1. Play and Identity in the Works of Charles Dodgson
Of Names and Nonsense
Play and Identity in the Works of Charles Dodgson
Katie Fields
Undergraduate Research Day
24 April 2010

2. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
What do we know about it?

3. Alice in Wonderland
Adaptations
Stage
Film

4. Characters
Mad Hatter Caterpillar White Rabbit Queen of Hearts Alice

5. Themes Transformation Wordplay Size Anthropomorphization Literalism
Poetry
Play on other children’s literature

6. Audience Is it just a children’s book?
What differences exist for child, casual adult, and critical adult readers?

7. Why has no one ever heard of it?
Sylvie and Bruno
Why has no one ever heard of it?

8. What is it about? Adult and child storylines Morality
Science, religion, human companionship

9. Charles Dodgson
Mathematician
Deacon

10. Lewis Carroll
Children’s author
Photographer

11. Identity
Author
Reader
Character

12. The Appeal of Nonsense Defies didacticism Harmless Interpretable
Playful

13. Images
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