ALICE IN WONDERLAND
BY Lewis Carroll
:Short summary about the story
The story centres on Alice, a young girl who falls asleep in a meadow and
dreams that she follows the White Rabbit down a rabbit hole. She has many
wondrous, often bizarre adventures with thoroughly illogical and very strange
creatures, often changing size unexpectedly (she grows as tall as a house
and shrinks to 3 inches [7 cm]). She encounters the hookah-smoking
Caterpillar, the Duchess (with a baby that becomes a pig), and the Cheshire
Cat, and she attends a strange endless tea party with the Mad Hatter and
the March Hare. She plays a game of croquet with an
unmanageable flamingo for a croquet mallet and
uncooperative hedgehogs for croquet balls while the Queen calls for the
execution of almost everyone present. Later, at the Queen’s behest, the
Gryphon takes Alice to meet the sobbing Mock Turtle, who describes his
education in such subjects as Ambition, Distraction, Uglification, and Derision.
Alice is then called as a witness in the trial of the Knave of Hearts, who is
accused of having stolen the Queen’s tarts. However, when the Queen
demands that Alice be beheaded, Alice realizes that the characters are only a
pack of cards, and she then awakens from her dream
Character List:
Character List
Alice
The seven-year-old protagonist of the story. Alice believes that the world is
orderly and stable, and she has an insatiable curiosity about her
surroundings. Wonderland challenges and frustrates her perceptions of the
world.
The White Rabbit
The frantic, harried Wonderland creature that originally leads Alice to
Wonderland. The White Rabbit is figure of some importance, but he is manic,
timid, and occasionally aggressive.
The Queen of Hearts
The ruler of Wonderland. The Queen is severe and domineering, continually
screaming for her subjects to be beheaded.
The King of Hearts
The coruler of Wonderland. The King is ineffectual and generally unlikeable,
but lacks the Queen’s ruthlessness and undoes her orders of execution.
The Cheshire Cat
A perpetually grinning cat who appears and disappears at will. The Cheshire
Cat displays a detached, clearheaded logic and explains Wonderland’s
madness to Alice.
The Duchess
The Queen’s uncommonly ugly cousin. The Duchess behaves rudely to Alice
at first, but later treats her so affectionately that her advances feel threatening.
The Caterpillar
A Wonderland creature. The Caterpillar sits on a mushroom, smokes a
hookah, and treats Alice with contempt. He directs Alice to the magic
mushroom that allows her to shrink and grow.
The Mad Hatter
A small, impolite hatter who lives in perpetual tea-time. The Mad Hatter enjoys
frustrating Alice.
The March Hare
The Mad Hatter’s tea-time companion. The March Hare takes great pleasure
in frustrating Alice.
The Dormouse
The Mad Hatter and March Hare’s companion. The Dormouse sits at the tea
table and drifts in and out of sleep.
The Gryphon
A servant to the Queen who befriends Alice. The Gryphon escorts Alice to see
the Mock Turtle.
The Mock Turtle
A turtle with the head of a calf. The Mock Turtle is friendly to Alice but is
exceedingly sentimental and self-absorbed.
Alice’s sister
The only character whom Alice interacts with outside of Wonderland. Alice’s
sister daydreams about Alice’s adventures as the story closes.
The Knave of Hearts
An attendant to the King and Queen. The Knave has been accused of stealing
the Queen’s tarts.
The Mouse
The first Wonderland creature that Alice encounters. The Mouse is initially
frightened of Alice and her talk about her pet cat, and eventually tells the story
of Fury and the Mouse that foreshadows the Knave of Heart’s trial.
The Dodo
A Wonderland creature. The Dodo tends to use big words, and others accuse
him of not knowing their meanings. He proposes that the animals participate
in a Caucus race.
The Duck, the Lory, and the Eaglet
Wonderland creatures who participate in the Caucus race.
The Cook
The Duchess’s cook, who causes everyone to sneeze with the amount of
pepper she uses in her cooking. The Cook is ill-tempered, throwing objects at
the Duchess and refusing to give evidence at the trial.
The Pigeon
A Wonderland creature who believes Alice is a serpent. The pigeon is sulky
and angry and thinks Alice is after her eggs.
Two, Five, and Seven
The playing-card gardeners. Two, Five, and Seven are fearful and fumbling,
especially in the presence of the Queen.
Bill
A lizard who first appears as a servant of the White Rabbit and later as a juror
at the trial. Bill is stupid and ineffectual.
The Frog-Footman
The Duchess’s footman. The Frog-footman is stupid and accustomed to the
fact that nothing makes sense in Wonderland.
What I learn from the story Alice in
Wonderland?
When precocious Alice enters her kingdom, the Queen gets guillotines and
rolling heads in her eyes, just like bullies the world over. But one of the most
important lessons for any young person to learn is not to let bullies get you
down and always stand up for yourself
