Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland By: Lewis Carroll

Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (pronounced Dodson)  Born on January 27, 1832, in Daresbury, Cheshire, a small English town  His parents, both socially well-connected  Belonged to families with strong traditions of service to the Anglican Church and to the Crown

About the Author  Reverend Charles Lutwidge Dodgson wrote under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll  His 2 most famous books: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking − Glass and What Alice Found There (1872)  Dodgson is praised as a genius who fused his own love of word games and logic puzzles with a genuine love of and sympathy for children

How it came to be…  entered Christ Church College at Oxford  Became a clergyman for the Church of England  1856 met Dean Henry George Liddell, Dean of Christ Church  Liddell’s daughters Alice, Lorina, and Edith heard Carroll tell the story of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland  Alice asked Carroll to write the story down. He presented her with a handwritten copy November 26, 1864 (then called Alice’s Adventures Under Ground)

Historical Context  The Victorian Age ( ) in England  Named for Britain’s Queen Victoria  Victorian Age focuses on language, class- consciousness, and attitude towards children

Victorian Views of Children  Childhood considered the happiest, simple, and uncomplicated time of a person’s life.  Children were also thought to be: “best seen not heard.”  Many families had nurses and nannies to take care of the children  Emphasis for children, especially girls, to learn manners and how to fit into society  Look for the emphasis on manners in the story…