Alice in Wonderland is one of the most popular and beloved pieces of literature. It’s been immortalized as a classic through both print and film, and has heavily influenced popular culture and literature, especially in the fantasy genre.
As the story goes, one afternoon by the riverbank, little Alice is bored by a book with no pictures, and notices a talking, clothed rabbit, which she follows into a hole. She falls down and finds herself in a surreal land where logic is obsolete, and meets some crazy characters while getting into increasingly outrageous predicaments.
This whimsical story actually offers quite a bit of wisdom, so it’s no surprise that Alice in Wonderland has gifted readers with treasured quotes.
Alice in Wonderland Quotes
Below is a list of Alice in Wonderland quotes that range from the serious and philosophical to the whimsical and nonsensical.
“But I don’t want to go among mad people,” Alice remarked.
“Oh, you can’t help that,” said the Cat: “we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad.”
“How do you know I’m mad?” said Alice.
“You must be,” said the Cat, “Or you wouldn’t have come here.”
Alice and The Cheshire Cat
This is the Cheshire Cat’s concise description of the strange world Alice finds herself in. “Mad” in this context is not necessarily a bad thing, but rather a signal to embrace the strange and quirky side that lurks in all of us. If you rationalize things too much, the world loses its vibrancy. If you want to go on an adventure, maybe you need to be just a tiny bit mad yourself.
“‘Who in the world am I?’ Ah, that’s the great puzzle!”
Alice
This is a line that reaches far beyond its place in the book. Alice undergoes so much change that she’s no longer sure of who she is; but rather than worry herself to the bone, she accepts the changes as a fun challenge to figure out.
“It’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.”
Alice
Lewis Carroll is an expert at dropping profound thoughts into seemingly normal (or, in this book’s case, not so normal) situations. Alice utters this line right after growing and shrinking in size. Though she meant this statement literally, the quote can be expanded to include philosophical changes.
“But it’s no use now, to pretend to be two people! Why, there’s hardly enough of me left to make one respectable person!”
Alice
For a 7-year-old girl who followed a talking rabbit into a hole other land (heh, get it?), Alice can show some remarkable signs of wisdom. Indeed, living as one person is already challenging as is. Imagine the troubles of pretending to be two!
“This is impossible,” said Alice.
“Only if you believe it is,” replied The Mad Hatter.
Alice and The Mad Hatter
Throughout the book, The Mad Hatter often drops little nuggets of wisdom that make you wonder if he’s really mad, or just a misunderstood philosopher. This interaction between him and Alice is particularly powerful. We often set our own limitations by such negative thinking, never realizing that there’s a higher ceiling we can reach, and a larger world to move around in.
“I don’t think—” says Alice.
“Then you shouldn’t talk,” said the Hatter.
Alice and The Mad Hatter
Taken as part of the whole story, the Mad Hatter’s just being a cheeky host, but on its own, this passage transcends the situation it was written for. Lots of people talk with “empty words” that don’t have any meaning to them. Instead, they just talk for the sake of talking.
“If everybody minded their own business, the world would go around a great deal faster than it does.”
The Duchess
This is a pretty ironic quote, as the Duchess herself is as nosy as her rival, the Queen of Hearts. But the truth of this passage still stands. If people spent more time and energy dealing with things they need to do, rather than getting caught up with the unnecessary, then life, in general, would advance more quickly for them.
“I don’t see how he can ever finish, if he doesn’t begin.”
Alice
This is a private remark about the Mock Turtle’s prolonged introduction to his story, but it can easily applied to other situations. It’s always the job that’s never started that will always take the longest. It’s so easy to procrastinate, only to feel remorse for our laziness in the end.
“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”
“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cat.
“I don’t much care where—” said Alice.
“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the Cat.
“—so long as I get somewhere,” Alice added as an explanation.
“Oh, you’re sure to do that,” said the Cat, “if you only walk long enough.”
Alice and the Cheshire Cat
We can definitely categorize the Cheshire Cat under the mentor trope. He’s always there to give Alice advice (however suspect) when she needs it. The best thing about their first meeting is how the Cheshire Cat drops life truths so casually you’d think they’re not important. Only uoon a closer read do you realize how deep they are. Life is a journey without directions; your decisions shape your future and depending on how you do, you’ll arrive either early or late to your goal.
“The best way to explain it is to do it.”
The Dodo
Experience is ever the best teacher. You can really learn more when you live through something yourself. Though the Dodo says this for something as silly as a Caucus Race, it’s still a simple and profound quote that can inspire you to act in order to learn.
“‘Then you should say what you mean,’ the March Hare went on.
‘I do,’ Alice hastily replied; ‘at least—at least I mean what I say—that’s the same thing, you know.’
‘Not the same thing a bit!’ said the Hatter. ‘Why, you might just as well say that ‘I see what I eat’ is the same thing as ‘I eat what I see’!’”
Alice, The March Hare, and the Mad Hatter
The whole conversation that takes place during the tea party is just absurd, but that’s Wonderland for you. This bit right here, though, tells of how direct words are best used to convey what you mean, especially with strangers. It’s either that or get frustrated when people don’t seem to understand you.
“Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”
The Queen of Hearts
We’re accustomed to taking ourselves seriously because, well, who’d want to be known as silly or crazy? The problem is, we often put so much pressure on ourselves and constantly worry over the little things that we forget what it is to live. The innocence of youth and their tendency to dream of even the impossible is something we could benefit from remembering. After all, isn’t humanity always striving to reach the impossible?
“How long is forever?“
“Sometimes, just one second,” said the White Rabbit.
Alice and the White Rabbit
Time is a relative concept, especially in a weird a place like Wonderland, but also in the real world. Your perception of time can depend on how you treat the moments that you live. A moment experienced to its fullest will feel like it could last forever; on the other hand, it can take you years to realize how much time is lost due to poor decisions. The best thing you can do is live in the present and appreciate life’s moments.
The Inspiration for the Story
The idea for Alice in Wonderland all started during an unextraordinary summer day that Lewis Carroll (whose real name was Charles Dodgson) spent rowing along the Thames river with three daughters of a good friend.
During the trip, he concocted stories about a bored girl named Alice in order to entertain the girls. Little did he know that his spontaneous stories would endure to entertain generations of kids and adults alike.
The Legacy of Alice in Wonderland
It’s rare that a children’s story has such an enduring effect that it can transcend generations—especially one that’s as whimsical as Alice in Wonderland! But beyond the playful words and psychedelic trip around an illogical world lurks Carroll’s sharp wit and creativity.
The book is overflowing with literary and cultural allusions, brainteasers, riddles, and even mathematical problems that stay relevant despite constant cultural and societal changes. To put all of those things into a story best known for its surreal quality and absurdness is just genius.
Even now, the book continues to draw attention from critics, casual readers, filmmakers, writers, and all sorts of folks in different industries. New interpretations and adaptations continue to arise, including films, analyses, music, and so on. The mere fact that the book has never been out of print just goes to show how powerful a spell it has cast on our imagination.
There’s no one way to read Alice in Wonderland; it’s a conundrum without any real answer, yet feels much more familiar than the reality around us. Take from it what you will, because we’re all just a little mad. We must be, or we wouldn’t have read such a weird story.
What’s your favorite Alice in Wonderland quote? Share it in the comments below!
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Cole is a blog writer and aspiring novelist. He has a degree in Communications and is an advocate of media and information literacy and responsible media practices. Aside from his interest in technology, crafts, and food, he’s also your typical science fiction and fantasy junkie, spending most of his free time reading through an ever-growing to-be-read list. It’s either that or procrastinating over actually writing his book. Wish him luck!
