Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass Alice Quotes

Alice

Quote 1

Alice started to her feet, for it flashed across her mind that she had never before seen a rabbit with either a waistcoat-pocket, or a watch to take out of it, and, burning with curiosity, she ran across the field after it, and was just in time to see it pop down a large rabbit-hole under the hedge.

In another moment down went Alice after it, never once considering how in the world she was to get out again. (Wonderland 1.3-4)

Alice's first instinct when she sees something unusual is to chase it. She doesn't think about her own safety, she doesn't concoct a plan, and she doesn't feel scared. She just feels surprised, then curious, and we're off – knowing she's going to be a fun character to follow through the adventures she's certain to have with this attitude.

Alice

Quote 2

Soon her eye fell on a little glass box that was lying under the table: she opened it, and found in it a very small cake, on which the words "EAT ME" were beautifully marked in currants. "Well, I'll eat it," said Alice, "and if it makes me grow larger, I can reach the key; and if it makes me grow smaller, I can creep under the door: so either way I'll get into the garden, and I don't care which happens!" (Wonderland 1.22)

Not only does Alice explore the fantasy realm of Wonderland, she also explores different states of being for herself. After all, that's what all children have to do – explore a new size and a new body pretty much every day.

Alice

Quote 3

By this time she had found her way into a tidy little room with a table in the window, and on it (as she had hoped) a fan and two or three pairs of tiny white kid-gloves: she took up the fan and a pair of the gloves, and was just going to leave the room, when her eye fell upon a little bottle that stood near the looking-glass. There was no label this time with the words "DRINK ME," but nevertheless she uncorked it and put it to her lips. "I know something interesting is sure to happen," she said to herself, "whenever I eat or drink anything: so I'll just see what this bottle does." (Wonderland 4.5)

Alice's sense of adventure sometimes borders on the reckless. The author is careful to explain that Alice usually makes sure the things she eats and drinks aren't marked poison, but in this case she seems particularly careless. Isn't it likely that a bottle beside a mirror in a bedroom would be filled with cologne or some other toiletry that wouldn't be a good idea to drink?