1) Why does Alice go down the rabbit hole?
Ans. Alice was feeling bored and tired sitting by her sister, who was reading a book without pictures or conversation. Such books are worthless to Alice. All of a sudden, he saw a white rabbit with pink eyes muttering to himself about being late. He ran close by her, wearing a waistcoat and taking out a watch to check the time. Driven by curiosity and an adventurous nature, he followed the rabbit. Without considering the consequences, she plunged into the rabbit hole. Actually, Alice wanted to be free from her monotony and explore the new world.
2) Describe the experience and imagination of Alice while falling down the rabbit hole.[3+3]
Ans. The rabbit hole went straight on like a tunnel and then dipped down suddenly. Alice found herself falling down a deep well. It was too dark to see anything, but she noticed that the sides of the well were filled with cupboards, bookshelves, maps, pictures and jars. She took a jar labelled ‘ORANGE MARMALADE’ from the shelf, but as it was empty, she managed to put it into a cupboard.
She continued to fall. She was imagining that it would never come to an end. Sometimes she thought she had come to the centre of the earth. She would go through the earth and come out in a different country. Then she started to miss her pet cat Dinah and wished her down there with her. Finally, in a dreamy sort of way, she landed upon a hip of sticks and dry lips, and her fall was over.
3) Describe Alice’s experience in the hall after the fall was over. [6]
Ans. After the fall was over, Alice found herself in a long hall. The hall was lit by a row of lamps hanging from the roof. There were doors all around, but they were locked. Alice tries to open them, but she cannot open them. Then she finds a three-legged glass table. A tiny golden key is kept upon it. But no doors are opened by the golden key. Finally, she finds a little door which was hidden behind the curtain. She opens it and finds a small passage that leads to a beautiful flower garden with fountains, but she is too big to enter through her Head and shoulders. Now she finds a small bottle written ‘drink me’. She drank and became smaller, but she forgot to take the key. Later, she eats a small cake and waits anxiously for what happens.
4) “Dinah’ll miss me very much to-night I should think!” – what did Alice tell about Dinah? Why did she think of her? What did the strange thoughts about bats and cats show about her character? [2+2+2]
Ans. While falling for a long time, Alice began to think about her pet cat, Dinah. She thought Dinah would miss her tonight. She hoped someone in her family would remember her saucer of milk at tea time.
Alice was falling for a long time in a strange well. Everything was unknown to her. She wanted someone to accompany her, and Dinah was her dear one. That was why she thought of her while falling.
Alice was missing her pet cat and hoped to find a company for her in this situation. But she was afraid that she would not find any mice in the well, but she would get a bat. Dreamily, she was imagining whether cats eat bats or bats eat cats. This question reflected her imaginative heart, childish nature and playful mind.
5) “So either way I’ll get into the garden and I don’t care which happens” – why did Alice not care what would happen? What does the line show about her mentality? [4+2]
Ans. Alice became smaller after having a liquid. She was now the right size for going through the little door into that lovely garden. But the key to the door was kept on a three-legged glass table, and she forgot to take it. As she became very tiny, it was impossible for her to reach the key. Now she found a small cake on which the words “EAT ME” were written. She decided to eat the cake. Eating the cake could make her smaller or bigger, and either way, she could reach the garden.
The line shows that she is a brave girl, she loves adventures, and she has determination. She can face the challenges of life fearlessly.
6) What was special about the white rabbit? Why did Alice follow the white rabbit? [3+3]
Ans. The white rabbit was a special one whose attire and appearance were like a human being. He could speak. He was wearing a waistcoat. He took a watch out of his waistcoat pocket and showed his anxiety about being late, “Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be late!” These were the qualities that made him special.
Alice was getting tired and bored sitting by her sister. Her sister was absorbed in the reading book. The hot day made her feel very sleepy. On this occasion, she came across a white rabbit who was murmuring to itself about being late. The rabbit with a waistcoat and a watch made Alice so curious that she followed the white rabbit. On the other hand, we may say that she followed the white rabbit to avoid his boredom.
7) Sketch the character of the white rabbit. [6]
The white rabbit is an excellent creation of Lewis Carroll’s ‘Alice in Wonderland: Down the Rabbit Hole’. It plays a significant role in breaking the monotony and arousing an adventurous spirit in Alice. It is not a common rabbit. Like a human being, it can mutter and has anxiety about being late, “Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be late!” Its unusual appearance draws the attention of Alice. She immediately follows it and jumps into the rabbit hole. In this way, Alice enters into the world of encouragement. Once again, she meets the rabbit in a long hall after her fall was over. It is still in a great hurry. After that, she lost his sight. It is the white rabbit who lures Alice to follow him, and her journey to Wonderland begins.
8) Sketch the character of Alice. [6]
Ans. Alice is an inquisitive little girl. She is the protagonist of the story. At the very beginning of the story, we find her sitting by her sister, feeling bored and sleepy. An unusual-looking white rabbit broke her boredom. She was curious. She followed it and went down the rabbit hole. Thus, she entered the world of enchantment. While falling inside the well, she used her civic sense. She did not drop the empty jar of orange marmalade, as it might kill somebody underneath. She used her knowledge of classroom lessons while measuring the distance from the surface to the centre of the Earth. She was a pet lover. She loved her pet Dinah dearly. She was brave. Fascinated by a beautiful flower garden, she took the risk of drinking a bottle of liquid or eating a cake. She was also a self-critical person when she stopped herself from crying.
You may also read: Alice in Wonderland: Down the Rabbit-Hole – S.A.Q.