Behind the Author
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by Kelly Yang and Julianne Vu
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2020-11-25T10:40:08-08:00
lthough best known for his tales about Alice and her whimsical adventures in Wonderland, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, better known as his pen name, Lewis Carroll, was a respected academic who was quite passionate about topics such as mathematics and politics, both of which found their way into his fictional writing. Pictured at the top of this page is Curiosa Mathematica: A New Theory of Parallels, which was written by Dodgson, then published in 1890 by Macmillan and Co.. He studied mathematics at Christ Church, Oxford, and went on to receive the Christ Church Mathematical Lectureship in 1855. However, Dodgson the mathematician is hardly an interesting figure compared to Carroll. But it’s important to consider the man behind such characters as the Queen of Hearts or the Cheshire Cat, and how his real life influenced the creation of all the beloved characters in the Alice Tales.
This particular edition was a gift to his sister, Henrietta H. Dodgson. Inscribed with purple ink on the inside in a loopy, slanted handwriting is a note that reads, “Henrietta H. Dodgson, from her affte. brother, The Author,” which is followed by a flourish then the date of inscription, “Nov. 7. 1890.” Archival information identifies it as a third edition, kept in an “orange-brown box with gold lettering on the spine” alongside a second volume to Curiosa Mathematica, titled Part II: Pillow Problems. One might ask how Dodgson intended for the two to be read, whether in order or as companions.
The book’s design illustrates its intention, and an observer can learn more about who Dodgson was as an individual beyond Alice from the choices made for this book’s cover. For example, something can be gleaned from looking at the cover of Curiosa Mathematica. Dodgson is known to have cared about the stylicisms of his fictional works, so a natural question to ask of this book is, what is the significance of the illustration on the cover? Who did Dodgson mean for it to appeal to, or did he call attention to it on the front cover, then again within the pages of the book, because of a personal attachment to its related theorems? It’s featured again inside the book, this time with a caption that reads, “In every circle, the inscribed equilateral Tetragon is greater than any one of the Segments which lie outside it.” Considering its topic, this book was not meant for a wide audience, but rather, a smaller circle of dedicated academics who were also equally interested in mathematics. The drawing would have been significant to those familiar with its meaning, but not to the untrained observer.
Moreover, a quick glance at its contents would show readers that the book is an introduction to Euclidean geometry, rather than a more conventional and common subject, which prompts the question of what Dodgson hoped to contribute to the canon by writing his own interpretation. Among his readers, how did the mathematical and academic communities receive Curiosa Mathematica and its subsequent editions? In this third edition, Dodgson comments in the preface that he wished to address readers’ criticisms in earlier editions.
Stuart Dodgson Collingwood, a relative of Dodgson’s, recalled of one of his works, An Elementary Treatise on Determinants, that although it was of “little interest for the general reader,” it was popular “amongst the leisured few who [were] able to read mathematics for their own sake.”
But Dodgson was also interested in a number of other fields, and in 1884, he published The Principles of Parliamentary Representation, a short work that focused on reinterpreting the economic notion of the “two-person zero-sum game” to fit the issue of proportional representation. His approach is grounded in quantitative reasoning, and many of the pages feature formulas, equations, and tables. Like his writings on mathematics, this piece of writing was considered a notable contribution to the field of politics.
Well-respected and smart, it’s no wonder that Dodgson was able to write a children’s story that academics today are still examining and writing about. The nonsense of the Alice tales, although seemingly incomprehensible, are the deliberate choices of a man who had a very strong understanding of our reality and was, as a result, able to deconstruct it in a manner that reads in direct opposition to the reader’s understanding of their world. But this leads to another question: where does C.L. Dodgson end and Lewis Carroll begin?
For the most part, there seems to be a clear boundary between the fictional works of Carroll and the more theoretical writings of Dodgson. Stories like Alice in Wonderland or The Hunting of the Snark can easily be attributed to Carroll, while the previously discussed works belong to Dodgson. But since so much of Dodgson’s academic career influenced his creative works, where is the line drawn in his canon?
An instance in which the boundary becomes unclear is with the book The Game of Logic. Published in 1880 by Macmillan and Co. and published under Lewis Carroll rather than C.L. Dodgson, it’s interesting to consider why the author would want this book to be associated with the fictional writings of Carroll instead of Dodgson’s academic publications. The tone of the book is informal and lighthearted, and uses a game devised by Carroll to communicate its point. In the book’s preface, Carroll writes to his readers, “A second advantage, possessed by this Game, is that, [...] it will give the Players a little instruction as well. But is there any great harm in that, so long as you get plenty of amusement?” (Carroll). The “instruction” mentioned by Carroll refers to the study of logical propositions and inferences. So, although published under Carroll’s name, The Game of Logic, seems to be a hybrid piece of writing that combines Dodgson’s mathematical endeavors with Carroll’s playful manner of writing.
