Lewis Carroll: Fairy tales in Wonderland
He is a mathematician at Oxford but also has storytelling talent. Who is Alice? The story's protagonist is its first audience. A concise introduction to life, family, and works.
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Alice's Adventures in Wonderland Summary Lewis Carroll
Lewis Carroll, whose real name was Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, was a longtime mathematics lecturer at Christ Church College, Oxford. He held many titles, including mathematician, logician, clergyman, photographer, and writer. Writing fairy tales was just one of his hobbies. However, his love for children and his storytelling talent led to the Alice series, which became the most popular children's books of its era and introduced a new style in fairy-tale writing for future generations.
Historically, fairy tales were mainly used to teach children, with some even aimed at adults. Carroll was the first author to write fairy tales specifically to entertain children. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was very different from earlier stories. Children loved its imaginative tales, which were meant to entertain and delight rather than deliver moral lessons. Of course, every work has its own perspective or philosophy, and Carroll's fairy tales also reflect his. Though they are widely popular worldwide, they have also faced some criticism from those who dislike Carroll.
Lewis Carroll was born on January 27, 1832, in England. Lewis Carroll is the pen name he adopted. His real name is Charles Lutwidge Dodgson. He was the eldest son in a large family with ten siblings. His father, a clergyman, was strict yet loving, and he encouraged his children to value education and creativity. Charles displayed multifaceted talents from a young age. For example, as a child, he enjoyed writing stories and poems for his younger siblings, showing a rare talent for storytelling.
Charles was a bright boy who excelled in mathematics. He attended Rugby School and later Christ Church, Oxford, where he became a lecturer in mathematics in 1855. It was a lifelong career. He contributed to his primary field, publishing books and essays under his real name, Charles Dodgson. While these works are less well known than his stories, they demonstrate his analytical mind and love of logic.
In 1856, Charles purchased his first camera. At that time, photography as a new art form had only been in the public eye for less than twenty years, requiring knowledge and skills in mechanics, physics, and chemistry from shooting to final printing. However, Charles quickly learned the craft. He was enthusiastic about it, built his own studio, and became a well-known photographer of his era.
Charles created approximately 3,000 works, of which nearly 1,000 have survived. His work demonstrates a keen artistic eye and attention to detail. Charles saw photography as an effective way to enter high society. At the height of his career, he photographed portraits of many celebrities in England. He also took numerous portraits of ordinary people, including those of children, especially girls. A century later, changes in public taste and standards led to some photos, whose authenticity was questionable, becoming the basis for a BBC film that discredited him.
The BBC's focus on old photographs isn't about photography, as few people care about them today. Its aim is Charles's or Carroll's fairy tales. Many people still love these stories. In this world, if people like something, others tend to dislike it. The BBC's criticism of Charles will, in effect, remove Alice from children's reading lists. Charles will likely never know that a century later, the world continues to debate him because of fairy tales published under the pseudonym Carroll.
Charles started writing poetry and short stories at a young age. In March 1856, he published his first work under a pen name that would later earn him fame. It's a romantic poem titled "Solitude" that appeared in the magazine Trains under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. He then published several short works under the name Carroll. However, Alice's stories came many years later. From that point on, the world of literature welcomed a new writer.
In 1856, Carroll's boss, Dean Henry Liddell, arrived at Christ Church, Oxford University, with his young family. Carroll became close friends with Liddell's wife, Lorina, and their children, especially the three sisters—Lorina, Edith, and Alice Liddell. It appears that his friendship with the Liddell family was an important part.
During those years, he developed the habit of taking the children on rowing trips, accompanied by an adult friend, to nearby bodies of water. Most of the stories in the Alice series were created spontaneously during a journey or a game with children, meant to entertain them.
On July 4, 1862, Carroll took three sisters to a riverside outing near Oxford. During a picnic, he told them a story about a little girl's adventures falling down a rabbit hole. Ten-year-old Alice was excited that the story's protagonist used her name and asked Carroll to write the story down for her.
Two years later, in November 1864, Carroll gave her a handwritten, illustrated manuscript titled Alice's Adventures Under Ground. Carroll‘s friends convinced him that the story was worth publishing, and he agreed. After some revisions, it was published in 1865 as Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Encouraged by its popularity, he wrote a second book, Through the Looking-Glass. This book was mainly based on Carroll and the Liddell children's experiences playing chess.
Unlike most children's books of the time, Carroll did not try to teach obvious moral lessons, nor did they contain hidden messages about religion or politics. They are cheerful adventure stories about how an ordinary, sensible, and healthy little girl deals with the adult world. The two books introduce a new way of writing fairy tales that fascinated both adults and children, making Carroll one of the most popular fairy tale authors.
Carroll's shy and private personality has caused speculation. Despite his fame, he avoided the spotlight and rarely discussed himself. This has fueled curiosity and rumors, but much about his inner life remains unknown. He never married and died of pneumonia after influenza on January 14, 1898, less than two weeks before his 66th birthday.
Lewis Carroll's works continue to delight readers of all ages. Through his inventive storytelling and his love for children, he created timeless classics that encourage us to explore the limits of logic and fantasy. By learning about his life, his major works, and the controversies surrounding his legacy, we can appreciate the lasting magic of this extraordinary author.
Historically, fairy tales were mainly used to teach children, with some even aimed at adults. Carroll was the first author to write fairy tales specifically to entertain children. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was very different from earlier stories. Children loved its imaginative tales, which were meant to entertain and delight rather than deliver moral lessons. Of course, every work has its own perspective or philosophy, and Carroll's fairy tales also reflect his. Though they are widely popular worldwide, they have also faced some criticism from those who dislike Carroll.
