Summary
Alice jumps to the White Rabbit's call to the stand. She
forgets that she has grown larger and knocks over the jury stand,
then scrambles to put all of the jurors back. Alice claims to know
“nothing whatever” about the tarts, which the King deems “very important.”
The White Rabbit corrects the King, suggesting that he in fact means “unimportant.”
The King agrees, muttering the words “important” and “unimportant”
to himself.
The King interjects with Rule 42, which states, “All persons more
than a mile high to leave the court.” Everyone turns to Alice, who
denies she is a mile high and accuses the King of fabricating the rule.
The King replies that Rule 42 is the oldest rule in the book, but Alice
retorts that if it is the oldest rule in the book, it ought to be
the first rule. The King becomes quiet for a moment before calling
for a verdict. The White Rabbit interrupts and declares that more
evidence must be presented first. He presents a paper supposedly
written by the Knave, though it is not written in the Knave's handwriting.
The Knave refutes the charge, explaining that there is no signature
on the document. The King reasons that the Knave must have meant
mischief because he did not sign the note like an honest man would.
The court seems pleased by this reasoning, and the Queen concludes
that the paper proves the Knave's guilt. Alice demands to read the
poem on the paper. While the poem appears to have no meaning, the
King provides an explanation and calls for a verdict. The Queen
demands that the sentence come before the verdict. Alice chaffs
at this proposal and criticizes the Queen, who calls for Alice's
beheading. Alice has grown to her full size and bats away the playing
cards as they fly upon her.
Alice suddenly wakes up and finds herself back on her
sister's lap at the riverbank. She tells her adventures to her sister
who bids her go inside for tea. Alice traipses off, while her sister
remains by the riverbank daydreaming. She envisions the characters
from Alice's adventures, but knows that when she opens her eyes
the images will dissipate. She imagines that Alice will one day
grow older but retain her childlike spirit and recount her adventures
to other children.
Analysis
The chapter title “Alice's Evidence” refers both to the
evidence that Alice gives during the trial, and also the evidence
that she discovers that Wonderland is a dream that she can control
by waking up. Alice realizes during the trial that it all “doesn't
matter a bit” what the jury records or whether the jury is upside
down or right side up. None of the details or orientations in Wonderland
have any bearing on a coherent or meaningful outcome. Alice's growth
during the trial mirrors her growing awareness of the fact that
Wonderland is an illusion. She starts to grow when the Mad Hatter
bites into his teacup, and she reaches full height during the heated
exchange with the Queen when she points out that her antagonists
are “nothing but a pack of cards!” Alice exposes Wonderland as an
illusion and her growth to full size comes with her realization
that she has a measure of control over the illusion. Once she understands
that Wonderland is a dream, she wakes up and shatters the illusion.
Alice fully grasps the nonsensical nature of Wonderland
when the King interprets the Knave's poem. Alice disputes the King's attempts
to attach meaning to the nonsense words of the poem. Her criticisms
are ironic, since throughout her travels she has continually attempted
to make sense of the various situations and stories she has encountered.
Alice finally understands the futility of trying to make meaning
out of her adventures of Wonderland since every part of it is completely
incomprehensible. This message is meant not only for Alice but for
the readers of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland as
well. Just as the court complies with the King's harebrained readings
of the poem, Carroll sends a message to those who would attempt
to assign specific meanings to the events. Alice's Adventures in
Wonderland actively resists definitive interpretation,
which accounts for the diversity of the criticism written about
the novella.
The final scene with Alice's sister establishes narrative
symmetry and changes the tone of Alice's journey from harrowing
quest to childhood fantasy. The reintroduction of the calm scene
at the riverbank allows the story to close as it began, transforming
Wonderland into an isolated episode of fancy. Alice's sister ends
the novella by changing the tone of Alice's story, discounting the
nightmarish qualities and favoring a dreamy nostalgia for “the simple
and loving heart of her childhood.” The sister's interpretation
reduces Alice's experience of trauma and trivializes the journey
as little more than a “strange tale” that Alice may eventually recount
to her own children.
