6 surprising facts about Alice in Wonderland
To celebrate its 150th birthday Lewis Carroll’s self-published 1865 manuscript, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, we have found six surprising facts about the beloved children's classic.
1. Alice was a real girl
The main character was based on the daughter of Carroll's boss, Henry Liddell – the dean of Christ Church College at Oxford, where Carroll taught mathematics.
2. It was almost called "Alice in Elf Land"
When Carroll gave a handwritten copy to Alice Liddell, it was originally titled Alice's Adventures Under Ground. However, by the time it was published, it was changed to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Before coming to this decision, Carroll went through other titles, including Alice's Hour in Elf Land, Alice Among the Fairies, and Alice Among the Goblins.
3. The Dodo bird is based on Carroll
At least according to reports! In the book, Carroll alludes to the pivotal boat trip by putting the participants into the story as birds. He was the Dodo, named after his real last name, Dodgson. The author had a documented tendency to stammer, and the story is that he would introduce himself as "Do-do-dogson."
4. The Cheshire Cat climbed a real tree
In the garden behind the Liddell home at Christ Church College, Oxford, stands a tree that is said to have inspired the famous cat's perch.
5. His real name is not Lewis Carroll
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson started using the pen name in 1856 when he published a romantic poem. It was a play on a Latin translation of his real first and middle names.
6. Queen Victoria was a fan
After reading Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Queen Victoria suggested that Carroll dedicate his next work to her. She probably should have been more specific: Carroll was a mathematician, so his next work was An Elementary Treatise on Determinants, With Their Application to Simultaneous Linear Equations and Algebraic Equations. He presented it to the Queen.
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