# Wool and Water explained — Through the Looking-Glass

> Chapter companion for Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll.

## What happens

Alice meets the White Queen, who lives backwards in time and discusses impossible beliefs. The Queen transforms into a Sheep in a shop, and Alice finds herself in a boat rowing among rushes, before the scene shifts back.

## Themes in this chapter

### Time and Reversal

The White Queen lives backwards, remembering future events and discussing jam yesterday and tomorrow but never today.

### Logic and Nonsense

The Queen's rules about jam, believing impossible things, and the shifting shop shelves defy conventional logic.

### Language and Meaning

Wordplay on 'a-dressing,' 'feather,' and 'exactually' highlights the arbitrary nature of language.

## Character check-ins

### Alice

Helps the White Queen with her shawl and hair, questions the logic of living backwards, and rows a boat in a dreamlike shop.

### White Queen

Appears disheveled and frantic, explains living backwards and believing impossible things, then transforms into a Sheep.

### Sheep

Appears behind the counter in a shop, knitting with many needles, and later hands Alice oars for rowing.

## Key lines

> The rule is, jam tomorrow and jam yesterday—but never jam today.

The rule is that jam is available in the future or the past, but never in the present.

_Illustrates the White Queen's backward logic about time._

> Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.

I have often believed up to six impossible ideas before starting the day.

_Highlights the Queen's practice of believing the impossible._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/through_the_looking_glass_se/chapters/v-wool-and-water
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/through_the_looking_glass_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/through_the_looking_glass_se/chapters