Previous
Similes
Key Examples in Through the Looking-Glass
Chapter 6: Humpty Dumpty
Explanation and Analysis—Words with a Temper:
In Chapter 6, Humpty Dumpty claims to be very good with words. As he describes the way he manages them, he personifies them. This personification draws out the situational irony of his claim that he is a wordsmith:
Alice was too much puzzled to say anything; so after a minute Humpty Dumpty began again. “They’ve a temper, some of them—particularly verbs: they’re the proudest—adjectives you can do anything with, but not verbs—however, I can manage the whole lot of them! Impenetrability! That’s what I say!”
Related Themes:
Chapter 7: The Lion and the Unicorn
Explanation and Analysis—Fabulous Monsters:
In Chapter 7, Alice meets a Unicorn who is surprised to meet a real-life human child. The Unicorn uses a twist on an idiom that helps convey a sense of situational irony:
Unlock with LitCharts A+“This is a child!” Haigha replied eagerly, coming in front of Alice to introduce her, and spreading out both his hands towards her in an Anglo-Saxon attitude. “We only found it to-day. It’s as large as life, and twice as natural!”
“I always thought they were fabulous monsters!” said the Unicorn.
Related Themes:
