The Journey Across the Board: In chess, moves alternate per side, and each square is controlled by a single piece. Throughout the story, Alice comes into conflict with characters (pieces) for various reasons. She plays the part of a White Pawn, which is restricted in moving forward (“north”) across the board in the hopes of becoming a White Queen at the very end. A quick study of the board and its key will give the reader many hints of the nature of Alice’s coming adventures in Looking-Glass Land.
The Preface
Looking-Glass Chess: While the chess motif is brilliant and deftly explored, the needs of the story outweigh the needs of the game. In other words, the chessboard as shown gives an extremely unlikely game in progress, with nonsensical moves by the various pieces. But what else is to be expected in a land governed by madness? The game in Looking-Glass Land has its own rules, which make sense only to the participants themselves.
Castling Queens: This move, in “real” chess, involves the fortification of the King by positioning the Rooks in the backmost rank. In Looking-Glass Chess, castling refers to three Queens being present at the same time in the final rank. This is demonstrated in the story by Alice entering the palace, and the beginning of the great feast.
The Prefatory Poem
A Song of Autumn: This poem, written in perhaps 1871, is clearly written by Carroll to Alice Liddell directly. By “half a life asunder,” Carroll is referring to the fact that Alice would then be 19 years old, and Carroll himself 39. The poem also introduces one of the major themes in Through the Looking-Glass, the passing of time and changing of people’s hearts, as reflected by the seasons. The time of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is here regarded as summer, and Through the Looking-Glass represents autumn.
Darker, Colder Tidings: The verse beginning “Come, hearken then” is a strong symbolic passage concerning the coming of death (for those, such as Alice and Carroll, who believe themselves to be far too young at heart to fully die. Indeed, they remain immortal in literature.)
Pleasance: The last line, of course, has a double meaning. It implies that the story will be too enjoyable to be spoiled by grim tidings; but it is also a word-play on Alice Liddell’s middle name.
Chapter I
A Tale of Three Cats: From the very first, Carroll writes with the expectation that the reader is familiar with Alice and her world. The “old cat” mentioned here is Dinah, from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. The two kittens, black and white, are her children. The Liddell family had a male companion for Dinah, named Villikens, but sadly he died to poison. Whether or not he was the father of these two kittens remains a mystery.
Good Kitten, Bad Kitten: Alice’s kittens are quite contrary in nature. The white kitten is slow, patient and well-minded, while the black kitten is energetic, hasty and mischievous. As will be seen, the white kitten reflects the nature of the White Queen, and the black kitten mirrors the Red Queen. (The black kitten’s name, by the way, is Kitty, while the white one is named Snowdrop.)
“Do You Know What To-Morrow Is?”: The date is November 4th. The following night (“Remember, remember, the fifth of November”) is Guy Fawkes Night, on which celebratory bonfires are burned to commemorate the failure of the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. There is a winking allusion here to the idea of monarchy and revolution. Alice defied the Queen of Hearts in Wonderland; now, as she is growing up, she seeks to become a Queen herself and will be challenged by the Red Queen to see if she is worthy.
Telling Kitty’s Faults: When Alice is chiding the black kitten, she is playing with the idea of authority. Some of this is a matter of maturity, but the rest is simply transference, with Alice eager to make light of her own punishments (surely received from her father, mother and Miss Prickett, the governess).
“When We Were Playing Just Now”: The person Alice was playing chess with is not made clear. Considering Carroll’s diary’s however, and his interest in the game, it is very likely that she was playing against Lewis Carroll himself, and that he had just departed the moment before Through the Looking-Glass began. (This would also explain why the book of poetry featuring “Jabberwocky” is present, since Carroll wrote the poem, and was in the habit of giving books to Alice as gifts.)
“Let’s Pretend”: Here, Carroll is re-establishing the nature of Alice and her sister. The “very exact” sister in question is no doubt Lorina, who was also featured in the beginning and end of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alice’s offer to be more than one person is an echo of her fall down the rabbit-hole, when we learned that she was in the habit of pretending to be two people. And of course, Alice’s quite shocking declaration to her nurse gives us an early taste of the subversive, predatory and morbid humor for which Alice is always known!
