1. Alice in Wonderland Research Project References to Victorian lifestyle
Public Educational Centre of Moscow
School “Integral”
Research Project
Alice in Wonderland
References to Victorian lifestyle
Made by Vinogradova Alice, 6 ”L”
Supervisor: Abdulaeva Jamilya Mussaevna
2017 Moscow

2. Contents Annotation………………………………………….. 3
Introduction…………………………………………. 4
1. Literature review…………………………………. 6
1.1. Lewis Carrol and Alice Liddell……………... 6
1.2. Victorian period and lifestyle……………..… 7
2. Allusions and references to Victorian lifestyle….. 8
2.1. The Mad Tea-Party…………………………..8
2.2. The March Hare and the Hatter…………….. 9
2.3. The Dormouse and the White Rabbit……
2.4. The Cheshire Cat…………………………....11
3. Conclusion……………………………………… 12
4. References………………………………………. 13

3. Annotation
Lewis Carroll’s book “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” assumes lots of different interpretations. One of possible and topical interpretations are references to Victorian lifestyle and Carroll's biography. There are some examples in this work, which prove that “Alice in Wonderland” is full of references and parallels of Victorian lifestyle including traditions and everyday habits. The better knowing the historical context provides the better understanding such a remarkable book.

4. Introduction
When I was a little girl I read Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and simply liked its nonsense and word play. But when I grew up I began to wonder about the hidden meanings in the book, the references to the author’s lifetime and the period when the book had been written.
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is a great book, which assumes lots of different interpretations. That is why it is still popular and loved in many countries. One of possible and topical interpretations are references to Victorian lifestyle.

5. Introduction
The aim of this work is to find out just some references to Victorian age and to provide additional meanings and better understanding characters and scenes, nonsense and logic of the Alice book.
The object of the research work is Carroll's book Alice in Wonderland, Carroll's lifetime and Victorian age.
The subject of the research are references and parallels between characters, scenes, themes in the book and Victorian lifestyle and habits.
The hypothesis of the research is that Alice in Wonderland contains lots of hidden meanings and allusions most of which concern Victorian lifestyle and Carroll's biography.
The methods used in the research are studying  information about Carroll's lifetime and biography, Victorian age, comparison and finding parallels in the book.
The practice of the work is better understanding Carroll's book and additional pleasure of reading.

6. Lewis Carrol and Alice Liddell
Lewis Carroll is the pseudonym of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson. He was born in 1832 in Daresbury, England. The most of his life he taught mathematics and logic at Oxford University. But he also liked word play, nonsense and little children.
Alice Liddell was Carroll’s little friend. By legend, Carrol thought of a story to amuse Alice and her sisters during the walk by the river on a summer day. In that story Alice was Alice and Carroll himself was Dodo bird, Alice’s sisters were other birds.
This story turned out into Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, which was first published in And it was an immediate success with both adults and children.

7. Victorian period and lifestyle
The Victorian Age was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 1837 until her death in 1901.
It was the “golden age” of Britain's expansion, stability, progress, social reforms and refined lifestyle. Lack of war and industrial revolution improved living standards. New traditions and habits appeared throughout the all Victorian period.
Queen Victoria read and liked Alice in Wonderland. But somebody considered that the Queen of Harts was a vague allusion to Victoria herself.

8. The Mad Tea-Party
During the time of Queen Victoria, the drinking of tea became not a mere habit or addiction, but a great part of lifestyle. The phrase “five o’clock” has also appeared at that time.
In Victorian times, some mental hospitals organized tea parties. They were open to visitors for social adaptation of their patients. And Carroll could watch such “mad tea parties”.

9. The March Hare and the Hatter
The phrases “mad as a hatter” and “mad as a march hare” were common in Carroll’s time.
The idiom “mad as a hare” references to hares which behave excitedly in March, their marriage season.
“Mad as a hatter” originated from the fact that hatters often went mad in Victorian time. They used the mercury for hats and it gave them mercury poisoning, which is still known today as “Mad hatter's” disease.
It is interesting to note, Carroll never used “Mad Hatter” in his book, but “the Hatter”.

10. The Dormouse and the White Rabbit
Victorian children really had pet dormice, and kept them in old teapots filled with grass or hay. One of Carroll’s child-friend had a pet wombat, which had a habit of sleeping on the table.
The White Rabbit is nervous and always in a hurry. Dean Liddell, Alice’s father, might have been a prototype for the White Rabbit. He was always late and forgetful.
The pocket watch is another symbol of Victorian style. It was a necessary thing of every gentleman in England.

11. The Cheshire Cat
“To grin like a Cheshire Cat” was a common phrase in Carroll’s time. But this is Carroll who made it famous!
Carroll grew up in the Cheshire, a county in England famous for its cheese. The cheese makers used to make cheese in the shape of a grinning cat.
Cheshire painters also liked to paint grinning lion’s heads on the sign-boards of inns.
For sure, Carroll was in the know of all Cheshire traditions.

12. Conclusion
In this work I have shown by some examples, that Alice in Wonderland is full of references and parallels of Victorian lifestyle including traditions and everyday habits.
The better knowing the historical context provides the better understanding such a remarkable book.
But Carroll wrote himself: “I’m very much afraid I didn’t mean anything but nonsense…”

13. References
Приключения Алисы в стране чудес. С комментариями. Лабиринт Пресс
Alice in Wonderland resources and discussions.
Alice in Wonderland. Wikipedia.
The Victorian Era England facts about Queen Victoria, Society & Literature.