Charles Lutwidge Dodgson used the pen name Lewis Carroll when he wrote and published his famous fantasy children’s story, Alice in Wonderland. Carroll may have been inspired by the young daughter of family friends; a child named Alice. Carroll was an odd figure. He was a brilliant student of mathematics and linguistics, but he was childlike, shy, and quite possibly, a pedophile.
Lewis Carroll's photograph of then-seven-year-old Alice Liddell, circa 1860. (van.ac.uk)
One of Carroll’s hobbies was photography and among his favorite subjects were young girls. He was delighted to make the acquaintance of the Liddell family at Oxford. There were ten children in the Liddell family, including three young girls, Lorina, Edith, and Alice. Was Alice Liddell the inspiration for Alice in Wonderland? Although some scholars say no, it is quite likely that his unorthodox relationship with the young Alice inspired him to write Alice in Wonderland.
Who Were the Liddells?
The Liddell girls, Alice, Lorina, and Edith. (rarehistoricalphotos.com)
Henry Liddell was a dean at Oxford. He and his wife had ten children and the kids often played on the grounds of Oxford. It was there, on April 25, 1856, that the family met Charles Lutwidge Dodgson/Lewis Carroll who was taking pictures of the cathedral. Carroll told stories that delighted the children and offered to help Mrs. Liddell, who clearly had her hands full, with the kids. He offered to take photos of the girls and the Liddells allowed it. If you subscribe to the theory that Carroll was a pedophile, you might say that he was grooming the family and the Liddell girls, especially ten-year-old Alice.
A Storybook Heroine
An illustration from "Alice in Wonderland." (panmacmillan.com)
One of the tales that Carroll used to entertain the Liddell children was a fantastic story of a spunky girl named Alice and the adventures that happen to her after she falls down a rabbit hole. According to reports, Alice Liddell so loved the story that she asked Carroll to write it down for her. He promised he would, but after several months, she was sure that he had forgotten. In November of 1864, he presented her with the manuscript of a book he called Alice’s Adventures Under the Ground. After seeking a publisher for his story, Carroll agreed to change the title to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
A Questionable Relationship
As a photographer, Carroll’s favorite subject was young girls. In Victorian times, surprisingly, it was trendy to take nude and semi-nude photographs of children. It was not viewed as pornographic, but as a way to capture the innocence of childhood. Many of Carroll’s photographs of the Liddell girls are quite questionable by today’s standards and may have, at the time, crossed the line.
A Mysterious Rift
Lewis Carroll (thoughtco.com)
In June of 1863, the Liddell family suddenly severed their relationship with Lewis Carroll. The reason for this mysterious rift has been the subject of debate. Adding to the mystery, a page from Carroll’s personal diary, dated between June 27 and 29, 1863, was deliberately cut from the diary and removed. Were the Liddells fed up with Carroll’s weird fascination with their prepubescent daughters? Did they find out Carroll acted inappropriately with one or more of the girls? One theory claims that Carroll asked the Liddells for permission to marry Alice – she was only 11 years old at the time. Other accounts claim that Alice had declared her romantic love for Carroll to her parents and they were aghast.
Evidence that Alice Liddell Was Carroll’s Inspiration
Alice Liddell with Lewis Carroll. (pinterest.com)
Although some scholars dismiss the theory that Alice Liddell was Lewis Carroll’s inspiration for his famous character, there is possible evidence within the pages of Carroll’s sequel to Alice in Wonderland, Through the Looking Glass. In this book, there is an untitled poem that is commonly referred to by the first line of the poem, “A Boat Beneath a Sunny Sky.” When you look at the first letter of each line in the poem, you will notice that it spells out “Alice Pleasance Liddell.” This is surely no coincidence.
Another Carroll
Alice Liddell as a 20 year old, looking rather angsty. (rarehistoricalphotos.com)
Some scholars point out that Alice Liddell may have held a special place for Lewis Carroll in her heart long after her parents booted him from their lives. In 1880, Alice married a man named Reginald Hargreaves. The couple had three sons, Alan, Leopold, and – ironically – Caryl. Could Caryl have been a way for Alice to honor her childhood friend and, perhaps, first crush, Lewis Carroll? She denied the link, but others still wonder, was Alice Liddell the inspiration for Alice in Wonderland?
