“Behind every great man is a great woman” is the case for Lewis Carroll, though his is a fictitious woman. Lewis Carroll wrote one of the most known fairytales called Alice in Wonderland. Alice from Alice in Wonderland made Carroll’s name known worldwide. Many people around the world know about the blonde girl 's story, or the blond bitch according to my parents, but little is known of Lewis Carroll. Based on the sources provided by the Academy of American Poets, Carroll “was born Charles Lutwidge Dodgson on January 27, 1832, in Daresbury, Cheshire, England. He was the son of a clergyman. Carroll was the third child born to a family of eleven children” (2009). Being a large family, Carroll was constantly reminded of morals and values.
The Early Years
Carroll admired his father at an early age and wanted to be like him (Merriman, 2007). He attended a public school after fourteen years of home schooling like his father did. Even in those times education was stressed as it is in my life today. Carroll “was determined to succeed and approached his education avidly: he earned his B.A. in 1854 with First Class Honors in mathematics, Second in Classics, and in 1857 graduated with an M.A” (Merriman, 2007). After graduation, Carroll went into teaching mathematics. He was later ordained as a deacon (Academy of American Poets, 2009). Though ordained, Carroll never preached. “He liked to take holidays and practice his photography in various parts of the country with family and friends, such as fellow Oxford Alumnus Doctor Reginald Southey” (Merriman, 2007). He was a family man at heart.
Carroll's World of Writing
Carroll lived in a world full of games, which he derived his writing from. He was a little kid in his mind like any adult is buried deep in their mind. “His interest in logic came purely from the playful nature of its principle rather than its uses as a tool” (Merriman, 2007). Carroll wrote a variety of material, but primarily focused on fantasies and humor, where the story of Alice came from . Each piece of Carroll’s writing had a specific purpose. “Alice's story began as a piece of extemporaneous whimsy meant to entertain three little girls on a boating trip in 1862” (Merriman, 2007).
The Story Continues with Time
The oddest thing to Carroll’s acquiring fame was he did not know it was coming. Imagine writing a story you think no one would read, except three little girls it was written for. In my opinion I would think he was more shocked than anything. What really fascinates me was the background of the author because it was something I least expected. Who would have thought a man from a family of eleven would have had the passion for education like he did, especially in that time period, let alone be a household name even today. The fact of the matter is this story is over one hundred years old, and still has popularity with children.
The basic concept of Alice contains its original vision as Lewis Carroll imagined. This is the thing I most admire about this story. Between the wit and humor of the story there was a deeper meaning. Carroll once said, “Everything’s got a moral, if only you can find it” (Merriman 2007). I believe discovering something in a story is the greatest gift imaginable, especially because you were least expecting the twist or the hidden meaning in Alice in Wonderland. It certainly contained surprises.
Sources
Academy of American Poets. (2009). Lewis Carroll. Retrieved on October 2, 2009 from
http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/78.
Merriman, C.D., (2007). Lewis Carroll. The Literature Network. Retrieved on October 2, 2009
from http://www.online-literature.com/carroll.
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