A gentle but foolish older knight. Like all knights, he constantly falls off his horse and onto his head, though he assures Alice that he's a skilled rider. In addition to being a knight, the White Knight is also an avid inventor. He invents all sorts of things, from revolutionary ways to climb over a gate to desserts, but his inventions are overwhelmingly unsuccessful or more difficult than whatever they're trying to replace or solve. The White Knight also loves to be prepared for anything, so his horse wears spikes on its ankles to protect it from shark bites and he collects things that might be useful in a difficult situation. Despite finding him maddening and obnoxious, Alice is touched by the White Knight's kindness and the song he sings her.
Get the entire Through the Looking-Glass LitChart as a printable PDF.
The White Knight Character Timeline in Through the Looking-Glass
The timeline below shows where the character The White Knight appears in Through the Looking-Glass. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1: Looking-Glass House
...pencil and begins writing. Alice grabs the end of the pencil and writes that the White Knight is sliding down the fireplace poker. The king struggles until finally he bursts out that...
(full context)
Chapter 8: "It's My Own Invention"
...her prisoner. He tumbles off his horse. Alice is concerned, but he mounts again. A White Knight rides in, falls off, and they argue about who has the right to take Alice....
(full context)
...fall off in this way. They shake hands and the Red Knight rides off. The White Knight declares that it was a glorious victory. Alice isn't sure, but says that she doesn't...
(full context)
Alice helps the White Knight out of his helmet. Without his helmet, she sees that he has a very gentle...
(full context)
The White Knight gestures to the mousetraps he has on his saddle to protect the beehive from mice....
(full context)
Alice stops often to help the White Knight back on his horse. She asks if he hasn't ridden much, which offends him. He...
(full context)
The White Knight tells Alice about his latest invention: a way to get over a gate. He says...
(full context)
As the White Knight says this, he falls off headfirst into a ditch. He continues to talk about fastness...
(full context)
Alice and the White Knight reach the end of the wood and the knight says he needs to leave her....
(full context)
The White Knight sings of coming upon an old man sitting on a gate. He asked the man...
(full context)
The White Knight turns his horse away, points Alice in the right direction, and asks her to wave...
(full context)
