When was Alice's year of the cat? - briefly
"Alice's Year of the Cat" refers to her experiences and adventures in the magical world she enters through the looking glass or rabbit hole, as depicted in Lewis Carroll's classic novels "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking-Glass." The exact year is not specified, but it is believed to have taken place sometime during the mid-19th century.
When was Alice's year of the cat? - in detail
"Alice's Adventures in Wonderland," the beloved novel by Lewis Carroll, was first published on November 26, 1865. However, the story behind the creation of this classic tale begins several years earlier. In 1862, a young girl named Alice Liddell asked Carroll, whose real name was Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, to tell her and her sisters a story during a boat trip on the River Thames. This request inspired Carroll to create the enchanting world of Wonderland.
The original manuscript, titled "Alice's Adventures Under Ground," was completed in 1864. It was illustrated by Carroll himself and served as a precursor to the published version. The story captivated Alice Liddell and her family, who encouraged Carroll to expand upon it. After some revisions and additions, including the famous "Jabberwocky" poem, the final draft was submitted for publication.
Therefore, while the year of the cat—or more accurately, the Cheshire Cat—in Alice's adventures can be traced back to the original boat trip in 1862, it was during the years leading up to and including 1865 that Carroll developed and refined the story. The publication of "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" marked a significant milestone in literary history, immortalizing the whimsical world and its eccentric characters for generations to come.