Character history. Who is the Cheshire Cat? wonderland cat

Probably the most interesting and curious character in world literature is the Cheshire Cat. This hero impresses with his ability to appear and disappear at the most unpredictable moment, leaving behind only a smile. No less curious are the quotes of the Cheshire Cat, which amaze with their unusual logic and make you think about many questions. But this character appeared much earlier than the author wrote it into the book. And it's quite interesting where the author got the idea about him.

Why is the cat smiling?

The Cheshire Cat was invented by Lewis Carroll for the book Alice in Wonderland. It is noteworthy that in the first version of the story this character was absent and appeared only in 1865. Most likely, its appearance was due to the expression “the smile of the Cheshire Cat”, popular at that time. And this saying has two common versions of its origin. The author of the book himself was born and raised in Cheshire, and it was there that it was fashionable to draw lions over the entrance to taverns. But since no one saw these predators, they were given the appearance of toothy and smiling cats.

The second version is as follows: cheese heads in the form of smiling cats were produced in Cheshire and were popular throughout England. But what does the smile of the Cheshire Cat mean? On this issue, disputes still do not subside. Some philologists believe that it is still connected with cheese. Others dispute, saying that at that time even cats laughed at the "high" title that Cheshire county, which was a provincial province with a small size, ascribed to itself.

Disappearing Cat (Cheshire)

In addition to a smile, there is another equally interesting ability of this character - it is to dissolve and materialize in the air at will, but where did the author get this idea from? At one time, there was a legend about the Congleton cat: one fine day, the favorite of the abbess of the abbey disappeared, but a few days later the nun heard a familiar scratching.

Opening the door, she saw her beloved cat, which at the same moment vanished into thin air. Since then, this ghost has been seen by many visitors to the abbey. Lewis Carroll himself was known for his penchant for mysticism and was certainly impressed by this story, which he embodied in his character.

Country of the Cheshire Cat

It certainly wouldn't be a lie to call Wonderland the kingdom of the Cheshire Cat. Indeed, from the first meeting in the kitchen of the Duchess, this character accompanied Alice. Moreover, he was her mentor and helped to get out of difficult and ridiculous situations, despite the fact that his dialogues with Alice did not always bring her pleasure, and sometimes quite annoying. Philosophical questions, which the Cheshire Cat liked to ask, baffled Alice, but, after a little thought, she found a way out of situations thanks to them. His expressions have long been parsed into quotations that are used to emphasize the absurdity of situations.

Character character

When reading the book, most readers have the impression that this character is quite friendly and nice. And indeed it is. The Cheshire Cat has some inexplicable charm despite the fact that he prefers the life of a loner. He is optimistic, cheerful and will always come to the rescue in difficult times.

But at the same time, the cat is selfish and will never admit his guilt because of stubbornness. Extremely irritable and impulsive, due to which he can commit unseemly acts, which he will regret in his soul, but does not admit it. Vain and a little sly, although he does not tolerate lies. His attitude towards himself is especially interesting, because the Cat considers himself crazy just because he is surrounded by crazy people. In general, this is the most contrasting and inimitable character in world literature.

Culture and the Cheshire Cat

This hero has long gained a cult reputation, and many authors use his image in their works, for example, such as Jeff Nuna, Andrzej Sapkowski, Jasper Fforde, Frank Beddor. The Cheshire Cat gained immense popularity in such an art form as anime. There are also a large number of comics with his participation. Recently, tattoos with the image of the Cheshire cat have gained popularity.

But still, the most interesting images of the character were embodied in the adventures of Alice. A popular Disney cartoon released in 1951 presents us with this cat as an intellectual with a mischievous character, who is sometimes classified as one of the Disney villains. In a computer game about Alice's adventures in a nightmare-spoiled Wonderland called Alice Madness Returns, this hero appeared before us in the form of a skinny cat with tattoos, but continues to act as a travel guide and makes the main character think about events with his quotes.

We saw another remarkable Cheshire Cat in the adaptation of Alice's adventures from Tim Burton. Although it was a computer character, he was still remembered for his half-screen smile and tireless zeal to give useful advice. This hero possessed elegance, calmness and imposingness, as well as the ability to hide cowardice under a seductive smile. His ability to get out of ridiculous situations manifested itself at the moment when the Hatter accused the cat of fleeing when the Red Queen seized the throne. But thanks to his talents and skills, Cheshire was rehabilitated among friends and made amends.

