Mysterious Cheshire Cat. What does the smile of the Cheshire Cat mean?

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Probably the most interesting and curious character in world literature is the Cheshire Cat. This hero impresses with his ability to appear and disappear at the most unpredictable moment, leaving behind only a smile. No less curious are the quotes of the Cheshire Cat, which amaze with their unusual logic and make you think about many questions. But this character appeared much earlier than the author wrote it into the book. And it's quite interesting where the author got the idea for him.

Why is the cat smiling?

The Cheshire Cat was invented by Lewis Carroll for the book Alice in Wonderland. It is noteworthy that in the first version of the story this character was absent and appeared only in 1865. Most likely, its appearance was due to the expression “the smile of the Cheshire Cat”, popular at that time. And this saying has two common versions of its origin. The author of the book was born and raisedin Cheshire, and it was there that it was fashionable to draw lions over the entrance to taverns. But since no one saw these predators, they were given the appearance of toothy and smiling cats.

The second version is as follows: cheese heads in the form of smiling cats were produced in Cheshire and were popular throughout England. But what does the smile of the Cheshire Cat mean? On this issue, disputes still do not subside. Some philologists believe that it is still connected with cheese. Others dispute, saying that at that time even cats laughed at the "high" title that Cheshire county, which was a provincial province with a small size, ascribed to itself.

Disappearing Cat (Cheshire)

Besides a smile, there is another equally interesting ability of this character - it is to dissolve and materialize in the air at will, but where did the author get this idea from? At one time there was a legend about the Congleton cat: one fine day, the favorite of the abbess of the abbey disappeared, but a few days later the nun heard a familiar scratching.

Opening the door, she saw her beloved cat, which at the same moment vanished into thin air. Since then, this ghost has been seen by many visitors to the abbey. Lewis Carroll himself was known for his penchant for mysticism and was certainly impressed by this story, which he embodied in his character.

Cheshire Cat Country

It certainly wouldn't be a lie to call Wonderland the kingdom of the Cheshire Cat. Indeed, from the first meeting in the kitchen of the Duchess, this character accompanied Alice. Furthermore,was her mentor and helped to get out of difficult and ridiculous situations, despite the fact that his dialogues with Alice did not always bring her pleasure, and sometimes quite annoying. Philosophical questions, which the Cheshire Cat liked to ask, baffled Alice, but, after a little thought, she found a way out of situations thanks to them. His expressions have long been parsed into quotes that are used to emphasize the absurdity of situations.

Character

When reading the book, most readers have the impression that this character is quite friendly and nice. And indeed it is. The Cheshire Cat has some inexplicable charm despite the fact that he prefers the life of a loner. He is optimistic, cheerful and will always come to the rescue in difficult times.

But at the same time, the cat is selfish and will never admit his guilt because of his stubbornness. Extremely irritable and impulsive, due to which he can commit unseemly acts, which he will regret in his soul, but does not admit it. Vain and a little sly, although he does not tolerate lies. His attitude towards himself is especially interesting, because the Cat considers himself crazy just because he is surrounded by crazy people. In general, this is the most contrasting and inimitable character in world literature.

Culture and the Cheshire Cat

This hero has long gained a cult reputation, and many authors use his image in their works, such as Jeff Nuna, Andrzej Sapkowski, Jasper Fforde, Frank Beddor. Hugely popular Cheshire Catacquired in such an art form as anime. There are also a large number of comics with his participation. Recently, Cheshire cat tattoos have gained popularity.

But still the most interesting images of the character were embodied in Alice's adventures. A popular Disney cartoon released in 1951 presents us with this cat as an intellectual with a mischievous character, who is sometimes classified as one of the Disney villains. In a computer game about Alice's adventures in a nightmare-spoiled Wonderland called Alice Madness Returns, this hero appeared before us in the form of a skinny cat with tattoos, but continues to act as a travel guide and makes the main character think about events with his quotes.

Another remarkable Cheshire Cat we saw in the film adaptation of Alice's adventures from Tim Burton. Although he was a computer character, he was still remembered for his half-screen smile and tireless zeal to give useful advice. This hero possessed elegance, calmness and imposingness, as well as the ability to hide cowardice under a seductive smile. His ability to get out of ridiculous situations manifested itself at the moment when the Hatter accused the cat of fleeing when the Red Queen seized the throne. But thanks to his talents and skills, Cheshire was rehabilitated among friends and made amends.