Alice in the Wonderland

Check out these thirty interesting facts you should know about Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland; one of the world’s most influential novels.

The novel was written by Lewis Carroll. This was a pseudo name; his      real name was Charles Lutwidge Dodgson.

Carroll had many jobs including; novelist, mathematician, clergyman, photographer and artist.

It was first published on 26th November in 1865.

It was published by Macmillan Publishers.

It has been classed as one of the world’s most influential novels.

The novel is full of nonsensical rhymes.

There are twelve chapters in the novel.

A sequel, Through the Looking-Glass was an equal success.

Carroll’s other successful works include The Hunting of the Snark and Jabberwocky.

The novel features many characters. The most recognised are: Alice, the White Rabbit, the Dormouse, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, the Caterpillar, the Chesire Cat, the March Hare, the Mad Hatter and the Queen of Hearts.

Dinah (Alice’s cat) has become a popular literary cat.

Twinkle Twinkle Little Bat and How Doth the Little Crocodile  are mimicked in the novel.

The Walrus and the Carpenter has also become a successful and well-known poem.

The idea for the novel came when Carroll went rowing up the Isis with three young girls; Lorina, Edith and Alice.

Plot development occurred on further boating trips in Oxford.

Many critics claim that Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was based on realistic people and locations.

The title for the original novel was Alice’s Adventures Under Ground.

The original novel was illustrated by Carroll.

Alice, the heroine, is not a blonde as illustrated. The original Alice was a brunette.

When the novel was released, it gained little attention.

Queen Victoria was a known fan.

The novels were banned in China in 1931, on the grounds that ‘animals should not use human language’.

There have been many adaptations of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, including two Disney films; one fully animated, and the other by Tim Burton

Kathryn Beaumont voices Alice in the Disney animated film. She also voices Wendy Darling in Peter Pan.

It has been depicted on the stage for adults and children alike.

Many comic adaptations have been created, such as Alice in Sunderland by Bryan Talbot.

American McGee’s Alice and Alice: Madness Returns have been successful third person games.

Horror filmmakers have used the idea of Alice for films, such as 2010’s Alice in Murderland.

Alice-in-Wonderland syndrome, which is also known as Todd’s syndrome, is a disorientating neurological condition. It is associated with brain tumours, drugs and migraines.

There have been many drug references within Alice, such as an ‘Eat Me’ cakes which makes you grow, a ‘Drink Me’ bottle which makes you shrink, and a multi-sided mushroom to make you grow and shrink.

Make 10 questions for your classmate to answer.

This is a game you can play in your computer:

http://www.disney.co.uk/disney-games/play/alice-in-w

1.     Though today Disney’s AIW is a cult-classic, when it was released in 1951, it was considered a complete failure. It wasn’t until the 1960s that AIW became more widely appreciated and treasured.

2.     Disney’s version of AIW is a combination of two books written by Lewis Carroll: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass. For example, the Queen of Hearts in the Disney film was inspired by characters from both books – the Queen of Hearts (Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland) and the Red Queen (Through the Looking Glass). However, the two characters are quite different.

3.     Though AIW was said to be written by Lewis Carroll, that is actually a fictitious name. The author’s real name was Charles Lutwidge Dodgson and one may consider him a “Renaissance Man.” He was not only a successful author, but also a mathematician, photographer, and philosopher.

4.     For those who have read the original Alice books, you may recall the illustrations throughout the story. However, Disney opted against using those illustrations and instead hired Mary Blair as the concept artist. Mary Blair was a very successful artist famous for her work in both WDW films and parks. Her art can also be seen in the moviesPeter Pan and Cinderella, and the ride “It’s a Small World”. (PS: I love Mary Blair! I have several booksfeaturing her drawings.)

5.     The only character that was not from the books, but was included in the movie, was the Doorknob.

6.     The voice of Alice in Disney’s version was played by Kathryn Beaumont. She also played the role of Wendy in Disney’s Peter Pan. More recently, her voice was used again in the video game Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep.

7.     As with many Disney films, AIW features several hidden mickeys. Be sure to look out for one in the smoke from the Dodo bird’s pipe and another in the tea party scene.

8.     Speaking of the Dodo bird, many believe that this character was actually inspired by the author of AIW. Apparently, Charles frequently stuttered and had difficulty pronouncing his last name. Instead of saying it in its entirety, he would simply call himself “The Dodo.”

9.     A famous character from AIW is the White Rabbit, who always carries a clock and claims he is “late.” Each time his clock is seen, the time is set at 12:25.

10.  All of Disney’s parks include AIW inspired attractions. The most famous is the Mad Tea Party ride, which is featured at every Disney park. In California, Disneyland has ride simply called AIW and it depicts the scene of Alice following the White Rabbit down the rabbit hole into Wonderland. At Disneyland Paris there is Alice’s Curious Labrynth, and in Tokyo there is a Queen of Hearts themed restaurant. Alice and the rest of the gang are frequent additions to many of the parades and character meet-and-greets.