“You’re the Red Queen, Kitty!”: Alice’s desire for the unreal is so strong that she can turn fantasy into reality. We first discovered this in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, when she made the glass table appear in the Hall of Doors. Here, Alice’s simple “Let’s pretend” appeal has similarly made it so. From this point forward, the black kitten and the Red Queen are the same creature, represented differently in different worlds.
“All My Ideas About Looking-Glass House”: In the same manner, Alice creates the physical laws of the Deanery on the other side of the mirror. Looking-Glass House thus becomes a “dimensional threshold” of sorts, a gateway between Looking-Glass Land and reality.
A Bright Silvery Mist: It is interesting that the prefatory poem of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was about the “golden afternoon,” while the poem in Through the Looking-Glass speaks of “silver laughter” and the mirror turns into “silvery mist.” A parallel can be drawn to the ideas of a Golden Age and a Silver Age, which go all the way back to Hesiod in the 8th century BC. To Hesiod, the Golden Age was the time of human innocence, and the Silver Age was the time when mortality was enforced by the gods, when people were less noble and more concerned with the fear of death.
The Face of a Little Old Man: The entity in the clock is actually Father Time, who we last saw in the Hatter’s watch. He grins at Alice, perhaps to let her know that time is passing quickly for her, and she will not be caught in a “time warp” by his wrath (as the Mad Tea-Party was trapped in Wonderland).
Two Castles Walking Arm in Arm: In chess, the more antiquated term “Castle” is interchangeable with “Rook.”
As If I Were Invisible: Alice cannot be seen or heard by the chessmen in Looking-Glass House. This is probably because she has “crossed over” into forbidden territory, and is not, by all physical laws, meant to be there.
A Lack of Bishops: In the background of Tenniel’s illustration, we can see the two Red Bishops having a conversation, while a White Bishop reads the papers. This will be the only time that we see the Bishops in the story. Considering Carroll’s respect for religious figures, this was likely an intentional gesture on his part.
Pawns of the White Queen: Since Pawns in chess can (with a great deal of luck and skill) eventually become Queens, it is perfectly reasonable that Lily, the youngest White Pawn, is indeed of royal blood and the daughter of the Queen. This also explains why the Red Queen treats Alice with some decorum and respect later on, as the Red Queen believes herself to be tutoring (and challenging) the Princess of a rival bloodline.
“Make a Memorandum of It”: We are here reminded of the King of Hearts, and his need to put everything in his memorandum-book, lest he forget what has transpired and what he is doing.
“He Balances Very Badly”: Knights are regarded as clumsy in Looking-Glass Land, because of the way they move in chess (first in one direction, than a 90-degree turn and a move in another direction). This inherent imbalance, or “wriggling,” makes them skilled fighters, but comically inept as well!
YKCOWREBBAJ: Unfortunately, the Kindle does not support true mirror writing. As a formatting concession, I have written the first verse of Jabberwocky backwards to best emulate the original text.
JABBERWOCKY: Carroll’s classic
nonsense poem is one of the most famous rhyming works in English literature. A distinction which often remains unnoticed, however, is that of “Jabberwock” vs. “Jabberwocky.” The Jabberwock is a nonesuch monster, much like a dragon crossed between a moth, a spider and a bat. “Jabberwocky” (with a “y”) is the title of the poem, meaning “Of or pertaining to a Jabberwock.” The many other unique words in the poem (such as “brillig,” “slithy,” “toves,” etc.) are defined in the glossary at the end of this work.
“’Twas Brillig, and the Slithy Toves…”: Humpty Dumpty will explain some of this poem to Alice later, but as this piece is highly important to the mythology of Wonderland and Looking-Glass Land, it is beneficial to offer an understanding of this work before moving on. “Jabberwocky” is written in a mock Anglo-Saxon style, a period which interested Carroll greatly. We can assume then that it tells a tale from the 10th or 11th century AD. (The Mouse in Wonderland talks all about William the Conqueror, who was responsible for the end of Anglo-Saxon sovereignty in 1066.) The action takes place on Jabberwock Isle (equivalent to the Isle of Man), which we will revisit in The Hunting of the Snark. The unnamed Baron of the Isle, perhaps as a rite of ascendance, sends his son to slay the menacing Jabberwock, which lurks in the Tulgey Wood. Much like Saint George or John Lambton, the boy proves himself by taking up a sword and ridding the Isle of the horrible creature. This tale is directly relevant to Alice’s journey in Looking-Glass Land, because it involves an unlikely young heir growing up before his time, and thereby earning the mantle of nobility.
