While the White Rabbit is a bit of a foppish fussbudget, the March Hare is portrayed as an “absent-minded professor” type. The first edition of Alice illustrates the March Hare with hay on his head – a typical Victorian depiction of the mad - as an unwritten symbol to contemporary readers.
Hares have been revered as fertility symbols since pre-Christian times and were sacred to the pagan goddess of spring. Hares are also symbols of night and have been associated with witches who are reputed to take their shape to escape pursuit.
What does the March Hare symbolize in Alice in Wonderland?
Tenniel drew straw in the March Hare's hair to show that he was mad. In England, hares were thought to go mad in Spring. Straw was a symbol of madness.
She was offered some wine by March Hare but there was no trace of the wine on the table. This was the first time March Hare disappointed Alice. Mad Hatter also disappointed Alice with rude comments about her hair. Dormouse, on the other hand, started telling a story to Alice.
The white rabbit character marks a significant starting point for the story, drawing Alice away from the real world, down its winding rabbit hole to a strange and unexpected new place. Thus, the rabbit, and the rabbit hole, becomes a symbol for curiosity, fantasy and escape.
In some ancient cultures, rabbits were symbols of fertility and prosperity. For instance, in greek times they were sacred to Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. While in later folklores they're often portrayed as tricksters who can bring luck and good fortune if treated with respect.
The Cheshire Cat is sometimes interpreted as a guiding spirit for Alice, as it is he who directs her toward the March Hare's house and the mad tea party, which eventually leads her to her final destination, the garden.
Through the Mad Hatter, Carroll is seen by some observers as critiquing England's mistreatment of its workers and its mentally ill. During the Victorian era, workers in the textile industries were subjected to hazardous conditions, including exposure to lead and mercury.
In the original script, The Hatter kissed Alice twice: At the end of his dance, the Hatter grabs Alice and kisses her passionately. Before she leaves, He abruptly kisses her one last time and whispers "Fairfarren, Alice.".
The hare was a sacred and mystical animal to the Celts; a symbol of abundance, prosperity and good fortune. They were believed to have connections to the Otherworld. They were treated with great respect and never eaten.
What does falling down the rabbit hole represent in Alice in Wonderland?
In the story, Alice literally falls down the hole of the White Rabbit, taking her to Wonderland. In this case, falling down the rabbit hole meant entering a strange and absurd alternate universe, which many believe was supposed to represent a psychedelic experience.
Idioms. (as) mad as a hatter/a March hare (informal) (of a person) mentally ill; very silly From the Mad Hatter, a character in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
The Hare is best friends with the Mad Hatter and enjoys tea just as much as him. Although they are close and both insane, March Hare seems to be a bit more loud, rude, and energetic than the Hatter, who is a bit more gentleman-like. In relation to this, the Hare often carries around an oversized mallet with him.
As a symbol, the hare in the medieval period might be regarded in either a positive or negative light. More often than not, the hare was regarded pejoratively, belonging to 'the lascivious hunt of Venus, the hunt of lust, rather than to the virtuous hunt'.
What disorder does the Mad Hatter have in Alice in Wonderland?
The diagnosis the Mad Hatter seems to fit best is Borderline Personality Disorder (301.83). He displays this among Mally and the Hare. He is constantly changing his mood and one minute is harsh to them, and the next minute he thinks they have the greatest idea ever.
English illustrator John enniel depicted Hatter wearing a hat with 10/6 written on it. The 10/6 refers to the cost of a hat — 10 shillings and 6 pence, and later became the date and month to celebrate Mad Hatter Day. The idiom “mad as a hatter” was around long before Carroll started writing.
Instead, he's embraced his persona as the Mad Hatter and may see Alice as both a source of affection and the chance to escape his reality by creating a Wonderland of his own. With Alice at his side, it would confirm the life he made was nothing like the reality he nurtured.
What mental illness does the Cheshire Cat represent?
zooming at some topics of this novel, we come up to understand that Little Alice suffers from Hallucinations and Personality Disorders, the White Rabbit from General Anxiety Disorder “I'm late”, the Cheshire Cat is schizophrenic, as he disappears and reappears distorting reality around him and subsequently driving ...
The white rabbit is a prominent character in the book, representing curiosity, adventure, and the journey into the unknown. Similarly, Watership Down by Richard Adams portrays rabbits as intelligent, sensitive creatures with strong bonds and leadership qualities.
"If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there." This oft-cited but not-quite-accurate quote is from the Lewis Carroll's classic children's tale, Alice in Wonderland.
The rabbit is also associated with a variety of positive qualities, such as innocence, intelligence, fertility, and longevity. Rabbit sightings are considered a harbinger of good luck and a reminder that life is filled with possibilities for those who are willing to work hard and persevere.
The negative view of the rabbit as an unclean animal, which derived from the Old Testament, always remained present for medieval artists and their patrons. Thus the rabbit can have a negative connotation of unbridled sexuality and lust or a positive meaning as a symbol of the steep path to salvation.
Where did the word rabbit come from? Until the 18th century, rabbits were called coneys, based on the French conil, shortened from the Latin cuniculus. Rabbit first referred to the young of coneys until eventually the word took over in popularity.
