Biography:
Lewis Carroll was born January 27th, 1832 as Charles Lutwidge Dodgson. Besides writing Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-glass , he taught mathematics at Oxford University. He was also a deacon in the Anglican Church. There is some controversy over the nature of his relationships with young girls, but there is nothing concrete to suggest he behaved inappropriately. His interest in photographing seems peculiar by today's standards, but should be viewed in the context of his time.
The Famous River Ride:
It may be surprising to know that Carroll's famous children's story, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, had a real-life genesis. On July 4th, 1862 Carroll, Reverend Robinson Duckworth, and the three Liddell children, Lorina, Alice, and Edith, rode on a boat down the Thames. During the course of the trip Carroll told the story of a girl who fell down a rabbit hole to entertain the Liddell children. He later wrote down the story giving what would become the first copy of the novel to Alice Liddell.Alice in Wonderland:
What makes Lewis Carroll an important author of the Victorian Era is the unique style of his novels. Although they are written for a childhood audience, they contain layers of meaning wedged behind a foreground of ridiculous and seemingly random characters and events. The books do not have a conventional plot structure. For most of the first book Alice simply wanders through Wonderland without a hint of an antagonist. She is confused about who she is supposed to be (feeling like she is two people). She constantly changes her size in order to pass through different obstacles. By placing a child in this position Carroll comments on society's enforcement of making youths "fit in" by sacrificing their own distinct personality in order to be accepted. The characters become exaggerated parodies of different social influences children face such as The Queen, representing government or authority figures and the White Rabbit, representing the charlatans of high society. Every character can be examined by the reader and given an explanation of purpose. The events of the story are wonderfully chaotic, a very pleasing characteristic for young readers. The Alice books are entertainment crafted masterfully, but with the innards of deep meaning when given analysis by the reader.
