Written by Lewis Carroll, Alice in the Wonderland is a remarkable novel and has many memorable scenes and lines. The protagonist of the novel, Alice, faces various bizarre adventures in a fictional world, Wonderland. She meets with creatures who are at times illogical and strange. The writer has beautifully unveiled the deep philosophy of life through challenges, tests and perplexing situations in which Alice has to go through. Several famous quotes from Alice in The Wonderland illustrate these situations and challenges. Some of the quotes have been discussed below.
Famous Quotes from Alice in the Wonderland
Quote #1
“What is the use of a book without pictures or conversations?” Alice.
Chapter-One
Alice asks herself this question in the start when she finds her sister reading a book that does not appeal to her. The book appears dull and unattractive. Alice in Wonderland is an illustrated book. Hence, both pictures and conversations echo profound messages. Unlike other children, perhaps Alice prefers learning through images. This quote is significant and shows the power of visuals. It also means that during those periods children were not taught subjects practically.
Quote #2
“Who in the world am I?” Ah, that’s the great puzzle.”
Chapter-Two
In these lines, Alice once again asks this question to herself. She is trying to understand ‘Wonderland’ and the creatures. During her search, Alice realizes that she is not only striving to figure out the new world but also trying to find her own identity. This question is also shows a philosophical dilemma of a man about his existence. This quote is important because it points out that life is full of mystery. You can only discover your true identity when you truly understand the forces around you and your feelings.
Quote #3
“Curiouser and curiouser!” Alice.
Chapter-Two
This is a very famous phrase invented by Lewis Caroll, is spoken by Alice in the second chapter of this novel. It explains the level of curiosity Alice is experiencing in Wonderland. At this point, she is also trying to evaluate if what she is facing is a reality or imaginary. By using this wrong grammatical structure, Carroll has pointed out Alice’s unique character. This quote remains exclusive for breaking the standard rule and create buzzwords that last forever.
Quote #4
“We must burn the house down!” said the rabbit’s voice, and Alice called out, as loud as she could, “if you do, I’ll set Dinah at you!”
Chapter-Four
These lines are mentioned in chapter four. Little Alice is stuck in a room as she has grown bigger. The White Rabbit threatens to burn the house Alice is in. However, when she issues a threat of setting her cat Dinah free, they consult each other again. These lines express that in adverse situations, even a child can threaten the opposite person in order to protect themselves. It also shows that Alice, though young displays courage when the White Rabbit intimidates her.
Quote #5
“It’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.” Alice.
Chapter-Six
These words are spoken by Alice in the sixth chapter. It shows how Alice and many other characters of the novel show prowess of playing with words. Alice finds herself in a perplexing situation because she is undergoing an identity crisis and physical changes. This quote is also considered as inspirational and reveals the understanding of time and space. It also expresses that we must not worry about the past and always try to be better than what we were before.
Quote #6
“I can’t explain myself, I’m afraid, Sir, because I’m not myself you see.” Alice.
Chapter-Six
These words are taken from the sixth chapter. Alice confesses that she does not know herself when the Caterpillar asks her who she is. She believes the Caterpillar is asking about her physical traits. Alice tells the Caterpillar that she is unable to explain who she is because of her constant change. If we look further, the Caterpillar repeats ‘who are you?’ to make her understand her inner personality. These lines depict the identity crisis.
Quote #7
“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”
“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cat.
Chapter-Six
These lines are taken from the sixth chapter. Here Alice asks the Cat the way out. The cat tells that it depends on where she wants to go. In the next few lines, both the characters come to an understanding that the place does not matter. It is the “going” that matters. This becomes rather just a routine to ask a question. The significance of these lines lies in the use of words in different circumstances. As long as you are constantly moving further towards your destination, it shouldn’t matter which path you take.
Quote #8
“We’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad.” Cheshire Cat.
Chapter-Seven
Cheshire Cat explains Alice that they are all different and everyone has a bit of madness inside them. It further adds that most living beings in the Wonderland are either insane or angry. That’s why Alice found her way to this magical place. Alice is aware of the fact that Wonderland is different from the real world, but the characters she has met so far make her realize that they are normal creatures of the Wonderland. The phrase also means that if you want to be a part of an adventure you have to be a mad person.
Quote #9
“Everything’s got a moral, if only you can find it.” Duchess.
Chapter-Nine
These words are spoken by Duchess to Alice to explain the point of self-awareness. She demonstrates her absolute position that no matter whether a moral or a principle makes sense or not, it is still right if it comes from the person in high authority. On the other hand, this quote suggests that there’s a lesson in every situation Alice has encountered. Furthermore, the queen is reminding Alice the importance of action and its consequences.
Quote #10
“’Tis the voice of the Lobster: I heard him declare / ‘You have baked me too brown, I must sugar my hair.” Alice.
Chapter-Ten
Gryphon has asked Alice to recite a poem. Hesitant, she jumbles up the words in confusion. Whenever the characters of Wonderland ask her to recite something, Alice stammers out the parodic version like this one out of confusion. Instead of reciting ‘Tis the voice of the sluggard’ she recalls a different poem and mixes up with ‘the Lobster Quadrille’. This quote is expressed to make fun of schools and what they teach, especially on teaching impractical lessons. It also shows the turmoil Alice is going through since she arrived at Wonderland.
