Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Summary

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is a fantasy novel written by Lewis Carroll, published in 1865.

Summary of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

On a hot summer day, Alice notices a White Rabbit with a pocket watch passing by her, and she follows him down a rabbit hole. She enters a large corridor surrounded by doors, finds a small door that she can open with a key she discovers on a nearby table, and sees a beautiful garden through it.

After consuming a bottle labeled “DRINK ME,” Alice shrinks to the right size but realizes she left the key on the table, making the door inaccessible. She then finds a cake labeled “EAT ME” and grows too large to fit through the door. As she cries, her tears create a pool that turns into a sea. Swimming, Alice encounters a Mouse and reaches the shore. The Mouse guides her to a bench where a group of animals has gathered.

After a “Caucus Race,” Alice frightens the animals with tales of her cat Dinah, and she is left alone again. She encounters the White Rabbit once more, who mistakes her for a servant and sends her to fetch his belongings. While in the Rabbit’s house, Alice drinks from an unlabeled bottle and grows to a huge size. The enraged Rabbit returns, but Alice, with her giant hand, dismisses him and his servants. The animals outside throw stones at her, turning into cakes when they enter the house. Alice eats one, shrinking her to a small size.

Wandering through Wonderland, Alice meets a Caterpillar sitting on a mushroom and smoking a hookah. They argue, and the Caterpillar tells Alice that different parts of the mushroom can make her grow or shrink. Alice tastes a piece, extending her neck into the trees. A pigeon mistakes her for a serpent and attacks her.

Consuming another piece of mushroom, Alice returns to her normal size. She finds the Duchess’s house, witnessing the Duchess nursing a surly baby, a grinning Cheshire Cat, and a cook violently throwing pepper into a cauldron. The Duchess treats Alice rudely, and she gives Alice the baby, which turns into a pig. Alice releases the pig and returns to the forest, where she meets the Cheshire Cat again. The Cat explains that everyone in Wonderland is mad, including Alice.

Continuing her journey, Alice encounters a March Hare and the Mad Hatter having a never-ending tea party with the Dormouse. The Hatter infuriates Alice, who leaves them and comes across a door on a tree. Passing through it, she returns to the grand hall. She grabs the key from the table, uses a mushroom to shrink, and enters the garden.

After saving the gardener animals from the Queen of Hearts, Alice is sent to meet the Mock Turtle and the Gryphon. They share strange tales, and afterward, the Gryphon takes Alice back to the croquet field. The Queen accuses the Knave of Hearts of stealing her tarts. Alice is called as a witness but challenges the nonsensical proceedings. The Queen orders her execution, but Alice grows to an enormous size, toppling the Queen’s playing cards.

Suddenly, Alice finds herself awake on the riverbank with her sister, and they head home for tea. As Alice’s sister reflects on her adventures, Alice ponders Wonderland.