Writer's Within!: The Unexplained S1E11 Bedtime Stories: The Legend of Alice in Wonderland

The Chira Project is covering different types of bedtime stories that will scare the pants off of little children. If you know of any kind of scary bedtime story, please share it with us. This is our Eleventh bedtime story is none other than... Alice in Wonderland!

This is our last showing for radio but don't worry, you can catch us on YouTube starting in July or August. We do have an intro video, which will be linked at the end of this blog.

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What is the origin of 'Alice in Wonderland'?
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (commonly shortened to Alice in Wonderland) is an 1865 novel written by English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll.

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Who is Alice in Wonderland?
It tells of a girl named Alice who falls down a rabbit hole into a fantasy world populated by peculiar, anthropomorphic creatures. The tale plays with logic, giving the story lasting popularity with adults as well as with children. It is considered to be one of the best examples of the literary nonsense genre. Its narrative course and structure, characters and imagery have been enormously influential in both popular culture and literature, especially in the fantasy genre.

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When was Alice in Wonderland born?

May 4, 1852 is when Alice in Wonderland was first created by Alice Pleasance Liddell (/ˈlɪdəl/; 4 May 1852 – 16 November 1934). She inspired the children's classic Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (Charles Lutwidge Dodgson), when she asked him to tell her a story on a boating trip in Oxford. The character of the fictional Alice is not, however, based on her, as many had assumed. Relations between the Liddell family and Dodgson continue to provoke speculation—including, in late twentieth century biography, allegations that Dodgson took an unhealthy interest in the child. Liddell married a cricketer Reginald Hargreaves, and they had three sons.

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Where did Alice in Wonderland come from?
The classic children's book was born on July 4th, 1862. Where did Wonderland come from? Alice and the Author? You’ve fallen down a rabbit hole, only this time you’re not in a room full of doors, no, you’re on a rowing boat on your way to a picnic with you two sisters and two close friends. It’s July 4th 1862 and you want Charles to tell you one of his strange whimsical story’s for the journey. You hear him talking of rabbit holes and white rabbits in waistcoats, doors, talking animals, a red queen with an enormous head, you hear him talk of Wonderland.

The story teller, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson better known as Lewis Carroll was close friends with the Liddell family. Dodgson was the eldest of eight siblings. The Liddell family became friends with him after their father was appointed church dean at the church were Charles worked as a mathematician. The Liddell’s had three daughters Edith, Lorina and Alice. The girls got on well with Dodgson as they liked the strange, exotic and engagingly whimsical stories that he told them.

Wonderland came alive on July 4th 1862, when the three girls, Dodgson and one of his friends Robert Duckworth set out on a rowing boat from Folly Bridge to Godstow to have a picnic. The three daughters wanted Charles to tell them one of his fascinating stories. Charles told them a tale of a girl named Alice who fell down a rabbit hole and found herself in a bizarre new world. The real Alice, Alice Liddell, was so taken with the story that she asked Charles to write it down for her, which, of course he did. Late he added a few more chapters and illustrations so the story, and named the tale Alice’s adventures underground. A friend of Dodgson, an author George McDonald read the story to his children and they were taken with the story to, he highly encouraged Charles to get the tale published. In 1865 Dodgson changed his name to Lewis Carroll and had his book published by Macmillan.

There are some rumours that Dodgson favoured Alice Liddell, and that there are connections with her and fantasy Alice. For example the poem through the looking glass every letter at the start of each line spells out Alice Liddell’s full name, Alice Pleasance Liddell. Also the two Alice’s are the same age although both Alice’s are the complete opposite, Alice Liddell has short dark hair were as fantasy Alice has long blonde hair and is short in size. Both Alice’s even had the same birthdays, May 4th. Incidentally, it also seems that the character of the Red Queen in Through the Looking Glass owed something to the Liddell children’s alarming governess. Dodgson denied that he intended to portray Alice Liddell in this whimsical tale.

In 1963 the friendship between the Liddell’s and Dodgson broke down for unclear reasons, it might have been that Alice’s mother was uncomfortable with Alice’s and Dodgson friendship. A part of his diary that explains this was torn out by one of Dodgson’s descendants. After a few months polite relations were returned but none of the earlier warmth of the friendship. Dodgson died in 1898, he remained a bachelor until his death, and Dodgson revealed the nature of his feelings for Alice Liddell in his diary but poured ink over it a few days before he passed. Alice Liddell died at the age of 82 in 1934, Alice married Reginald Hargreaves who died in 1926, and Alice’s was so short of money that she sold the original manuscript of Alice’s adventures underground for £15,400. In her last years she said that she was “tired of being Alice in wonderland.”