In this article you will learn:

Cheshire cat from wonderland- the famous hero of the book by L. Carroll "Alice in Wonderland".

Creating an image

In the original work of Carroll, this hero was not. The character appeared in 1865 thanks to the popular expression “Smile like the Cheshire Cat” and there are theories about this: 1. The legendary cheese produced in Cheshire was made to look like a smiling cat; 2. Cheshire was so small and it was called a county, even cats laughed at it.

Cheshire cat from the movie

Characteristic:

The good-natured Cheshire cat constantly smiled and could disappear, leaving only his wide smile for consideration. The cat was still that philosopher, he could push more than one speech, at the same time inserting something funny. The character freely moved through the air and could teleport.

Cheshire considered himself crazy, because everyone around him was crazy. He wagged his tail when he was angry and angry when he was pleased.

“I have seen cats without a smile. But a smile without a cat!..”

History

The character is firmly established in popular culture. There is no such person who would not know this smiling character. The cat first appeared in Carroll's Alice in Wonderland and belonged to the Duchess. Cartoons, games, comics all about the same girl Alice brought him great popularity.

The creature's habitat is Wonderland, which is inhabited by various, no less strange heroes. The cat's best friends are the Mad Hatter, the March Hare and the Dormouse, with whom he arranges Crazy Tea Parties.

Among Cheshire's friends, there was a girl Alice who called him Cheshire.

A photo

There are many original and memorable characters in world literature, but one of the most intriguing is the Cheshire Cat. This mysterious furball first appeared in Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland back in 1865, and recently turned 150 years old. But, despite such a "solid" age, the Cheshire Cat remains the subject of adoration for millions of readers around the world.

Walk that gave character

On July 4, 1862, Professor Charles Dodgson went on a picnic with Robinson Duckworth, Henry Liddell, and his three daughters. And none of them imagined what impact their little trip would have on world literature. The Liddell daughters have long known that Johnson can tell incredible stories, and this time they asked the professor to surprise them with a story. Charles could not refuse them and quickly came up with a fairy tale about a girl Alice, who went in search of adventure in a fantasy land.

Liddell's middle daughter, who, by the way, had the same name as the main character, liked this story so much that she asked Johnson to write it down for her. Charles took up the manuscript the very next day after the picnic, and in November 1864, the first version of Alice's adventures appeared, which he presented to his young admirer.

Johnson was so moved by this story that he decided to publish it. To do this, the professor took the pseudonym Lewis Carroll, and in addition, doubled the volume of the tale and added a new character to it. So the Cheshire Cat appeared on the pages of a literary work.

origin mystery

In those distant times in England, one of the common expressions was the phrase "the smile of the Cheshire cat." And perhaps she pushed Carroll to create the character. This theory is supported by the fact that the phrase meant a sarcastic and ironic smile, characteristic only of the "Cheshire" cat. It is noteworthy that such a breed of domestic animals never existed. Then how did everyone know about them? Historians have several theories about the origin of the "Cheshire" cats:

• In Cheshire, where Carroll comes from, it was fashionable to paint lions and leopards on the signs of taverns. But since none of the artists had ever seen these predators, they got big smiling cats.
• According to the second theory, the phrase appeared due to the fact that little Cheshire was always proud of his title, which "even cats laughed at."
• According to a third theory, the expression became common because of the heads of cheese that were sold by the county throughout England. They were round with large holes resembling a cat's face.

That is, that is not

The Cheshire Cat, whose photo you will find in the article, is famous not only for its smile, but also for the ability to disappear and appear at the most unexpected moment. According to historians, this ability appeared in the character due to the author's penchant for mysticism. Lewis Carroll was a famous fan of various legends, and he embodied one of them on the pages of his book. It's about the Congleton cat. Next, we will tell about this story.

At the abbess Congleton Abbey was a favorite - a handsome cat. But one day this adored ball of wool did not return home. A few days later, the abbess heard the familiar scratching. Opening the door, the woman saw her cat, but after a few moments the pet seemed to melt into thin air. And for many years this ghost appeared and disappeared every evening in front of astonished spectators. This legend undoubtedly made an impression on Carroll, so the Cheshire Cat learned the same skill.

