Where does Alice go in Alice in Wonderland?
Quick answer
In Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865), Alice follows a White Rabbit down a rabbit hole into Wonderland, a strange dream world full of talking animals and nonsense logic. In the sequel, Through the Looking-Glass (1871), she climbs through a mirror into a world laid out like a giant chessboard.
Key facts
- Author
- Lewis Carroll (Charles Lutwidge Dodgson)
- Published
- 1865
- Illustrator
- John Tenniel
- Sequel
- Through the Looking-Glass (1871)
Wonderland’s famous characters
| Character | Known for |
|---|---|
| White Rabbit | Always late, checking his pocket watch |
| Cheshire Cat | Fades away until only its grin remains |
| Mad Hatter and March Hare | Host an endless tea party |
| Caterpillar | Smokes a hookah on a mushroom and asks “Who are you?” |
| Queen of Hearts | Shouts “Off with their heads!” |
| Dodo | Organizes a pointless “caucus race” |
Alice keeps changing size after eating and drinking things labeled “EAT ME” and “DRINK ME.”
The real Alice
Lewis Carroll was the pen name of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, a mathematics lecturer at Christ Church, Oxford. On July 4, 1862, during a boat trip on the River Thames, he made up the story to entertain Alice Liddell, the 10-year-old daughter of the college dean, and her sisters. Alice asked him to write it down.
Math and nonsense
Dodgson loved logic puzzles and wordplay. The books are full of riddles, such as the Mad Hatter’s unanswered question, “Why is a raven like a writing desk?” Some scholars believe parts of the story poke fun at new mathematical ideas of the time.
Phrases from the books
- “Down the rabbit hole”: getting drawn into something strange or complicated
- “Curiouser and curiouser”
- “Mad as a hatter”, an older phrase that the book made famous; it may be linked to hat-makers poisoned by mercury; see which metal is liquid at room temperature
On screen
Disney’s animated Alice in Wonderland (1951) and Tim Burton’s 2010 film are the best-known adaptations, but there have been dozens.
For another children’s classic with a magical setting, see the chocolate factory owned by Willy Wonka.
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