What Alice Found There: The Question of Lewis Carroll
Posted: Wednesday, February 17, 2010
by Jack H. Schick
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, Lewis Carroll, is one of the most complex and controversial figures of Victorian Britain. A renowned mathematician and statistician, an accomplished photographer, an amateur inventor and an Anglican clergyman, Dodgson is, of course, best know for his creations "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland," and "Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There." Though assured an enduring place in world literature by these books, his life is tainted by mystery, insinuation and perverse speculation.
Dodgson was a gifted student. His reading list at seven years old included "The Pilgrim's Progress." R.B. Mayor, the Mathematics Master at Rugby, where Charles began attending at age 14 said, "I have not had a more promising boy his age." He attended Oxford for a short time, then in 1853, he began attending his father's old school, Christ Church, where he was groomed to be an Anglican minister. He soon achieved the Mathematical Lecturer position there, which he retained for the next 26 years.
Dodgson referred to himself as "Dodo," perhaps due to the difficulty his stammer caused in pronouncing his own name. He was socially ambitious and anxious to make a name for himself as a writer or artist. From an early age he wrote poetry and short stories. He published many significant books on mathematics over his career. He achieved moderate success as a humorous writer; and, in 1856, for his article "Solitude" in 'The Train' magazine, he assumed the pen name Lewis Carroll- Lewis, a Latin modification of Lutwidge, his middle name, and Carolus, Latin for Charles.
In 1856, a new dean came to Christ Church, Henry Liddell. At that time Liddell had three daughters Lorina, Edith and Alice (who was 4). Dodgson was a frequent companion of the Liddells. He doted over the girls, told them stories, took them for boat rides on the lake. The parents approved and permitted him to perfect his new hobby of photography with their daughters as models. Dodgson became a renowned photographer. Over his career he produced many nude drawings and photographs of young girls (not as taboo then as it would be now), as well as of men, boys and adult women.
As a requirement of attendance, students at Christ Church were expected to receive the Holy Orders within four years of achieving a Masters Degree. When Dodgson's time came, in 1861 (Alice was 9), Charles, for unknown reasons, appealed to Dean Liddell to be absolved of the requirement. Uniquely in school history, the dean agreed. At the time, Dodgson was experiencing an unexplained, overwhelming sense of guilt. In his diary he described himself as "a vile, unworthy sinner."
In 1863 (Alice was 11), there was a sudden break in the relationship between the Liddells and Dodgson. It is difficult to ascertain the reason because his diaries from 1858 (Alice was 6), to 1862 (Alice was 10), were destroyed, perhaps by his heirs. Also destroyed were all but six of the nude photographs of young girls Dodgson took. One page was removed from Dodgson's diary of 1863 (Alice was 11). It is speculated by some that he'd proposed marriage to the girl on that day, and it is the reason for the break with the Liddells.
In 1865 (Alice was 13), Lewis Carroll published "Alice 's Adventures in Wonderland" and achieved almost immediate success and fame. Queen Victoria is rumored to have requested he dedicate his next book to her. "Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There" followed in 1871 (Alice was 19). That Alice Pleasence Liddell is 'the girl' in these books is reinforced by the acrostic poem at the end of "Looking Glass" that spells out her name.
Dodgson never married, and seldom had female companions. He suffered most of his adult life from migraines that produced auras. The symptom, micropsia, is frequently called Alice in Wonderland syndrome due to Dodgson's descriptions of it. Victorian knowledge of the brain was minimal, but it is now believed he suffered from Temporal Lobe Epilepsy.
Charles Dodgson was one of the most respected mathematicians of his day. His knack as a statistician and logician led him to create new rules for calculating postage, a method for finding the day of the week for any date, and games that were the forerunners of Scrabble and Word Ladder. He developed ciphers and codes that were used by the government.
Dodgson's feeling about young girls and his relationship with Alice Liddell can only be speculated about. Alice, who died in 1934 at age 82, shed no light on it. The fact of the missing diaries, psychologically oriented readings of his books, other elements of Dodson's life as well as speculative biographies only deepens the mystery and casts a shadow over the man.
Lewis Carroll died in 1898. What ever the truth may be, he produced one of the greatest works of children's literature ever written. His books are beloved across generations and around the world. He has achieved immortality and will continue to be one of the most controversial and complex authors of the 19th century.
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Top-level comments on this article: (3 total)Wow! This article is informative...good work.Some mysteries continue to remain as they are, forever!thanks for reading and commenting
There's no question that he was a pedophile ;what's astounding is his sustained and well earned sense of shame which most pedophiles do not usually feel or reveal.To take young Alice(and many others) out in a boat naked just to photograph her makes one wonder what else he did to those innocents.There is still debate. photographing nude children was not a Victorian taboo. There is some evidence it was the mother or the house maid he was having an affair with
Very interesting and enjoyable read. You have a great knack for writing.Thanks for saying that, LindaYou do indeed- maybe you should try writing biographies- You seem to have a knack for that type of writing.thanks, ella. I'd like to see this one on the top 10, though
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