Where did Wonderland come from? Alice and the Author.

You’ve fallen down a rabbit hole, only this time you’re not in a room full of doors, no, you’re on a rowing boat on your way to a picnic with you two sisters and two close friends. It’s July 4^th 1862 and you want Charles to tell you one of his strange whimsical story’s for the journey. You hear him talking of rabbit holes and white rabbits in waistcoats, doors, talking animals, a red queen with an enormous head, you hear him talk of Wonderland.

The story teller, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson better known as Lewis Carroll was close friends with the Liddell family. Dodgson was the eldest of eight siblings. The Liddell family became friends with him after their father was appointed church dean at the church were Charles worked as a mathematician. The Liddell’s had three daughters Edith, Lorina and Alice. The girls got on well with Dodgson as they liked the strange, exotic and engagingly whimsical stories that he told them. 

 

Wonderland came alive on July 4^th 1862, when the three girls, Dodgson and one of his friends Robert Duckworth set out on a rowing boat from Folly Bridge to Godstow to have a picnic. The three daughters wanted Charles to tell them one of his fascinating stories. Charles told them a tale of a girl named Alice who fell down a rabbit hole and found herself in a bizarre new world. The real Alice, Alice Liddell, was so taken with the story that she asked Charles to write it down for her, which, of course he did. Late he added a few more chapters and illustrations so the story, and named the tale Alice’s adventures underground. A friend of Dodgson, an author George McDonald read the story to his children and they were taken with the story to, he highly encouraged Charles to get the tale published. In 1865 Dodgson changed his name to Lewis Carroll and had his book published by Macmillan.

 

There are some rumours that Dodgson favoured Alice Liddell, and that there are connections with her and fantasy Alice. For example the poem through the looking glass every letter at the start of each line spells out Alice Liddell’s full name, Alice Pleasance Liddell. Also the two Alice’s are the same age although both Alice’s are the complete opposite, Alice Liddell has short dark hair were as fantasy Alice has long blonde hair and is short in size. Both Alice’s even had the same birthdays, May 4^th. Incidentally, it also seems that the character of the Red Queen in Through the Looking Glass owed something to the Liddell children’s alarming governess. Dodgson denied that he intended to portray Alice Liddell in this whimsical tale.

 

In 1963 the friendship between the Liddell’s and Dodgson broke down for unclear reasons, it might have been that Alice’s mother was uncomfortable with Alice’s and Dodgson friendship. A part of his diary that explains this was torn out by one of Dodgson’s descendants. After a few months polite relations were returned but none of the earlier warmth of the friendship. Dodgson died in 1898, he remained a bachelor until his death, and Dodgson revealed the nature of his feelings for Alice Liddell in his diary but poured ink over it a few days before he passed. Alice Liddell died at the age of 82 in 1934, Alice married Reginald Hargreaves who died in 1926, and Alice’s was so short of money that she sold the original manuscript of Alice’s adventures underground for £15,400. In her last years she said that she was “tired of being Alice in wonderland.”

 

In through the looking glass

 

A boat, beneath a sunny sky

Lingeringonward dreamily,

In an evening in July

 

Children three that nestle near

Eager eye and willing ear

Please a simple tale to hear,

Long had paled that sunny sky
Echoes fade and memories die

Autumn frosts have slain July

 

Still she haunts me, phantom wise
Alice moving under skies

Never seen by waking eyes

 

Children yet, the tale to hear
Eager eye and willing ear

Lovingly shall nestle near

 

In a wonderland they lie,
Dreaming as the day goes by
Dreaming as the summers die

Ever drifting down the stream

Lingering in the golden gleam
Life, what is it but a dream?

Author: Sophie Johnson