AP English: Adaptations of the Croquet Match in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Writing Prompt:

As we close in on the end of our discussion of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, it is time for us to look at my (Dr. Brigman's) favorite scene: the croquet match with the Queen of Hearts that goes incredibly wrong. 

As time changes, so do the characters in the stories we tell, and I find the changes to Alice's foreboding, hot-headed queen some of the most interesting! I have often thought Carroll (and his illustrator, John Tenniel), based her off of the most famous queen of their Day: Queen Victoria.

Do you see the similarity between the image (above) and the one Tenniel illustrated (below)?

Clip from the 1951 Disney animated feature, Alice in Wonderland.

2010 Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland featuring Helena Bonham Carter (Tim Burton's wife!) as the Queen of Hearts.

Questions for Discussion:

1) In your opinion, which Queen of Hearts is the most like the one that appears in Chapter 8, "The Queen's Croquet Ground" (60-67)? Please use specific textual evidence.

2) Vice versa, which Queen of Hearts is the least like the one that appears in Chapter 8?

3) Pick one of the two Queen of Hearts we saw today and discuss appropriation. Remember: appropriation means, "to take something and make it your own." What was the creator (either Tim Burton or Walt Disney) taking? What were they making their own? What do you think the creator was trying to accomplish with this version? 

4) Lastly, why a Queen of Hearts?

AP English: Cheshire Cat

Hands down, the Cheshire Cat remains one of the most iconic images from Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. He speaks in riddles, floats through the air, and grins without stopping. What makes him so interesting is often hard to describe, and there are many ways to read this magical, mysterious, and curious character.

For today, watch the following clips and answer the discussion questions in the comments section below. Pay close attention to how the Cheshire Cat is characterized and how he is like/unlike the one represented in our books.

1951 scene from Disney's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

The Cheshire Cat in Tim Burton's 2010 adaptation of Alice in Wonderland.

1999 Cheshire Cat scene from the made-for-TV movie Alice in Wonderland

Questions for Discussion:
1) In your opinion, which cat (from the above adaptations) is most like the one that appears in Chapter VI of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland? Please use specific textual evidence to support your ideas.

2) Which cat is the least like Carroll's Cheshire cat? Why?

3) Pick your favorite Cheshire Cat quote. Explain the nonsense and the logic behind it.

4) Lastly, why a Cheshire cat?

A Very "Unbirthday Party": Appropriations of the Mad Hatter's Tea Party

Last week, we looked at a number of adaptations of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (here).  Iconic scenes like the journey through the rabbit hole and the caterpillar's inquisitive remarks, "Who are you," tell us a lot about the world Alice envisions whether she is underground or above it.

For today, we will look at one of the most famous: the Mad Hatter's Tea Party. Please watch the following clips and answer the discussions questions in the comments section below. You may wish to reference your notes from last week on child logic, nonsense, and storytelling.

1951 Disney adaptation, Alice in Wonderland.

2010 Tim Burton adaptation, Alice in Wonderland

A lesser-known made-for-TV movie adaptation from 1999, Alice in Wonderland featuring Tina Majorino, Whoopi Goldberg, and Martin Short as the Mad Hatter.

1) Pick an illustration from our Norton Editions of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. What visual similarities do you see between the John Tenniel's illustrations and one of the adaptations from above? (e.g., Disney's 1951, Tim Burton's 2010, or 1999 TV movie)

2) In your opinion, which adaptation follows the storyline the closest? What is kept the same, and therefore, stays true to the story? Why would the creators keep this part of the story?

3) Vice versa, in your opinion, which adaptation is the farthest from the original storyline? What is made to be different, and therefore, changes the story? Why would the creators have changed this part of the original story? What might be their aim?

4) Lastly, why a tea party?

Falling Down the Rabbit Hole: Adaptations of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

1951 opening credits to Disney's Alice in Wonderland.

Writing Activity:
For today's class, we will be falling down the rabbit hole with Alice from Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.  I want us to begin by looking at the opening credits of the 1951 Disney animated feature, Alice in Wonderland, and discussing the ways Disney has appropriated Carroll's story.  When we are finished, please answer the following questions in the comments section below.

1) What visual similarities do you see between Carroll's (and illustrator John Tenniel's) Alice and Disney's Alice?
2) Does the movie follow the story, characterization, and dialogue closely? Why or why not?

2010 opening credits from Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland (Disney).

3) What major changes does Tim Burton make to Alice's journey down the rabbit hole?
4) What is lost and what is gained by these changes?
5) Lastly, why a rabbit hole?

Getting to Know Lewis and Alice: Who Was Lewis Carroll and Alice Liddell?

Before we fall down the metaphorical "rabbit hole" with Alice, we must first learn a little bit about the life of Lewis Carroll and who the infamous Alice Liddell was that inspired Carroll to write Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

For today, watch 5-10 minutes of The Secret Life of Lewis Carroll. Then, listen as Dr. B. explains a few theories about Carroll's relationships with children, stammering, and storytelling. (Video on stammering, here.)

When we are done, answer all of the discussion questions below.

1) Who was Alice Liddell?
2) How did Carroll and Liddell meet?
3) What drew Carroll to Alice?
4) What made Alice different from the other children?
5) According to scholars in The Secret Life of Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is the "third most-quoted book after the Bible and Shakespeare."  Do you agree with this claim? Why or why not (be specific)?