There are numerous instances in which Dodgson’s mathematics appears in the Alice tales, and they are fascinating to consider both in the context of the story itself, as well as how they were understood by readers. What’s more, Carroll’s nonsense and humor in Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass have inspired and influenced scientists and academics in the contemporary age. Understanding the man behind the page can provide a more nuanced and complex reading of these stories.Further Reading
Biographical Information
Collingwood, Stuart Dodgson. The Life and Letters of Lewis Carroll. The Century Co., 1898.
In this biography, Collingwood, a relative of Lewis Carroll’s, recounts the famous author’s life, including relevant letters and photographs.
C.L. Dodgson’s Works
Dodgson, C.L. Curiosa Mathematica: A New Theory of Parallels. Macmillan and Co., 1890, G. Edward Cassady, M.D. and Margaret Elizabeth Cassady, R.N. Lewis Carroll collection, Special Collections, USC Libraries, University of Southern California.
This book is an introduction to the subject of Euclidean geometry. Chapters contain definitions, axioms, and propositions and corollaries with their proofs. Additionally, the author includes alternative, nontraditional proofs of personal interest.
Dodgson, C.L. The Principles of Parliamentary Representation. Harrison and Sons, 1884, G. Edward Cassady, M.D. and Margaret Elizabeth Cassady, R.N. Lewis Carroll collection, Special Collections, USC Libraries, University of Southern California.
Dodgson attempts to provide a theory of proportional representation as well as a theory of how to appoint parliamentary seats.
Carroll, Lewis. The Game of Logic. Macmillan and Co., 1886.
Using a game that Carroll invented himself, the book presents a way for readers to understand classical logic through the utilization of symbols. Carroll elaborated upon the ideas in this book in a subsequent work, Symbolic Logic, which was published in 1897.
Dodgson’s Influence on Alice
Butts, Dennis and Peter Hunt. “How Often Does Charles Dodgson Appear in the ‘Alice Books? Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking-Glass (1873).” How Did Long John Silver Lose his Leg: and Twenty-Six Other Mysteries of Children’s Literature, The Lutterworth Press, 2013, pp. 25-30.
Butts and Hunt investigate how Alice came to be regarded as nonsense and how that is a reflection of Dodgson’s academic, political, and religious beliefs. But it takes an angle by looking at the success of Alice through the lens of its primary audience: children.
Eperson, D.B. “Lewis Carroll: Mathematician and Teacher of Children.” The Mathematical Gazette, Vol. 84, No. 499, March 2000, pp. 9-13.
This article focuses Dodgson as a mathematician, but pays more attention to his relationship with children, and even touches on his relationship with Alice Liddell, who would go on to inspire Alice. We are much more familiar with how that relationship influenced Alice's strange adventures in Wonderland, but this article gives insight into how Dodgson influenced children outside of Alice.
Meyers, Charlène. “Alice in the Wonderland of Science: Intertextual Figures in Scientific Articles.” English Studies at NBU, vol. 4, no. 1, 2018, pp. 19–28.
Meyers’ article is about how Alice influenced scientists and consequently found its way back into the scientific community. Furthermore, the article talks about intertextual figures that reference Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and how their significance changes from discipline to discipline.
Neill, Anna. “Developmental Nonsense in the Alice Tales.” Style, Vol. 47, No. 3, Fall 2013, pp. 380-396.
Neill asserts that the images cultivated by children from nonsensical Alice stories, while not helpful in the development or maturation of children, are stored in the mind and help shape future readers’ perception of the books’ cultural and historical context.
Pycior, Helena M. “At the Intersection of Mathematics and Humor: Lewis Carroll’s ‘Alices’ and Symbolical Algebra.” Victorian Studies, Vol. 28, No. 1, Autumn 1984, pp. 149-170.
This article draws connections between Dodgson’s work with symbolical algebra and how his familiarity with this topic was significant as he developed the humor of Alice. It gives a synopsis of the role of the mathematician in the nineteenth century, and then delves into symbolical algebra, asserting that the application of letters and symbols as representative of numbers is meaningless, and required interpretation which could also be humorous.
