Lewis Carroll

Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, better known by his pen name Lewis Carroll, was an English author, poet, photographer, and mathematician. His most famous works are Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass (1871), both of which were initially published under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. Carroll was also the author of several other works of fiction, including The Hunting of the Snark (1876) and Sylvie and Bruno (1889), as well as numerous poems, essays, and mathematical puzzles.

Early Life and Education

Charles Lutwidge Dodgson was born on January 27, 1832, in Daresbury, Cheshire, England. He was the third of eleven children born to the Reverend Charles Dodgson, an archdeacon in the Church of England, and Frances Jane Lutwidge. Dodgson's father was a strict but loving parent, and he instilled in his children a love of learning and a strong sense of morality.

Dodgson was a gifted student, and he excelled in both mathematics and literature. He attended Rugby School from 1841 to 1845, and he then went on to Christ Church College, Oxford, where he studied mathematics and theology. Dodgson graduated from Oxford with a first-class honours degree in mathematics in 1854.

Literary Career

Dodgson began writing as a child, and he published his first work of fiction, a short story called "The Rectory Magazine," in 1845. He continued to write throughout his life, but he did not begin to publish his work under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll until 1865.

Carroll's most famous work is Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, which was inspired by a story he told to the Liddell children, the daughters of his friend and colleague Henry Liddell. The story was published in 1865, and it was an immediate success. Carroll followed up Alice's Adventures in Wonderland with a sequel, Through the Looking-Glass, which was published in 1871.

Carroll's other works of fiction include The Hunting of the Snark (1876) and Sylvie and Bruno (1889). He also wrote several collections of poetry, including The Hunting of the Snark (1876) and Sylvie and Bruno (1889).

Mathematical Career

In addition to his literary career, Dodgson was also a successful mathematician. He was appointed Lecturer in Mathematics at Christ Church College in 1855, and he held this position until his retirement in 1881. Dodgson wrote several mathematical textbooks, including Euclid and His Modern Rivals (1879) and The Game of Logic (1887).

Photography

Dodgson was also an accomplished photographer. He began taking photographs in the 1850s, and he quickly became one of the leading photographers in England. Dodgson's photographs are known for their technical quality and their artistic composition.

Legacy

Lewis Carroll is considered one of the most important and influential figures in English literature. His works of fiction have been translated into over 100 languages, and they have been adapted into numerous films, television shows, and operas. Carroll is also credited with coining the term "nonsense literature," and his works have had a profound influence on the development of the genre.

Key Works

• Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865)
• Through the Looking-Glass (1871)
• The Hunting of the Snark (1876)
• Sylvie and Bruno (1889)
• Euclid and His Modern Rivals (1879)
• The Game of Logic (1887)

Quotes

• "The only way to keep your head is to lose it."
• "If you try to please everybody, you will succeed in pleasing nobody."
• "It's a poor sort of memory that only works backwards."
• "We're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad."
• "The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page."