Through the Looking-Glass · Chapter
VIII: “It’s My Own Invention” explained
Alice finds herself alone after the Lion and Unicorn episode, questioning whether she is dreaming the Red King's dream.
What happens
Alice finds herself alone after the Lion and Unicorn episode, questioning whether she is dreaming the Red King's dream. She is then confronted by a Red Knight and a White Knight who claim her as a prisoner. They fight according to their own peculiar rules, and the White Knight wins. He escorts Alice through the wood, showing her his many odd inventions, including an upside-down box for sandwiches and a mousetrap on his horse. He sings a long, whimsical ballad about an aged man, and then bids her farewell at the edge of the forest, telling her that crossing the next brook will make her a Queen.
Themes in this chapter
Reality and Dreams
Alice questions whether she is dreaming the Red King's dream, blurring the line between reality and fantasy.
Logic and Nonsense
The Knights' absurd battle rules, the White Knight's impractical inventions, and the nonsensical ballad all exemplify the theme of logic and nonsense.
Identity and Self
Alice's desire to become a Queen and her concern about belonging to another person's dream reflect her struggle with identity.
Growth and Maturation
Alice's journey toward becoming a Queen symbolizes her growth and maturation, as she is guided by the White Knight to the next stage.
Characters to notice
- Alice
Alice questions whether she is part of the Red King's dream, is claimed as a prisoner by the Knights, and is escorted by the White Knight.
- White Knight
The White Knight rescues Alice from the Red Knight, shows her his inventions, sings a long ballad, and escorts her to the edge of the wood.
- Red Queen
The Red Knight, who claims Alice as his prisoner, is dressed in crimson armor and fights the White Knight.
- Lion
Mentioned as part of Alice's earlier dream about the Lion and the Unicorn.
- Unicorn
Mentioned as part of Alice's earlier dream about the Lion and the Unicorn.
- White King
The Red King is referenced as the possible dreamer of Alice's dream.
Key passages
““So I wasn’t dreaming, after all,” she said to herself, “unless—unless we’re all part of the same dream. Only I do hope it’s my dream, and not the Red King’s! I don’t like belonging to another person’s dream,””
Alice realizes she is not dreaming, but wonders if everyone is part of one dream, hoping it is her own and not the Red King's.
Alice questions the nature of reality and her autonomy within the dream.
““It’s my own invention—to keep clothes and sandwiches in. You see I carry it upside-down, so that the rain can’t get in.””
The White Knight explains his upside-down box invention, designed to keep rain out, though the lid is open.
The Knight's invention is comically impractical, highlighting the theme of nonsense.
““You’ve only a few yards to go,” he said, “down the hill and over that little brook, and then you’ll be a Queen—””
The White Knight tells Alice that crossing the next brook will make her a Queen.
This marks a key step in Alice's journey toward becoming a Queen.