Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Down the Rabbit Hole: When sitting on the riverbank with her
older sister, a seven-year-old girl is bored and drowsy. She notices a
talking, white rabbit with a pocket watch run by. She follows it
down a rabbit hole to a strange hall with a plethora of locked doors
of various sizes.
RISING
The Pool of Tears: The chapter begins with Alice rising to such enormous
ACTION
proportions that her head reaches the ceiling. Alice, who has shrunk due to
a fan she picked up, swims through her tears and encounters a mouse who
is also swimming.
The Caucus Race and a Long Tale: Other creatures and birds that have been
washed away crowd the sea of tears. Mouse gives them a dry history lesson
about William the Conqueror. A dodo determines that a Caucus-Race, in
which everyone runs in a circle with no definite winner, will be the perfect
way to dry them off. Alice, unintentionally, scares all the animals away by
talking about her pet.
RISING ACTION
The Rabbit Sends a Little Bill: The White Rabbit reappears, this time in search
of the Duchess' gloves and fan. Alice drinks from a bottle and grows once
more. The terrified Rabbit directs his gardener, Bill the Lizard, to scale the
roof and descend the chimney.
A Mad Tea-Party: Alice attends a "crazy" tea party with the March Hare, the
Hatter, and a rather tired Dormouse. Many riddles and stories are told to
Alice by the characters, including the popular "why is a raven like a writing
desk?"
RISING
ACTION
The Queen's Croquet Ground: Alice leaves the tea party and enters the
greenhouse, where she encounters three living playing cards who are
painting white roses on a rose tree red because The Queen of Hearts
despises white roses. The Queen, a difficult figure to please, introduces her
signature phrase "Off with his head!" when she is dissatisfied with a topic.
The Mock Turtle's Story: At Alice's order, the Duchess is brought to the
croquet ground. She muses about how she can find values in anything
around her. On the threat of execution, the Queen of Hearts dismisses her.
RISING ACTION
Lobster Quadrille: Though Alice recites (rather incorrectly) "'Tis the Voice of
the Lobster," the Mock Turtle and the Gryphon dance to the Lobster Quadrille.
The Mock Turtle sings "Beautiful Soup," as the Gryphon drags Alice away for
an imminent hearing.
Who Stole the Tarts?: Alice attends a court hearing in which the Knave of
Hearts is accused of stealing the Queen's tarts. Bill the Lizard and the
White Rabbit are among the animals on the jury. During the proceedings,
Alice notices that she is expanding and is chastised by a dormouse.