Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

BOOK REPORT ASSIGMENT LELE

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

I/ INTRODUCTION OF THE BOOK.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is an 1865 novel written by English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. The story centres on Alice, a young girl who falls asleep in a meadow and dreams that she follows a White Rabbit down a rabbit hole. She has many wondrous, often bizarre adventures with thoroughly illogical and very strange creatures. The tale plays with logic.

II/ THE AUTHOR’S BIOGRAPHY: MAIN RELEVANT ELEMENTS.

Lewis Carroll was the pseudonym of Reverend Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, a lecturer in mathematics at Christ Church, Oxford, who lived from 1832 to 1898. Carroll felt shy and reserved around adults but became animated and lively around children. Carroll discovered his gift for storytelling in his own youth when he served as the unofficial family entertainer for his seven sisters and three brothers. He staged performances and wrote the bulk of the fiction in the family magazine. As an adult, Carroll continued to prefer the companionship of children to adults and tended to favour little girls. In 1856, Carroll became close with the Liddell children and met the girl who would become the inspiration for Alice, the protagonist of his two most famous books.

III/ HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL BACKGROUND OF THE TIMES.

The story is based on a meeting with Alice Liddell, a ten years-old girl. During a picnic, Carroll plays with logic and changes the norms of the children’s. Therefore, he writes “Alice in Wonderland”.

IV/ THE CHARACTERS (WHO ARE THEY? / WHAT ARE THEIR RELATIONS? /

WHAT HAPPENS TO THEM? / HOW ARE THEY DESCRIBED?)

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 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 immense pleasure in frustrating Alice.

V/ SUMMARY OF THE PLOT.
First Alice meets The White Rabbit who says, “I’m late, late”. She follows him and falls into a hole in a tree.

Their fall is interminable, when she landed, she finds a cake that says, “eat me” and a jar that says, “drink me”.

It’s the beginning of a long adventure.

During her travel to Wonderland, Alice will meet strange animals that will became her friends for the most part, others will remain mysterious as the Cheshire Cat.

In the end, when Alice leaves the world she doesn’t know if it was a dream, or not.

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