Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There: Analysis of Major Characters
"Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There" is a sequel to Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland," exploring themes of identity and the nature of reality. The narrative follows Alice as she navigates the whimsical and often perplexing world of Looking-Glass House, populated by an array of unique characters that mirror chess pieces and elements of nature. Key figures include the White and Red Queens, who embody the contrasting forces of order and chaos, and the humorous yet perplexing Tweedledum and Tweedledee, who engage Alice in riddles and nonsensical debates. Other notable characters include the White King and the Red Knight, who add to the chessboard-like structure of Alice's journey. The story also features Dinah, the kittens, and various talking flowers, emphasizing themes of growth and transformation. Through her interactions with these characters, Alice grapples with her own understanding of self and agency within a surreal, often contradictory landscape. This rich tapestry of characters and their interactions invites readers to reflect on the complexities of childhood imagination and the boundaries of reality.
Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Lewis Carroll
First published: 1871 (dated 1872); illustrated
Genre: Novel
Locale: The dreamworld of Alice
Plot: Fantasy
Time: Nineteenth century
Alice, an imaginative English child who has fantastic adventures in Looking-Glass House.
The White Kitten, a good kitten who is not responsible for Alice's adventures.
The Black Kitten, who is told by Alice to pretend that they can go through the mirror to Looking-Glass House.
Dinah, the kittens' mother.
The White Queen, a live chess piece. In Alice's adventures, she becomes a sheep, gives Alice some needles, and tells the little girl to knit. She reappears throughout the story in various guises.
The White King, a live chess piece. He has Alice serve a cake that cuts itself.
Tiger Lily, Rose, and Violet, flowers of whom Alice asks the path to take.
Gnat, a pleasant insect as big as a chicken. He melts away.
The Red Queen, a live chess piece. She tells Alice that one has to run to stay in the same place. Later, she turns into the black kitten.
Tweedledum and Tweedledee, two odd, fat, little men. They speak in ambiguities and recite poems to Alice. They fight over a rattle until frightened away by a crow.
The Red King, a live chess piece. He dreams about Alice, says Tweedledee, and thus gives her reality.
Humpty Dumpty, who has a conversation in riddles with Alice. He explains to her the Jabberwocky poem.
The Lion and the Unicorn, who fight over the White King's crown.
The Red Knight, a live chess piece who claims Alice as his prisoner.
The White Knight, a live chess piece who also claims Alice as his prisoner. He leads Alice to a brook and tells her to jump into the next square to become a queen herself.