Historical Context
The Victorian Age
Queen Victoria
click to enlarge
Events around the time of the novel
~Queen Victoria (1819-1901)
- Became queen in 1837
-When she came to throne the people had little respect for the rulers
- After proving she cared for her people she rightfully began to gain the respect
back
-Victoria was aided by her husband Albert, in restoring the respect of the “golden
throne”
-Britain developed world wide colonial empire under Victoria
*Alice in Wonderland is not directly related to this Monarchy*
~The book features an important queen (Queen of Hearts)
~She is the ruler of wonderland and the “people” respect her wishes in
fear of dying
~Just like Queen Victoria has King Albert to lead with her, the Queen
of Hearts has the King of Wonderland to help rule Wonderland.
~Queen Victoria (1819-1901)
- Became queen in 1837
-When she came to throne the people had little respect for the rulers
- After proving she cared for her people she rightfully began to gain the respect
back
-Victoria was aided by her husband Albert, in restoring the respect of the “golden
throne”
-Britain developed world wide colonial empire under Victoria
*Alice in Wonderland is not directly related to this Monarchy*
~The book features an important queen (Queen of Hearts)
~She is the ruler of wonderland and the “people” respect her wishes in
fear of dying
~Just like Queen Victoria has King Albert to lead with her, the Queen
of Hearts has the King of Wonderland to help rule Wonderland.
Lewis Carroll
Lewis Carroll
Lewis Carroll and Alice Liddell
- Lewis Carroll’s original name was Charles Lutwidge Dodgson
- Charles was a math professor at Christ Church College
- He wrote comical writings to several different journals
- He wanted to keep his teaching life, and writing life separate so he came up with a
new name for himself, “Lewis Carroll”
- Lewis Carroll was also a photographer
-This is how he met Alice Liddell as he took pictures of the Christ Church
Cathedral
- Alice was one of the 3 reverends daughters that Carroll took joy in photographing
- Alice was clearly Carroll’s favorite because she was “adept at asking
challenging and disconcerting questions, [and] enjoyed teasing and … logical
argument”
- This is how Carroll came up with the novel and main character of Alice’s
Adventures in Wonderland
- Lewis Carroll’s original name was Charles Lutwidge Dodgson
- Charles was a math professor at Christ Church College
- He wrote comical writings to several different journals
- He wanted to keep his teaching life, and writing life separate so he came up with a
new name for himself, “Lewis Carroll”
- Lewis Carroll was also a photographer
-This is how he met Alice Liddell as he took pictures of the Christ Church
Cathedral
- Alice was one of the 3 reverends daughters that Carroll took joy in photographing
- Alice was clearly Carroll’s favorite because she was “adept at asking
challenging and disconcerting questions, [and] enjoyed teasing and … logical
argument”
- This is how Carroll came up with the novel and main character of Alice’s
Adventures in Wonderland
“You would have to be half mad to dream me up.”-Lewis Carroll in Alice in Wonderland
Science vs. religion in Victorian England
A congested Victorian England. click to enlarge
-Mid-Victorian period is also known as “The Age of Improvement”
-In the 1830’s London became very polluted, and congested
-The population grew from 2 million to 6.5 million under Victoria’s
sovereignty
-Many organizations and acts were created to “regulate industrial growth”
-In 1851 a “heated debate” formed between the religious camps and the scientific
camps
-Argued over Charles Darwin’s idea of the Origin of Species
-Every living creature produces offspring that in some way differs
from itself
-Members of “Oxford Movement” argued that God created everything, and
life did not develop over time
-Carroll was a professor at Oxford and found himself in the middle of the
argument
-People believe that Carroll put bits and pieces of this discussion in his short story
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
-Carroll’s different opinions are evident throughout the novel
-Some believe that his ideas are Darwinism are evident when:
-Carroll has the animals come out of the salt water (tears) that
Alice cries
-And also the “dodo” character, refers to the dodo bird that
went extinct in 1681
-Carroll also has a great deal of interest in creationist teachings of the
church, considering his father is a minister, and he had a goal to seek
a career in the church
-In the 1830’s London became very polluted, and congested
-The population grew from 2 million to 6.5 million under Victoria’s
sovereignty
-Many organizations and acts were created to “regulate industrial growth”
-In 1851 a “heated debate” formed between the religious camps and the scientific
camps
-Argued over Charles Darwin’s idea of the Origin of Species
-Every living creature produces offspring that in some way differs
from itself
-Members of “Oxford Movement” argued that God created everything, and
life did not develop over time
-Carroll was a professor at Oxford and found himself in the middle of the
argument
-People believe that Carroll put bits and pieces of this discussion in his short story
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
-Carroll’s different opinions are evident throughout the novel
-Some believe that his ideas are Darwinism are evident when:
-Carroll has the animals come out of the salt water (tears) that
Alice cries
-And also the “dodo” character, refers to the dodo bird that
went extinct in 1681
-Carroll also has a great deal of interest in creationist teachings of the
church, considering his father is a minister, and he had a goal to seek
a career in the church
Victorian Humor
-Use of puns
-Carroll also uses references to poems that Victorian school children learned
-Some of the poems, or songs, that were recited in the novel relate to
events, or poems from the Victorian Age
-Carroll also uses references to poems that Victorian school children learned
-Some of the poems, or songs, that were recited in the novel relate to
events, or poems from the Victorian Age
Victorian Education
Alice and the Queen. click to enlarge
-Major focus on manners, and accomplishments
-Things such as:
• Music
• Drawing
• Different forms of art
-In the novel, Alice sings, and has memorized songs and poems
-she also helps the others with their manners, such as while she is at the tea
party, “You shouldn’t make personal remarks… it’s very rude.”
-Things such as:
• Music
• Drawing
• Different forms of art
-In the novel, Alice sings, and has memorized songs and poems
-she also helps the others with their manners, such as while she is at the tea
party, “You shouldn’t make personal remarks… it’s very rude.”