Were all mad here alice in wonderland

Historical Events Movies

HE-1951-0104

A: 96.66%Affected: 96.66%

MMDE: We're all mad here

Current: Most everyone is mad here.

What did the Cheshire Cat say?

The mysterious Cheshire Cat is firmly lodged in many peoples memories having read about him, or equally likely seen him, in Lewis Carrols famous Alice in Wonderland.

In the Disney adaptation, many remember him saying "we're all mad here", and this phrase is referenced many times on the internet. It's this way in the original text, too. The problem is in the Disney movie, the phrase he uses is "Most everyone is mad here".

This Mass Memory Discrepancy Effect is likely explained by the phrase being different in the original, which is of course the authoritative source. However, it is remarkable just how many claim to have only seen the movie yet are sure they know the phrase.

Cat

The quote is misquoted many times, and in some unexpected places, too.

“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.”

-- Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

The novel was written in 1865, and most people know it was by Lewis Carrol but don't realise that was the pseudonym of Charles Luttwidge Dodgson. It was unique at the time for being aimed at both adults and children, both of which found different meanings throughout the work. It is world famous, and has been adapted for the theatre, radio, big screen and television many times as each new medium emerged. Translated into over 100 languages, a sequel in 1871 was written called Through the Looking-Glass.

The origin of the story is one a day when Dodgson was on a boat with the three young daughters of a friend, and started making up a story to pass the time. He just came up with the idea of a young girl called Alice who was bored and wanted an adventure. Later, on another boat trip, he elaborated on the earlier story and one of the girls - who was actually called Alice - asked him to write it down for her. This became the first draft of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland now commonly known as Alice in Wonderland.

So she set the little creature down, and felt quite relieved to see it trot away quietly into the wood. 'If it had grown up,' she said to herself, 'it would have made a dreadfully ugly child: but it makes rather a handsome pig, I think.' And she began thinking over other children she knew, who might do very well as

pigs, and was just saying to herself, 'if one only knew the right way to change them--' when she was a little startled by seeing the Cheshire Cat sitting on a bough of a tree a few yards off.

The Cat only grinned when it saw Alice. It looked good-natured, she thought: still it had VERY long claws and a great many teeth, so she felt that it ought to be treated with respect.

'Cheshire Puss,' she began, rather timidly, as she did not at all know whether it would like the name: however, it only grinned a little wider. 'Come, it's pleased so far,' thought Alice, and she went on. '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 felt that this could not be denied, so she tried another question. 'What sort of people live about here?'

'In THAT direction,' the Cat said, waving its right paw round, 'lives a Hatter: and in THAT direction,' waving the other paw, 'lives a March Hare. Visit either you like: they're both mad.'

'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 didn't think that proved it at all; however, she went on 'And how do you know that you're mad?'

'To begin with,' said the Cat, 'a dog's not mad. You grant that?'

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland                                           71

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland                                            72

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