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:
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.
