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5
I. Lewis Carroll – Life and Work.
«Lewis Carroll is among the immortals of literature,
C.L. Dodgson was soon forgotten, except by the very few».
Claude M. Blagden, Student of Christ Church from 1896.
Read C.M. Blagden’s words about L. Carroll and comment on
them.
What image of Lewis Carroll do you have? Why?
Have you read the book, watch the film or the cartoon about Al-
ice? Do you like it or not? Why?
What do you know about L. Carroll’s life and work?
I. Read the following information to answer the questions.
Charles Dodgson was born on January 27 1832. He lived his life
and eventually died on January 14 1898. «Lewis Carroll» was born on
March 1 1856, and is still very much alive.
The hundred years of scholarship surrounding the author of Al-
ice, has been largely concerned with the second rather than the first of
these two incarnations. It has been devoted primarily to a potent my-
thology surrounding the name «Lewis Carroll», rather than the reality
of the man, Dodgson. The evidence for this is everywhere, the reasons
are only partly explicable in rational terms.
Lewis Carroll has become a myth almost as powerful as his
fairy tale. Carroll and his Alice have always shared a strange incestu-
ous kind of immortality. Almost from the moment of her literary birth,
they have been the two parts of a bizarre and unique symbiosis where
the author and his creation have penetrated one another, merging until
the boundaries of their identities are no longer clear. At the centre of
the Alice stories lies the image of Carroll and at the centre of the Car-
roll image lies Alice. With the spread of his fame worldwide, the name
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«Lewis Carroll», an invention, the conceit of a man who liked to play
with words and symbols, became in itself a word-symbol, a semi-
tangible rendering of an idea. It became aspiration.
For the Victorians, caught as they were on the cusp of a new age
in which all old certainties were dying, «Lewis Carroll» came to mean
a readiness to believe – in wonderland, fairytales, innocence, saint-
hood, the fast-fading vision of a golden age when it seemed possible
for humanity to transcend the human condition. Carroll became a way
of affirming that such things really had once been. Even before Dodg-
son's death, his assumed name had become the ultimate embodiment
of this Victorian aspiration toward otherworldliness. «Lewis Carroll»
was the Pied Piper and Francis of Assisi. His supposed tenderness for
all children was seen as part of a Christlike renunciation of adult
pleasure and the adult world. It became an emanation of the strange
Victorian obsession with childhood innocence that identified immatur-
ity with inviolability in a way impossible for us now.
1. Why is L.Carroll considered to be a myth? What are the rea-
sons for this?
2. What are the characteristics of his writing manner?
3. Why was L.Carroll so important for the Victorians? What do
you know about those times?
2. Read a part from I.L.Galinskaya’s article ‘Lewis Carroll and
Mysteries of his Stories’ and render it into English.
Даже для тех, кто знал Льюиса Кэрролла близко, он пред-
ставлял подчас загадку – в нем соединялись стихии, казалось бы,
совершенно несовместимые: приверженность, с одной стороны, к
таким наукам, как математика и алгебраическая логика (в окс-
фордском колледже «Крайст-Черч» – «ЦерковьХристова», все
преподаватели которого могли
быть только духовными лицами,
он являлся едва ли не образцом педагога и ученого), а с другой
стороны, нежелание до конца жизни принять священнический сан
(он так и оставался диаконом) ввиду беззаветной своей любви к
театру, к атмосфере спектаклей и обществу актеров! Наконец, и
это, конечно, главное, Льюис Кэрролл был натурой
художествен-
ной, т.е. и поэтом (без стихов которого давно уже немыслима ан-
тология английской поэзии), и прозаиком, и эссеистом.
I. Lewis Carroll – Life and Work. «Lewis Carroll», an invention, the conceit of a man who liked to play
with words and symbols, became in itself a word-symbol, a semi-
tangible rendering of an idea. It became aspiration.
For the Victorians, caught as they were on the cusp of a new age
in which all old certainties were dying, «Lewis Carroll» came to mean
a readiness to believe – in wonderland, fairytales, innocence, saint-
hood, the fast-fading vision of a golden age when it seemed possible
for humanity to transcend the human condition. Carroll became a way
of affirming that such things really had once been. Even before Dodg-
«Lewis Carroll is among the immortals of literature,
C.L. Dodgson was soon forgotten, except by the very few». son's death, his assumed name had become the ultimate embodiment
Claude M. Blagden, Student of Christ Church from 1896. of this Victorian aspiration toward otherworldliness. «Lewis Carroll»
was the Pied Piper and Francis of Assisi. His supposed tenderness for
Read C.M. Blagden’s words about L. Carroll and comment on all children was seen as part of a Christlike renunciation of adult
them. pleasure and the adult world. It became an emanation of the strange
What image of Lewis Carroll do you have? Why? Victorian obsession with childhood innocence that identified immatur-
Have you read the book, watch the film or the cartoon about Al- ity with inviolability in a way impossible for us now.
ice? Do you like it or not? Why?
1. Why is L.Carroll considered to be a myth? What are the rea-
What do you know about L. Carroll’s life and work?
sons for this?
2. What are the characteristics of his writing manner?
I. Read the following information to answer the questions.
3. Why was L.Carroll so important for the Victorians? What do
Charles Dodgson was born on January 27 1832. He lived his life you know about those times?
and eventually died on January 14 1898. «Lewis Carroll» was born on
March 1 1856, and is still very much alive. 2. Read a part from I.L.Galinskaya’s article ‘Lewis Carroll and
The hundred years of scholarship surrounding the author of Al- Mysteries of his Stories’ and render it into English.
ice, has been largely concerned with the second rather than the first of Даже для тех, кто знал Льюиса Кэрролла близко, он пред-
these two incarnations. It has been devoted primarily to a potent my- ставлял подчас загадку – в нем соединялись стихии, казалось бы,
thology surrounding the name «Lewis Carroll», rather than the reality совершенно несовместимые: приверженность, с одной стороны, к
of the man, Dodgson. The evidence for this is everywhere, the reasons таким наукам, как математика и алгебраическая логика (в окс-
are only partly explicable in rational terms. фордском колледже «Крайст-Черч» – «ЦерковьХристова», все
Lewis Carroll has become a myth almost as powerful as his преподаватели которого могли быть только духовными лицами,
fairy tale. Carroll and his Alice have always shared a strange incestu- он являлся едва ли не образцом педагога и ученого), а с другой
ous kind of immortality. Almost from the moment of her literary birth, стороны, нежелание до конца жизни принять священнический сан
they have been the two parts of a bizarre and unique symbiosis where (он так и оставался диаконом) ввиду беззаветной своей любви к
the author and his creation have penetrated one another, merging until театру, к атмосфере спектаклей и обществу актеров! Наконец, и
the boundaries of their identities are no longer clear. At the centre of это, конечно, главное, Льюис Кэрролл был натурой художествен-
the Alice stories lies the image of Carroll and at the centre of the Car- ной, т.е. и поэтом (без стихов которого давно уже немыслима ан-
roll image lies Alice. With the spread of his fame worldwide, the name тология английской поэзии), и прозаиком, и эссеистом.
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