Getting Down Stairs Quickly and Easily: The staircase here is the fabled Lexicon Staircase, which Alice’s father Henry Liddell had installed in the Deanery. (It was purchased using proceeds from the publication of his Greek Lexicon, which he was well-known for.) Alice alluded in the story of Wonderland that she had tumbled down these stairs before. Here, she is saved only by her own quick thinking, changing the physical laws of Looking-Glass House without even realizing that she has done so.
Chapter II
More Like a Corkscrew Than a Path: As Alice leaves the Looking-Glass House and enters Looking-Glass Land, her ability to change the natural laws of her surroundings begins to falter. Looking-Glass Land is an established kingdom, and its rules were created by either the Red or White monarchy, or the powers which preceded them. Due to her nearness to Looking-Glass House (and reality), Alice is still able to exert a little control. However, she is entering the domain of the Red Queen, and will need to learn the rules of the land so that she can subvert them later.
A Large Flower-Bed: Some of the flowers Alice encounters on the threshold of Looking-Glass Land are taken from Tennyson’s poem, “Maud.” Tenniel’s illustrations of them may have been inspired by Grandville’s beautiful work in Un Autre Monde.
“We Can Talk”: Notice again the subtlety of Alice’s wish, which is instantly complied with. Much like Wonderland, Looking-Glass Land shapes its unnatural laws around Alice’s desires.
The Victorian Language of Flowers: In Alice’s (and especially Lewis Carroll’s) age, flowers were used in correspondence between affectionate people as a formalized game of riddle and answer. Some of the floral messages were obvious (the olive branch meaning peace, the red rose meaning true love), while others were delightfully obscure (viscaria meaning an invitation to dance, jonquil meaning “kindly return my affection”). The flowers which Alice encounters in the Garden of Live Flowers are, in order: (1) an orange Tiger-lily (meaning desire); (2) a red Rose (true love); (3) pink Daisies (innocent beauty, unknown to the possessor); (4) white Daisies (innocence and loyalty); (5) a Violet (faithfulness); and (6) Larkspur (singular fickleness). The effect may be accidental, but the progression is interesting when we consider (1) Alice’s desire to get to the top of the hill, (2) Carroll’s adoration of Alice, (3) Alice’s unawareness of her own beauty, and (4, 5) Alice’s devotion to those who care for her. The sudden twist of the Larkspur to (6) fickleness occurs only when the Red Queen is arriving, and the Larkspur cries out, “She’s coming!”
“You’re the Right Colour”: The Rose is politely inferring that Alice is a “good” (or game-worthy) person because her skin is pale (white), as opposed to ruddy (red). The Rose, familiar only with the chessmen of Looking-Glass Land, is assuming that Alice serves the White Queen.
From Pink to White: This is one of the rare instances where Alice is willing to make a deadly threat against those who misbehave!
“There’s One Other Flower”: Here, the live flowers are describing the Red Queen in the only way they know how. By “more bushy,” the Rose means that the Red Queen is wearing a larger dress than Alice. “Her petals are shorter” refers to the length of her hair, “done up close” in a snood, or hairnet. The “nine spikes” refers to the radial points of her crown.
The Prickly Red Queen: The flowers refer to the Red Queen as “one of the thorny kind.” This is a reference not only to her spiked crown, but also to her testy personality. It is also worth noting that this is probably a hint at the Liddell sisters’ nickname for their governess Miss Prickett, “Pricks.” In his article “‘Alice’ on the Stage,” Carroll explained the personality of the Red Queen as follows: “The Red Queen I pictured as a Fury, but of another type [as opposed to the Queen of Hearts]; her passion must be cold and calm; she must be formal and strict, yet not unkindly; pedantic to the tenth degree, the concentrated essence of all governesses!”