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Why did Alice in Wonderland go from good to evil?
Alice in Wonderland isn't an evil story at all but there are good and evil characters within the story.

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How was Alice in Wonderland created?
Is Alice in Wonderland really about drugs? Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is, on one level at least, the story of a girl who disappears down a rabbit hole to a fantastic place full of bizarre adventures. The heroine follows a talking white rabbit, meets the Queen of Hearts and plays croquet using flamingos as mallets. Since the 1960's there has been a trend for readers to identify an underlying drug theme in the book. The Cheshire Cat disappears leaving only the enigmatic grin behind. Alice drinks potions and eats pieces of mushroom to change her physical state. The caterpillar smokes an elaborate water pipe. The whole atmosphere of the story is so profoundly disjointed from reality - surely drugs must have had an influence? After all this was the era of legal opium use.

Jefferson Airplane's 1967 psychedelic anthem White Rabbit runs with the drug theme. "When the men on the chessboard get up / And tell you where to go / And you've just had some kind of mushroom / And your mind is moving low / Go ask Alice, I think she'll know."
To read more, go to: http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-19254839

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Does Alice in Wonderland Exist?
No one knows for sure as to if Alice in Wonderland really exists, unless you are on drugs like LSD.

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Which Alice in Wonderland film do you prefer?
43%- The original Alice in Wonderland from 1951
57%- Tim Burton's “Alice in Wonderland” from 2010

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Critic's Pick: Alice in Wonderland

Alice Through the Looking Glass
Tim Burton's “Alice in Wonderland”
Jefferson Airplane- White Rabbit
Stone Sour- Though Glass
Eurythmics- Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)
The Matrix (Follow the white rabbit. Take the red pill or the blue pill)
Once Upon a Time
Alice in Wonderland Restaurant in Japan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KwVQviBwF8&feature=youtu.be
東方 Metalcore - Alice In World's End https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibiPGkeaRDw&feature=youtu.be
Avril Lavigne - Alice https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YI4m-l2yRZA
SAD ALICE SAID-Open your eyes (HD,HQ-lyrics on screen) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5ZxVb2E3JU&feature=youtu.be
American McGee's Alice - The Red Queen METAL Cover https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eE0blQIyhM&feature=youtu.be
Alice: Madness Returns Teaser and Trailer HD Compilation and First Gameplay Footage https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1X1C333nN8&feature=youtu.be
Royal Flush Gang https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgMuu9wNSkM&feature=youtu.be
The Candy Spooky Theater "Alice" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFvd2QyWfRw&feature=youtu.be
Marilyn Manson - Sweet Dreams (lyrics) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHRyMcH6WMM
Nobodies Alice In Wonderland https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwX2iVWttyM
We are Alice ~{Sweet Dreams}~ Emily Browning/Marilyn Manson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1tEJOt7b8Q
Peter Hunt on Lewis Carroll's 'Alice' books https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFL-yBZJJN4&feature=youtu.be
Batman: Arkham City - The Tea Party (Mad Hatter) - Side Mission Walkthrough https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGYPGQYTRxE&feature=youtu.be
Batman Arkham City Mad Hatter Interview Tapes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMLR1Ewd6u8&feature=youtu.be

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The Legend of Alice in Wonderland S1E11
VIDEO TBA...

Stone Sour- Though Glass

Eurythmics- Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)

The Chira Project Facebook Page
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The Chira Project TV: Intro

Jefferson Airplane- White Rabbit

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In through the looking glass

A boat, beneath a sunny sky
Lingering onward dreamily,
In an evening in July

Children three that nestle near
Eager eye and willing ear
Please a simple tale to hear,

Long had paled that sunny sky
Echoes fade and memories die
Autumn frosts have slain July

Still she haunts me, phantom wise
Alice moving under skies
Never seen by waking eyes

Children yet, the tale to hear
Eager eye and willing ear
Lovingly shall nestle near

In a wonderland they lie,
Dreaming as the day goes by
Dreaming as the summers die

Ever drifting down the stream
Lingering in the golden gleam
Life, what is it but a dream?

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