Alice's Adventures Under Ground

Alice's Adventures Under Ground
Name	Alice's Adventures Under Ground
Author	Lewis Carroll
Illustrator	Lewis Carroll
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Genre	Children's literature, Literary nonsense
Published	1886
Media type	Print

Alice's Adventures Under Ground. It is the original manuscript version of the classic novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, handwritten and illustrated by Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under his pen name Lewis Carroll. The work was created as a gift for Alice Liddell, the young girl who inspired the stories during a boating trip on the River Isis near Oxford. This shorter, more personal version was later expanded into the famous published book, becoming a foundational text of Victorian literature and the literary nonsense genre.

Background and creation

The story originated on July 4, 1862, during a rowing expedition from Folly Bridge to Godstow with the Liddell family. Dodgson, a mathematician at Christ Church, Oxford, began telling a tale to entertain Alice Liddell and her sisters Lorina Liddell and Edith Liddell. Encouraged by Alice's enthusiasm, he spent the following months meticulously writing out the story by hand. He presented the finished manuscript, bound in green leather, to Alice as a Christmas gift in 1864. The creation was influenced by Dodgson's circle, including friend and mentor George MacDonald, whose children adored the story and urged its publication.

Plot summary

The narrative follows young Alice as she pursues a talking White Rabbit down a rabbit-hole into a surreal underground world. There, she encounters a series of bizarre characters and situations, including a pool of her own tears, a Caucus Race with various animals, and a conversation with a hookah-smoking Caterpillar. She visits the residence of the Duchess and meets the infamous Cheshire Cat. The story culminates in a chaotic trial at the court of the Queen of Hearts, where Alice grows to her full size and defiantly declares the proceedings to be "nonsense" before waking up from her dream.

Relationship to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

This manuscript served as the direct precursor to the published Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. At the urging of author Henry Kingsley and others, Dodgson expanded the story significantly for publication by Macmillan Publishers. Notable additions made for the 1865 edition include the chapters "Pig and Pepper" and "A Mad Tea-Party," introducing characters like the Mad Hatter and the March Hare. The published version also featured professional illustrations by political cartoonist John Tenniel, which became iconic. The core narrative and many characters, however, originated in this original gift for Alice Liddell.

Publication history

After remaining in Alice Liddell's possession for decades, the manuscript was sold at Sotheby's in 1928. It was purchased by American collector A. S. W. Rosenbach and later bought by a consortium of American benefactors, led by librarian Eldridge R. Johnson. In 1948, they presented the manuscript to the British Museum as a token of gratitude for the Allies' efforts during World War II. A facsimile edition was first published in 1886, and the original is now held in the British Library, having been transferred from the museum's collection.

Manuscript and illustrations

The manuscript comprises 90 pages of Dodgson's neat handwriting, supplemented by 37 of his own pen-and-ink drawings. Unlike the polished work of John Tenniel, Dodgson's illustrations have a charming, amateur quality, with Alice depicted as a dark-haired girl closely resembling Alice Liddell. The dedication page features a photograph of Alice taken by Dodgson himself, an avid practitioner of portrait photography. The physical book is a small volume bound in red morocco leather for its 1886 facsimile, differing from the original green binding given to Liddell.

Cultural impact and legacy

The manuscript is celebrated as a priceless artifact of children's literature. Its journey from a private gift to a national treasure underscores the global cultural significance of the Alice stories. Exhibitions at institutions like the Morgan Library & Museum and the British Library often feature it prominently. The story's evolution from this handwritten draft into a world-renowned book published by Macmillan Publishers marks a pivotal moment in Victorian literature, influencing countless subsequent works in fantasy and literary nonsense, and cementing Lewis Carroll's place in the canon of Western literature.

Category:1865 books Category:British children's novels Category:Manuscripts