Section 10
Chapter 10 — Shaking explained simply
Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll
Original excerpt
Excerpt preview
Shaking She took her off the table as she spoke, and shook her backwards and forwards with all her might. The Red Queen made no resistance whatever; only her face grew very small, and her eyes got large and green: and still, as Alice went on shaking her, she kept on growing shorter—and fatter—and softer—and rounder—and
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CHAPTER X.
Shaking
She took her off the table as she spoke, and shook her backwards and
forwards with all her might.
The Red Queen made no resistance whatever; only her face grew very
small, and her eyes got large and green: and still, as Alice went on
shaking her, she kept on growing shorter—and fatter—and softer—and
rounder—and—
Public-domain original text shown for study context.
What happens here
Alice grabs and shakes the Red Queen as the dream world collapses around her.
Why this scene matters
Alice rejects the authority of the dream by physically breaking its spell.
Characters in this scene
- Alice: Ending the dream through action.
- The Red Queen: Shrinking into something Alice can shake.
Simple story version
Alice becomes frustrated and shakes the Red Queen. The strange world starts to disappear.