Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is perhaps one of the best-known stories around the world. Although Lewis Carroll’s iconic novel was originally published in 1865, there have been countless adaptations in every medium possible for every generation. To this day, the tale of Alice in Wonderland remains a beloved classic.
A wacky world full of impossibilities may seem strange at first. But as Alice quickly realizes, we are faced with the nonsensical and baffling real world every day. Alice, alongside listeners, learns the importance of imagination and understanding who she really is, changing her perspective in the process. Read on for some of the best Alice in Wonderland quotes to spark your imagination and appreciate how profound this children’s book actually is.
Quotes from Alice
As the eponymous protagonist of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Alice is the central figure in a journey through the whimsical Wonderland. Throughout her adventure, Alice has many revelations and ideas that are not only applicable to a seven-year-old English girl’s life, but to everyone living in this mad, mad world.
1. “When I used to read fairy-tales, I fancied that kind of thing never happened, and now here I am in the middle of one!” - Alice, from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
2. “But it’s no use now, to pretend to be two people! Why, there’s hardly enough of me left to make one respectable person!” - Alice, from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
3. “Curiouser and curiouser!” - Alice, from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
4. “It’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.” - Alice, from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
5. “I don’t see how he can ever finish, if he doesn’t begin.” - Alice, from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
6. "Dear, dear! How queer everything is to-day! And yesterday things went on just as usual. I wonder if I've been changed in the night?" - Alice, from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
7. “‘Who in the world am I?’ Ah, that's the great puzzle!” - Alice, from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
8. “She generally gave herself very good advice (though she very seldom followed it).” - Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
9. “And what is the use of a book... without pictures or conversations?” - Alice, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
10. “‘Who are you?’ said the Caterpillar... Alice replied, rather shyly, ‘I–I hardly know, sir, just at present—at least I know who I was when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.’” - Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Quotes from the Cheshire Cat
The Cheshire Cat is one of the most bewildering characters that Alice meets during her adventure. While speaking in riddles, he gives Alice some wise life advice throughout their conversations and ultimately points her in the right direction.
11. “‘Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?’ ‘That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,’ said the Cat. ‘I don’t much care where—’ said Alice. ‘Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,’ said the Cat. ‘—so long as I get somewhere,’ Alice added as an explanation. ‘Oh, you’re sure to do that,’ said the Cat, ‘if you only walk long enough.’” - Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
12. “‘But I don’t want to go among mad people,’ Alice remarked. ‘Oh, you can’t help that,’ said the Cat. ‘We’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad.’ ‘How do you know that I’m mad?’ said Alice. ‘You must be,’ said the Cat, ‘or you wouldn’t have come here.’” - Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Quotes from the Mad Hatter and the March Hare
Yes, the Mad Hatter and the March Hare are the dynamic duo of absurdity in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Yet, as these quotes show, they sometimes have good points to make to Alice and about people in general.
13. “‘I don't think—’ ‘Then you shouldn't talk,’ said the Hatter.” - Alice and The Mad Hatter, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
14. “If you knew Time as well as I do... you wouldn’t talk about wasting it.” - The Mad Hatter, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
15. “‘Then you should say what you mean,’ the March Hare went on. ‘I do,’ Alice hastily replied; ‘at least—at least I mean what I say—that's the same thing, you know.’ ‘Not the same thing a bit!’ said the Hatter. ‘Why, you might just as well say that ‘I see what I eat’ is the same thing as ‘I eat what I see’!’” - The March Hare, Alice, and the Mad Hatter, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Quotes from the King and the Queen of Hearts
As the rulers of Wonderland, the King and the Queen of Hearts issue decrees and commands on a whim. Perhaps what Carroll was trying to tell his audience about the madness of power and government still holds true today.
16. “If you didn’t sign it... that only makes the matter worse. You must have meant some mischief, or else you’d have signed your name like an honest man.” - The King of Hearts, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
17. “Off with their heads!” - The Queen of Hearts, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
18. “Begin at the beginning...and go on till you come to the end: then stop.” - The King of Hearts, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Quotes from Miscellaneous Characters
Lastly, we have quotes from a few more of the many singular characters who help Alice clearly see herself and the real world even while she is still in Wonderland.
19. “You know you say things are ‘much of a muchness’—did you ever see such a thing as a drawing of a muchness?” - The Dormouse, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
20. “Speak English! I don’t know the meaning of half those long words, and, what’s more, I don’t believe you do either!” - The Eaglet, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
21. “Why, the best way to explain it is to do it.” – The Dodo, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
22. "Everything’s got a moral, if only you can find it.” – The Duchess, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
23. “If everybody minded their own business, the world would go around a great deal faster than it does.” - The Duchess, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
24. "Alice had begun to think that very few things indeed were really impossible." - Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
