The Cheshire Cat
The Chesire Cat is one of the many characters from Alice in Wonderland to become a part of the consciousness of the world. Among the other famous characters are Alice herself, The Mad Hatter, The White Rabbit, and The Caterpillar.
The Chesire Cat in my estimation is one of the three most well known fictional cats in history along with the more recent Garfield and The Cat in the Hat. And I would not be surprised at all if The Cheshire Cat is still just as well known in 2106 as he is today in 2006. We've yet to see if these other fictional cats can really stand the test of time!
Alice in Wonderland was released in 1865. It was written by Reverend Charles Lutwidge Dodgson who is more commonly known by his pseudonym “Lewis Carroll.” The story is of a young girl who follows a rabbit into a strange world quite different from where she came from. She meets many strange creatures in this world and the Cheshire Cat is one of the more memorable.
The Cheshire Cat appears and disappears at will when speaking with Alice. This along with his unusual philosophical questions quite unnerves Alice. When the Cheshire Cat disappears for the last time everything but his smiling grin disappears. Alice remarks at this that she's often seen a cat without a grin but never before a grin without a cat!
What was the inspiration behind The Cheshire Cat?
It has been said that the Cheshire Cat was inspired by a carving in a church in a village in the northeast of England where Lewis Carroll's father had worked. Some believe that the cat is based on a gargoyle on a pillar in St Nicolas Church where Carroll used to travel frequently. The cat is named after Carroll's home county which is of course Cheshire!
Dialog between Alice and The Cheshire Cat (excerpt from Alice in Wonderland)
"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?"
"I suppose so," said Alice
"Well, then, " the Cat went on, "you see a dog growls when it's angry, and wags its tail when it's pleased. Now I growl when I'm pleased, and wag my tail when I'm angry. Therefore I'm mad."
Dialog between Alice and the Duchess (excerpt from Alice in Wonderland)
"please would you tell me," said Alice a little timidly,... "why
your cat grins like that?"
"It's a Cheshire cat," said the Duchess, "and that's
why."
Original illustration of the Cheshire Cat by John Tenniel
(included in the 1866 publication of Alice in Wonderland)
