to fight until 6:00 PM and then have dinner.)

November 4, 1859 (Late Evening):
Alice returns home to the Deanery, and scolds her kittens.

November 4, 1859 (Night):
The royal ball is held in Looking-Glass Land, which Alice is not there to attend. Hopefully, the White Queen asserts herself in a more considerable fashion, now that the Red Queen has been defeated.

Introduction

ALICE’S ADVENTURES UNDER GROUND
is something of a “non-secret secret” amongst the more studious devotees of Alice’s adventures. Few readers of
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
and
Through the Looking-Glass
are aware that the published edition is actually an
expanded
version of a unique narrative, which was originally written solely for an audience of one, Alice Pleasance Liddell.

Following the boating journeys from Folly Bridge up to Godstow, young Alice entreated Lewis Carroll to write his extemporized stories down for her, so that she could enjoy them again and again. After some continued insistence, Carroll relented and began to write a manuscript which he entitled
Alice’s Adventures Under Ground
. Far from being only a first draft, this fascinating work was created as a gift piece to be lovingly presented to Alice alone. It was handwritten, and filled with whimsical illustrations by the amateur draftsman Carroll himself. Needless to say, once it was finally done, it was one of Alice’s most cherished possessions. (Later in Alice’s life, this manuscript set records at a Sotheby’s auction and became a national treasure. See the chronology of the Alice works, later in this collection, for further details.)

From the detached perspective of modern readers (outside of these personal anecdotes between Alice and Carroll),
Alice’s Adventures Under
 
Ground
is probably creatively inferior to
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
. Many of the most-loved classic scenes—such as the Mad Tea-Party, the house of the Duchess and the extended trial of the tarts—are completely missing, due to being written after the
Under Ground
had been completed and given to Alice. But there are some additional Wonderland treasures in this manuscript which can be found nowhere else. Some unique jokes, names and sub-scenes were included only in this original manuscript, and were later excised from the published version. The story of the
Under Ground
is included here in full, so that the reader can enjoy the story (and these secrets!) as Alice did, on the River Isis some 150 years ago.

The illustrations themselves may well require some further explanation. Carroll was, by his own admission, an amateur draftsman. His works cannot hold a candle to the masterworks of Sir John Tenniel. Carroll’s drawings, however, are full of life and humor, and perfectly accent the story he was trying to tell. They are fascinating in their own right not only for their differences from the published versions, but also for the deeper insights they give us into the nature of Wonderland itself. (For example, take a good look at Carroll’s drawings of the Pool of Tears and White Rabbit’s house to see some more “secret” characters. Also, study the croquet-ground pictures for some other intriguing details concerning the nature of the cards and Kings and Queens.)

Due to the material nature of Carroll’s illustrations, however—drawn more than a century ago in a single manuscript, and poorly reproduced in later publicized versions—they may well seem lacking compared to the far more professional works of Tenniel and Holiday. I have taken every effort to position, brighten, solidify and resize these pictures to the finest extent that the Kindle allows. Those who would like to see the drawings in their finest light, however, are invited to explore the excellent online book exhibit hosted by the British Library, beginning at
http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/ttp/alice/accessible/introduction.html
. The page enlargements on the British Library site give a clear indication of Carroll’s wonderfully sketched details, nuance, humor and delicacy of line.

Similarly, due to the difficult-to-read handwritten nature of the original manuscript, I have carefully edited and re-entered the full text of the story here. Carroll’s original handwriting, for those who are curious, can be studied at the link provided above. This version, however, has been uniquely created, edited and formatted specifically for enjoyable reading on the Kindle.

I sincerely hope that you will find this amazing, “secret” version of Alice’s adventures to be a worthy supplement to
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
. Just when you think you know everything there is to tell, something will be certain to surprise you. And so we go down the rabbit-hole once again. I will see you there!