Los juegos con el lenguaje
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll is filled with puns, wordplay, and language
games that add to the whimsical and nonsensical nature of the story. Here are some notable
examples:
“¡Qué extraño será salir entre gente que camina cabeza para abajo! Los “Antipáticos”, supongo
(le agradó que nadie la escuchara, esta vez, ya que no sonaba la palabra adecuada).
The Mouse’s "Tale"
Example: The Mouse tells a "tale" about a "tail," which is visually represented in the book
as a long, winding poem that mimics the shape of a mouse's tail. The pun here is on the
homophones "tale" (a story) and "tail" (the appendage of the mouse).
Quote: "Mine is a long and a sad tale!" said the Mouse, turning to Alice, and sighing. "It is a
long tail, certainly," said Alice, looking down with wonder at the Mouse's tail; "but why do you
call it sad?"
"You are old, Father William"
Example: This is a parody of the didactic poem The Old Man’s Comforts and How He Gained
Them by Robert Southey. In Carroll’s version, the poem becomes a nonsensical dialogue
between a young man and an old man, filled with absurdities.
Quote: "You are old, Father William," the young man said, "And your hair has become very
white; And yet you incessantly stand on your head— Do you think, at your age, it is right?"
Mad Hatter’s Riddle
Example: During the tea party, the Mad Hatter asks Alice a riddle: "Why is a raven like a writing
desk?" The riddle famously has no answer, playing on the idea of riddles as a form of logical
wordplay that is here rendered meaningless.
Quote: "Have you guessed the riddle yet?" the Hatter said, turning to Alice again. "No, I give it
up," Alice replied: "what's the answer?" "I haven’t the slightest idea," said the Hatter.
Playing Cards as Characters
Example: The fact that the Queen and her court are playing cards is itself a pun. The cards,
typically representing a deck of games, become literal "characters" in the story, embodying
both their roles in the game and in Wonderland society.
Quote: "The Queen turned crimson with fury, and, after glaring at her for a moment like a wild
beast, screamed 'Off with her head! Off with her head!'"
The Mock Turtle’s "Lessons"
Example: The Mock Turtle describes the subjects he studied in school, which are puns on real
subjects, twisted into absurd versions.
"Reeling and Writhing" instead of Reading and Writing.
"Ambition, Distraction, Uglification, and Derision" instead of Arithmetic, Drawing, etc.
Quote: "When we were little," the Mock Turtle went on at last, more calmly, though still
sobbing a little now and then, "we went to school in the sea. The master was an old Turtle—we
used to call him Tortoise—" "Why did you call him Tortoise, if he wasn’t one?" Alice asked. "We
called him Tortoise because he taught us," said the Mock Turtle angrily: "really you are very
dull!"
The Gryphon’s Language Play
Example: The Gryphon introduces Alice to terms that are puns or malapropisms, where one
word is substituted for another similar-sounding word, often resulting in nonsensical or
humorous effects.
Quote: "Ten hours the first day," said the Mock Turtle: "nine the next, and so on." "What a
curious plan!" exclaimed Alice. "That’s the reason they’re called lessons," the Gryphon
remarked: "because they lessen from day to day."
The Duchess's Moralizing
Example: The Duchess constantly tries to find morals in everything, often twisting sayings and
proverbs into absurd or meaningless statements.
Quote: "Take care of the sense, and the sounds will take care of themselves," said the Duchess.
The Caterpillar’s Question
Example: The Caterpillar repeatedly asks Alice "Who are you?" This simple question becomes
complex as Alice struggles with her shifting identity in Wonderland, where things like size and
logic constantly change. It’s a play on the existential nature of identity.
Quote: "Who are you?" said the Caterpillar. This was not an encouraging opening for a
conversation. Alice replied, rather shyly, "I—I hardly know, sir, just at present—at least I know
who I was when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since
then."
Mustard Mine
Example: When Alice talks about going down a mine, the Dormouse misinterprets this to be a
"mustard mine," humorously turning a simple concept into something nonsensical.
Quote: "Then you should say what you mean," the March Hare went on. "I do," Alice hastily
replied; "at least—I mean what I say—that’s the same thing, you know." "Not the same thing a
bit!" said the Hatter. "Why, you might just as well say that 'I see what I eat' is the same thing as
'I eat what I see'!"
These examples showcase how Lewis Carroll uses language not just as a medium for
communication, but as a tool for creating confusion, humor, and the unique logic of
Wonderland. The playfulness with words, meanings, and sounds is one of the defining
characteristics of the novel.