Lewis Carroll was born on January 27, 1832, in England. Lewis Carroll is the pen name he adopted. His real name is Charles Lutwidge Dodgson. He was the eldest son in a large family with ten siblings. His father, a clergyman, was strict yet loving, and he encouraged his children to value education and creativity. Charles displayed multifaceted talents from a young age. For example, as a child, he enjoyed writing stories and poems for his younger siblings, showing a rare talent for storytelling.
Charles was a bright boy who excelled in mathematics. He attended Rugby School and later Christ Church, Oxford, where he became a lecturer in mathematics in 1855. It was a lifelong career. He contributed to his primary field, publishing books and essays under his real name, Charles Dodgson. While these works are less well known than his stories, they demonstrate his analytical mind and love of logic.
In 1856, Charles purchased his first camera. At that time, photography as a new art form had only been in the public eye for less than twenty years, requiring knowledge and skills in mechanics, physics, and chemistry from shooting to final printing. However, Charles quickly learned the craft. He was enthusiastic about it, built his own studio, and became a well-known photographer of his era.
Charles created approximately 3,000 works, of which nearly 1,000 have survived. His work demonstrates a keen artistic eye and attention to detail. Charles saw photography as an effective way to enter high society. At the height of his career, he photographed portraits of many celebrities in England. He also took numerous portraits of ordinary people, including those of children, especially girls. A century later, changes in public taste and standards led to some photos, whose authenticity was questionable, becoming the basis for a BBC film that discredited him.
The BBC's focus on old photographs isn't about photography, as few people care about them today. Its aim is Charles's or Carroll's fairy tales. Many people still love these stories. In this world, if people like something, others tend to dislike it. The BBC's criticism of Charles will, in effect, remove Alice from children's reading lists. Charles will likely never know that a century later, the world continues to debate him because of fairy tales published under the pseudonym Carroll.
Charles started writing poetry and short stories at a young age. In March 1856, he published his first work under a pen name that would later earn him fame. It's a romantic poem titled "Solitude" that appeared in the magazine Trains under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. He then published several short works under the name Carroll. However, Alice's stories came many years later. From that point on, the world of literature welcomed a new writer.
In 1856, Carroll's boss, Dean Henry Liddell, arrived at Christ Church, Oxford University, with his young family. Carroll became close friends with Liddell's wife, Lorina, and their children, especially the three sisters—Lorina, Edith, and Alice Liddell. It appears that his friendship with the Liddell family was an important part.
During those years, he developed the habit of taking the children on rowing trips, accompanied by an adult friend, to nearby bodies of water. Most of the stories in the Alice series were created spontaneously during a journey or a game with children, meant to entertain them.
On July 4, 1862, Carroll took three sisters to a riverside outing near Oxford. During a picnic, he told them a story about a little girl's adventures falling down a rabbit hole. Ten-year-old Alice was excited that the story's protagonist used her name and asked Carroll to write the story down for her.
Two years later, in November 1864, Carroll gave her a handwritten, illustrated manuscript titled Alice's Adventures Under Ground. Carroll‘s friends convinced him that the story was worth publishing, and he agreed. After some revisions, it was published in 1865 as Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Encouraged by its popularity, he wrote a second book, Through the Looking-Glass. This book was mainly based on Carroll and the Liddell children's experiences playing chess.
Unlike most children's books of the time, Carroll did not try to teach obvious moral lessons, nor did they contain hidden messages about religion or politics. They are cheerful adventure stories about how an ordinary, sensible, and healthy little girl deals with the adult world. The two books introduce a new way of writing fairy tales that fascinated both adults and children, making Carroll one of the most popular fairy tale authors.
Carroll's shy and private personality has caused speculation. Despite his fame, he avoided the spotlight and rarely discussed himself. This has fueled curiosity and rumors, but much about his inner life remains unknown. He never married and died of pneumonia after influenza on January 14, 1898, less than two weeks before his 66th birthday.
Lewis Carroll's works continue to delight readers of all ages. Through his inventive storytelling and his love for children, he created timeless classics that encourage us to explore the limits of logic and fantasy. By learning about his life, his major works, and the controversies surrounding his legacy, we can appreciate the lasting magic of this extraordinary author.
Legacy and Contribution
| Year | Book | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 1865 | Alice's Adventures in Wonderland | A young girl named Alice follows the White Rabbit down a hole and enters a fantastical world. She encounters peculiar, anthropomorphic creatures and navigating nonsensical logic, making it a foundational work of the literary nonsense genre. |
| 1869 | Phantasmagoria and Other Poems | This is Carroll's first collection of poetry published under his famous pseudonym. It includes the long, humorous narrative poem Phantasmagoria, detailing the unexpected visit of a timid ghost to a private home. |
| 1871 | Through the Looking-Glass | The sequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland sees Alice stepping through a mirror into a chessboard world. The story uses the rules and characters of chess, and features famous nonsense poems like Jabberwocky. |
| 1876 | The Hunting of the Snark | A celebrated nonsense poem that recounts the impossible voyage of a peculiar crew on a quest to hunt the elusive and mysterious creature known as the Snark. It is subtitled An Agony in Eight Fits. |
| 1889 | Sylvie and Bruno | The first of a two-volume novel that blends two distinct storylines: a realistic Victorian romance and a whimsical fairy tale set in the fictional kingdom of Fairyland. The narrative is often complex and includes various poems and songs. |