“I Hear Her Footstep”: As we can see in Tenniel’s illustration, the Red Queen is atop her formal chess-piece pedestal, and so she only has one thumping foot upon which to walk!
“Look Up, Speak Nicely”: The Red Queen has never seen a mere mortal girl in Looking-Glass Land before. She is here assuming that Alice is a White Pawn (just like Lily), and therefore a Princess. As such, she feels it is her duty to educate Alice in all forms of manners and etiquette.
A Woman’s One-Upmanship: The Red Queen’s insistence that she has seen greater things than Alice, and that she owns “all of the ways,” underlines a simple (but dangerous!) case of egocentricity. The Red Queen is telling Alice in no uncertain terms that she is the highest power in all the land.
“That Would Be Nonsense”: Alice may be remembering that she successfully defied the Queen of Hearts in Wonderland by declaring her royal proceedings to be “nonsense.” Things are not so simple here, however, and the Red Queen is a far more canny adversary!
“I Wish I Was One of Them”: Again, Alice desires something to be true, and so it is. The Red Queen smiles upon her, and allows Alice to enter play as a White Pawn—perhaps believing that Alice’s naiveté will improve the Red Queen’s chance of winning, and so ruling all of Looking-Glass Land. Alice, then, is a Pawn in every sense of the word.
“Faster! Faster!”: The theme of pastoral Wonderland was one of a hegemonic monarchy, represented by the rule of the Queen of Hearts. Timelessness was the nature of the land (exemplified by the Mad Tea-Party, where time never changes). In Looking-Glass Land, however, there are two competing monarchies, and time is of the essence. The land is in turmoil, and everything is about rushing, change, and the obsessions of timekeeping. Wonderland (with its paths and forests) represents pastoral Merry Olde England, while Looking-Glass Land (with its artificial landscape and trains) represents Victorian England, caught up in the throes of the Industrial Revolution.
“One of the Knights Will Show You the Way”: Ominously, the Red Queen is implying that she knows that two chivalrous Knights, White and Red, will fight over Alice. By saying that one of the Knights will show Alice the way to the palace, she means either that the White Knight will win, and guide Alice onward; or, the Red Knight will be victorious, and Alice will be taken before the Red Queen as a fairly-earned prisoner of war.
“She Can Run Very Fast”: In chess, the Queens are the most powerful and mobile pieces in the game, being able to move an unlimited number of squares in any of the eight directions.
Chapter III
Alice on the Train: T
his clever illustration is a reference to the Millais painting, “My First Sermon,” which shows a young child in Alice’s pose, caught in another (very uncomfortable) adult situation. The background of the carriage is from August Leopold Egg’s painting, “The Travelling Companions.”
“Tickets, Please!”: As an astute reader of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland will remember, the three lines of asterisks denote those moments when Alice becomes disoriented, or her body’s shape is changing. Here, there is a change that occurs when she leaps over the brook. She has just crossed from one chessboard square into the next, and in so doing has vanished and appeared on a Looking-Glass train heading north. Her first encounter is with the Guard, a conductor responsible for ticket checking.
“A Thousand Pounds a Minute”: As we have seen through Alice’s encounter with the Red Queen, Looking-Glass Land is certainly a place where people are obsessed with haste, rushing and progress. The unified voices in the railway carriage represent “the people,” caught up in the rush of technological Victorian life. But where the Queen was concerned with time, these people are simply obsessed with money.
“You’re Travelling the Wrong Way”: After the Guard scrutinizes Alice, he tells her that she is moving in the wrong direction. This is actually quite disconcerting, when we consider that Alice is a White Pawn in the chess game, and can only move in a single direction! The Guard has probably sensed that Alice is (unknowingly) serving the purposes of the manipulative Red Queen, instead of the White.
The Gentleman in the Papers: The illustrated man is Benjamin Disraeli, the famous politician who was certainly in the newspapers!
The Complete Alice in Wonderland (Wonderland Imprints Master Editions) Page 24