Character Description

In Wonderland, the Cheshire Cat plays the role of both mentor and friend of the protagonist. From their first meeting in the kitchen of the Duchess, the character began to “in his own way” explain the orders and customs in this fantastic kingdom. The cat almost constantly accompanied the girl and helped to find a way out of difficult and ridiculous situations. And although his answers did not bring much joy to the main character, but rather annoyed, thanks to them Alice could perform difficult tasks.

And until now, the phrases and expressions spoken by the character make an almost magical impression on readers. They have long been disassembled into quotes that are used to emphasize the absurdity and absurdity of the situation.

Character character

The country of the Cheshire Cat is a mysterious and not entirely clear kingdom. So its resident makes a not entirely unambiguous impression. He seems kind and sweet and has a hell of a charm despite having chosen a life of loneliness. By nature, the cat is optimistic and cheerful and will always help in difficult times.

But at the same time, the character is endowed with selfishness and incredible stubbornness, because of which he does not admit his mistakes. He is quite irritable and impulsive and may commit not entirely plausible deeds, which he will regret in the future.

The character is quite vain and can be cunning when it suits him, although he himself “does not stand the spirit”. Perhaps such a contrasting palette of positive and negative qualities makes it so inimitable.

Cheshire Cat in culture

The character has become a cult long ago, and other authors are happy to use his image on the pages of their works. The Cheshire Cat has appeared in novels by Jeff Noon, Jasper Fforde, Andrzej Sapkowski, Frank Beddor and others. Comics and short stories have been published about his adventures. And even tattoos depicting this character were wildly popular.

But most often the cat is used in various animated and artistic film adaptations of the book. At the same time, each director and director sees this character in his own way. So, in the 1951 cartoon, released by the world-famous Disney studio, the cat appeared as an intellectual with an extremely harmful character. In this interpretation, he looks more like a villain than an assistant to the main character.

No less remarkable is the character that we saw in the stunning film adaptation of the book by Tim Burton. The cat, created with the help of computer graphics, made a lasting impression. His smile, charm, calmness and ability to find a way out of a difficult situation struck the audience to the core. And most likely, it was this character that ensured such a success for the picture.

A cat that exhibits abilities unusual for an animal can talk, smile and slowly dissolve into space, so that in the end there is one smile that hangs in the air. Can also teleport. Entertains the main character, Alice, with conversations, and at times annoys her with philosophical fabrications.

History of creation and image

In the original version of the fairy tale about Alice, there was no Cheshire Cat. The hero first appears in 1865. The image of the Cheshire Cat grows out of the English proverb "grin like a Cheshire cat" in the meaning of "grin sardonically". There are two versions of where this expression came from, and why it influenced the formation of the image of the Cat in Carroll.

Carroll hails from the county of Cheshire, where pictures of smiling cats flaunted over the doors of taverns. In theory, these painted animals should have been noble lions and leopards baring their mouths. But in the English county, few people were lucky enough to see a real lion, so these images looked more like ordinary domestic cats with an uncharacteristic expression for a cat's muzzle. And this image was familiar to the writer from childhood.

Another explanation links the origin of the image of the Cheshire Cat with the famous cheeses that were made in Cheshire. It is believed that these cheeses were shaped like the head of a smiling cat.

Based on the films, a computer game was released where you can play as the Cheshire Cat. There the hero has the ability to hide things and, conversely, to make the hidden visible.

In Burton's first film, the Cheshire Cat, along with Alice, attends the Crazy Tea Party, where the Hatter and the March Hare tell the heroine about the "bloody witch" the Red Queen, who has terrorized Wonderland. Later, the Cheshire Cat rescues the Hatter, who is about to be executed by decapitation.

The cat replaces the Hatter on the chopping block and disappears from under the falling ax at the last moment, after which it reappears - in the form of only one head hanging in the air. In the finale, the Cheshire Cat removes the crown from the head of the defeated Red Queen and gives it to the White Queen.

In 2013-2014, the American TV channel ABC aired the series Once Upon a Time in Wonderland - a spin-off of the series "". There, the character looks like a sinister black cat with red eyes, but takes a neutral stance. Cat is voiced by actor Keith David.

