Through the Looking-Glass · Chapter
Which Dreamed It? explained
Alice wakes from her dream and addresses her kitten, Kitty, reflecting on her journey through the Looking-Glass world.
What happens
Alice wakes from her dream and addresses her kitten, Kitty, reflecting on her journey through the Looking-Glass world. She playfully accuses the kitten of being the Red Queen and wonders about the nature of her dream, questioning whether it was her dream or the Red King's.
Themes in this chapter
Reality and Dreams
The chapter centers on the ambiguity between dream and reality, as Alice questions whether she dreamed the Looking-Glass world or was part of the Red King's dream.
Identity and Self
Alice's playful identification of her kittens as characters from her dream explores the fluidity of identity and the self.
Language and Meaning
Alice's frustration with the kitten's inability to communicate through purrs and mews highlights the theme of language and its limitations.
Characters to notice
- Alice
Alice wakes from her dream and interacts with her kittens, reflecting on her adventures and the nature of reality.
- Kitty
Alice's kitten, whom she addresses and playfully accuses of being the Red Queen in her dream.
- Red Queen
Referenced by Alice as the possible transformation of her kitten, Kitty.
- White Queen
Mentioned by Alice as the possible transformation of the white kitten, Snowdrop, being scrubbed by Dinah.
- Dinah
Alice's cat, who is scrubbing the white kitten, which Alice imagines as the White Queen.
- Snowdrop
The white kitten, undergoing its toilet, which Alice associates with the White Queen.
Key passages
“Your majesty shouldn’t purr so loud”
Alice tells the kitten not to purr so loudly.
Alice addresses the kitten with mock respect, blending the dream world with reality.
“Which do you think it was?”
Alice asks the reader to decide who dreamed the adventure.
The final line leaves the question of reality open-ended, inviting reader interpretation.