Here ends our Alice in Wonderland Book Club. We hope you’ve enjoyed it, stop by the forum to discuss this and any other books.
Through the Looking Glass (Chapters 7-12)
by Brittany
Summary
An army of soldiers race through the wood forcing Alice to take shelter behind a tree. She observes that the soldiers trip over themselves, and the horses that come after them do the same. Alice meets up with the White King who is writing in his memorandum. He tells her why he sent out the soldiers and horses while they wait for his two messengers to arrive. Haigha, one of the White King’s messengers, arrives alerting that the Lion and the Unicorn are fighting for the crown again, and they race to see the fight. There, they meet up with Hatta, the other of the two messengers. The Lion and the Unicorn tire of fighting, and rest for refreshment. The Unicorn walks past them, inquiring what Alice is, and is amazed that she can speak. They both agree to believe in each other. Alice passes around a plum cake, but before they can enjoy it the drums sound, prompting the Lion and the Unicorn to leave town.
As the noise dies down, Alice wonders if the Lion and the Unicorn were a dream, but the dish lying at her feet confirms their presence. Suddenly the Red Knight gallops toward her yelling that he’s taking her prisoner, before falling off of his horse. Before the Red Knight could get his bearings, the White Knight comes to rescue her. The Red and White Knights battle for Alice, but shake hands in the end, the White Knight winning the battle. The White Knight alerts Alice that she will become a queen once she crosses the brook. He will help her through the wood, but that is as far as he can move. During their journey, they discuss his many inventions and his ability, or lack thereof, to ride horses. The Knight asks Alice to see him off before she leaves, and she waits until he vanishes before moving across the brook. She races to the edge of the brook, throws herself into the soft moss and realizes that there is a golden crown on her head.
Questions for consideration:
Do you believe the entire ordeal was a dream? and if so, would this kind of ending disappoint you?
What do you make of the confusion during Alice’s dinner party?
What do you suppose the moral of this novel is?
What was the significance of the novel taking on the format of a chess game?
Do you believe there’s a winner of the game in the end?
What were some of the other symbolic layers that Carroll weaves throughout the story?
Out of all of the characters that Alice meets in this novel, which are you favorites, and why?