• The image of the Cheshire Cat is widely dispersed in culture, in particular, in literature. Writers "borrowed" and played with it in their own way. For example, the author of the fantasy saga "The Witcher" has the story "Golden Noon", where the story is told from the perspective of the Cheshire Cat, and the Cat itself is depicted as a cat god and lord of cats.
• The image of the Cheshire Cat also appears in the book "Automatic Alice" by Jeff Noon, which explains how the hero manages to disappear and appear.

• The character appears in the novels of the British writer Jasper Fforde. There, the Cheshire Cat serves as a librarian at the Great Bookworld Library.
• Some authors make the Cheshire Cat a negative character. Such a hero appears in the series of books "Through the Looking-Glass Wars" by Frank Beddor. Tam Cat is a brutal killer who looks like a terrible cat-like humanoid, but can take the form of a black kitten. The character has nine lives, but the killer cat loses eight of them by the end of the first book.

• Another brutal version of the Cheshire Cat - tattooed, skinny and bony - appears in the video games American McGee's Alice and Alice: Madness Returns. There, the character appears as a guide and companion of the game character - Alice. The Cheshire Cat is depicted as a sadistic maniac with huge claws that look like razors in the Zenescope comics.
• in the Chronicles of Amber series of novels, among the vast number of existing worlds, he describes the universe of Carroll's Wonderland, where the Cheshire Cat appears among other inhabitants. There the hero becomes a specialist in magical knowledge.

Quotes

“What do I need madmen for? said Alice.
"There's nothing you can do about it," said the Cat. - We are all out of our minds here - you and I.
How do you know I'm out of my mind? Alice asked.
- Of course, not in his own, - answered the Cat. “Otherwise, how would you be here?”

Our world tends to be rational and very correct. So correct that it is hard to survive in it.

Cheshire Cat quotes are wise crazy recipes for not going crazy in this right world.

I have collected quotes for you. A total of 34 quotes from a variety of works in which Alice lives and the Cheshire Cat philosophizes.

Cheshire Cat Quotes

How to understand you?
- It is not necessary to understand me. Be sure to love and feed on time.

Only a fool can measure success by suffering.

Every journey starts with the first step. Trite, but true.

He who seeks will surely find ... but there are exceptions too.

Those who learn from their mistakes are called a bad word.

It doesn't matter why significant became insignificant. It has, and that's it.

When miracles become delusions, reason turns into madness.

What are those sounds over there? Alice asked.
“Ah, these are miracles,” the Cheshire Cat explained indifferently.
- And what are they doing there? - the girl asked.
- As expected, - the Cat yawned. - Happen.

Flattering words often move the target to action, learn their true meaning.

Joy and slavery do not coexist under the same roof

He who seeks will always find ... if he seeks correctly.

You have two choices: one will lead you to happiness, the other to madness. My advice to you - do not stumble.

I've heard it's wise to rely on yourself... now you've heard it too.

Guess the riddle: when does a croquet mallet look like a stun gun? The answer is obvious: whenever you want.

I'm not crazy, it's just that my reality is different from yours.

She behaves in such a way that I sometimes regret that I undertook to muddy the waters of this still pool ...

Some do not see a way out, even if they find it. Others just don't look...

Serious attitude to anything in this world is a fatal mistake.
- Is life serious?
- Oh yes, life is serious! But not very...

They say seek and you will find, but no one says you will find.

Everything is possible in our world.
- Correction: in yours. In mine - everything is according to my rules.

Collect anything you find useful. Except indifference and ignorance. And then maybe you'll survive.

Sometimes the reflection in the mirror is more real than the object itself...

If you don't know something - find out ... or die!

Threats, promises and good intentions, none of this is action.

At times, in her madness, I see glimpses of real talent.

When someone's head is in the clouds, someone's heart gets wet.

Destroy what can destroy you.

Who says that there is nothing better to calm the nerves than a cup of tea, in fact they have not tried real tea. It's like a shot of adrenaline straight to the heart.

Protective walls may get in your way, but the most impenetrable walls in the world are those that surround our hearts.

Sometimes, before asking for help from a person, you should think carefully about how this help can turn out for you.

Silly does not mean ignorant.

Paths that lead to trouble end the same way, but how do they lead?

Whoever says that too much good is bad is lying.

If the Cheshire Cat smiles, then someone needs it