Alice in wonderland book summary

Alice in wonderland plot summary, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (commonly Alice in Wonderland) is an 1865 English novel by Lewis Carroll. It details the story of a young girl named Alice who falls through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world of anthropomorphic creatures. It is seen as an example of the literary nonsense genre. 

Alice in wonderland summary

Set in the author’s present day in the English countryside, Wonderland is about a young girl named Alice who has an extraordinary adventure in a dream when she falls asleep one afternoon.

It is written in the third person past tense, although much of the story is told through Alice’s internal monologues. Her adventures in Wonderland are not revealed to be a dream until she wakes up at the book’s end.

On a warm day in May, Alice is sitting on the riverbank with her older sister, who is reading a book. Alice is bored and sleepy, but she perks up when she sees a white rabbit wearing a waistcoat and pocket watch hurry past.

She follows the rabbit down a rabbit hole and falls down a long, dark tunnel lined with cupboards and shelves. At the bottom of the tunnel is a hall with locked doors of all sizes.

She drinks from a bottle labeled “Drink Me” that she finds on a table, and it causes her to shrink. Now tiny, she sees a miniature door that leads to a beautiful garden, but she cannot enter it because she has left the key on the table far above.

She then eats a cake labeled “Eat Me” and grows to an enormous height. She hits her head on the ceiling and begins to cry. The White Rabbit hurries by, dropping a fan and gloves, as a pool of tears collects around Alice.

Alice retrieves the dropped items, but she begins shrinking again and must swim through the pool tears. She meets a mouse and a number of other animals who have fallen into the tears, and together they make their way to safe ground. In an attempt to dry off.

the mouse begins to lecture on William the Conqueror because it is a “dry” subject. When this fails, the Dodo organizes a caucus race, in which they all run in different directions until they are dry.

The White Rabbit returns and, mistaking Alice for his servant Mary Ann, orders her to go to his house to get a new fan and gloves. After entering the Rabbit’s house, Alice drinks from an unlabeled bottle and begins growing.

The White Rabbit and some other animals try unsuccessfully to remove Alice from the house, and in the end, they throw stones at her. When the stones hit the ground, they turn into cakes. She eats one and shrinks enough to escape.

After leaving the Rabbit’s house, Alice comes upon a Caterpillar sitting on a mushroom. He is smoking a hookah and is deep in meditation. The Caterpillar asks Alice, “Who are you?” but she has no answer. She tries to explain that she does not know who she is, but the Caterpillar is unsympathetic.

He tests Alice by asking her to recite some of her school verses, but when she does, the words come out wrong. Alice tells the Caterpillar that she wants to return to her normal size, and the Caterpillar tells Alice that one side of the mushroom will make her bigger, while the other will make her smaller. She stretches out her arms and breaks a piece off from each end. By nibbling a bit of each piece, she gets back to her normal height.

Alice watches as a Fish-Footman delivers an invitation to the Duchess’s house to a Frog-Footman, and eventually makes her way into the house. There she finds the Duchess nursing a baby and a Cook throwing dishes and pepper around the kitchen. The pepper makes Alice and the others sneeze powerfully.

She sees a large grinning Cat on the hearth, and the Duchess explains that it is a Cheshire Cat. The Duchess leaves to get ready to play croquet with the Queen and hands the baby to Alice. Upon closer inspection, Alice finds that the baby is a pig, and she lets it trot off into the forest.

After leaving the Duchess’s house, Alice is not sure where to go. The Cheshire Cat appears to her, up in a tree, and he directs her to the March Hare’s house. The Cat then disappears, leaving behind only his floating smile.

At the March Hare’s house, Alice finds the March Hare, the Hatter, and a sleepy Dormouse at a long table having a tea party. They exchange stories and riddles, including “Why is a raven like a writing desk?” (91). Alice leaves, exhausted and angered by all the nonsense and chaos.

After Alice leaves the tea party, she enters a door in a large tree. She finds herself back in the hall of doors. This time, she takes the golden key from the table before using a piece of the mushroom to achieve the correct height. Alice shrinks enough that she can unlock the door and enter the garden.

When Alice arrives in the garden, she meets three large living playing cards who are painting white rose bushes red. They are in a hurry to finish the job before the Queen arrives. Finally, the Queen arrives with her retinue, which are cards of different suits. The White Rabbit, the Knave of Hearts, and the King of Hearts accompany them.

The Queen confronts Alice, who is the only one not bowing. Whenever the Queen is displeased—which is often—she shouts, “Off with their head!” (81). Despite Alice’s impertinence, the Queen invites her to play croquet. Alice joins a game, which becomes chaotic very quickly. The Queen orders the Cheshire Cat’s beheading,

Questions about Alice in wonderland plot

What is the Alice in Wonderland book about?
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll is a story about Alice who falls down a rabbit hole and lands into a fantasy world that is full of weird, wonderful people and animals. It is classic children's book that is also popular with adults.

What is the main message of Alice in Wonderland?
The most obvious theme that can be found in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is the theme of growing up. Lewis Carroll adored the unprejudiced and innocent way young children approach the world.

Is Alice in Wonderland a hard book to read?
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is a quick and easy read. According to readinglenght.com it will take the average reader just over an hour to read it. That is an easy one to add to your Goodreads goal.

Why is Alice in Wonderland dark?
Alice in Wonderland definitely has a dark side. Carroll sees childhood as a dangerous place, shadowed by the threat of death. The Queen of Hearts ritually demands everyone's head, especially Alice's – “Off with her head!” The adults in Wonderland are powerful, but often absurd.

What is a good age to read Alice in Wonderland?
This particular version is for ages 8 and above depending on a child's reading ability.

Who is the villain in Alice?
The Queen of Hearts, The Queen of Hearts is a fictional character and the main antagonist in the 1865 book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.