The Gnat is, at first, a small voice in Alice's ear on the train, but it becomes the size of a chicken in the Fourth Square. The Gnat is a fan of bad jokes, most of which have to do with homophones, but the Gnat is inexplicably unwilling to make the jokes itself, and instead encourages Alice to make them. The Gnat also suggests that losing one's name can be an asset and that names are useless if a person or a being doesn't respond to their name. It disappears from sadness when Alice refuses to make one of its jokes.
The Gnat Quotes in Through the Looking-Glass
The Through the Looking-Glass quotes below are all either spoken by The Gnat or refer to The Gnat. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 3: Looking-Glass Insects
Quotes
"Of course they answer to their names?" the Gnat remarked carelessly.
"I never knew them do it."
"What's the use of their having names," the Gnat said, "if they wo'n't answer to them?"
"No use to them," said Alice; "but it's useful to the people that name them, I suppose. If not, why do things have names at all?"
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Explanation and Analysis:
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The Gnat Quotes in Through the Looking-Glass
The Through the Looking-Glass quotes below are all either spoken by The Gnat or refer to The Gnat. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 3: Looking-Glass Insects
Quotes
"Of course they answer to their names?" the Gnat remarked carelessly.
"I never knew them do it."
"What's the use of their having names," the Gnat said, "if they wo'n't answer to them?"
"No use to them," said Alice; "but it's useful to the people that name them, I suppose. If not, why do things have names at all?"
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
