The further off from England the nearer is to France-_x000D_ _x000D_ Then turn not pale, beloved snail, but come and join the dance.
Lewis CarrollRead
Must a name mean something?" Alice asked doubtfully. Of course it must," Humpty Dumpty said with a short laugh; "my name means the shape I am - and a good handsome shape it is, too. With a name like yours, you might be any shape, almost.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Names carry meaning and shape our identity, influencing how we perceive ourselves and how others perceive us.
In this quote from Lewis Carroll's 'Through the Looking-Glass', the dialogue between Alice and Humpty Dumpty explores the significance of names and their inherent meanings. Humpty argues that his name reflects his shape, suggesting that an individual's identity can be intertwined with the labels they carry. Alice's name, on the other hand, represents a broader potential, indicating that names can shape perceptions and limitations but can also evoke a sense of freedom and possibility.
Themes
NameIdentityMeaningPerceptionShape
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about personal identity, one could use this quote to emphasize the importance of names.
More from Lewis Carroll
All quotes →To the Looking-Glass world it was Alice that said 'I've a sceptre in hand, I've a crown on my head. Let the Looking-Glass creatures, whatever they be, Come and dine with the Red Queen, the White Queen, and me.
Lewis CarrollRead
So she was considering in her own mind...whether the pleasure of making a daisy-chain would be worth the trouble of getting up & picking the daisies.
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Once she remembered trying to box her own ears for having cheated herself in a game of croquet she was playing against herself, for this curious child was very fond of pretending to be two people.
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Rule Forty-two. All persons more than a mile high to leave the court.
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Crawling at your feet,' said the Gnat (Alice drew her feet back in some alarm), `you may observe a Bread-and-Butterfly. Its wings are thin slices of Bread-and-butter, its body is a crust, and its head is a lump of sugar.' And what does IT live on?' Weak tea with cream in it.' A new difficulty came into Alice's head. `Supposing it couldn't find any?' she suggested. Then it would die, of course.' But that must happen very often,' Alice remarked thoughtfully. It always happens,' said the Gnat.
Lewis CarrollRead
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