payment page
Alice first meets the Mock Turtle in Chapter 9, leaving the Queen’s garden alongside the Gryphon to visit him on his rock. As is the case with virtually every other creature in Wonderland, the Mock Turtle is an absurd figure whose distinct character works to illuminate Alice’s personal development. He is sitting alone and sighing when Alice and the Gryphon arrive at his rock, and his melancholic mood carries throughout the remainder of their interaction. Carroll, with the help of illustrator Sir John Tenniel, quickly reveals that one of the primary causes of the Mock Turtle’s depressed state is the nostalgia he feels for his past. Once a “real Turtle,” Tenniel depicts the Mock Turtle as a creature with the shell of a turtle and the head and feet of a cow. This image alludes to the Mock Turtle’s namesake, the Victorian dish of mock turtle soup, and emphasizes the idea that, in his current state, his life has become more complicated.
Perhaps it is this personal history that allows Alice to form a more personable connection with the Mock Turtle than she does with many of the other Wonderland residents. While there are still occasional moments of judgment and condescension during their interaction, Alice and the Mock Turtle are able to bond over topics such as their past education and adventures. These points of commonality suggest that, at this stage in her journey, Alice is like the Mock Turtle, carrying parts of her past with her while also trying to discover herself in Wonderland. She even admits to the Mock Turtle that she “was a different person” before her arrival, a point which reflects her awareness of the development she is experiencing. Alice can either choose to embrace her newfound sense of self, or she can yearn to return to the comfort of her past. If the Mock Turtle’s behavior is any indication, however, Carroll implies that looking back will only cause misery. The Mock Turtle’s obsession with his own history is so extreme that, in the end, he comes off as inauthentic.
