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

Probably the most interesting and curious character in the world literature is the Cheshire Cat. This hero is struck by his ability to appear and disappear at the most unpredictable moment, leaving behind only a smile. Equally curious are the quotes from the Cheshire Cat, which strike with their unusual logic and make you think about many questions. But this character appeared much earlier than the author wrote it in the book. And it is interesting enough where the author took the idea of him.

Why is the cat smiling?

Cheshire's 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, his appearance is due to the popular expression of "the smile of the Cheshire Cat." And this proverb has two different versions of its origin. The author of the book was born and raised in the county of Cheshire, and that's where it was fashionable to draw lions over the entrance to the 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 the county of Cheshire and were popular throughout England. But what does the smile of the Cheshire Cat mean? On this issue, disputes still remain. Some philologists believe that it is still related to cheese. Others dispute, saying that at that time, even cats laughed at the "high" rank attributed to the county of Cheshire, which was a provincial province with small size.

Disappearing cat (Cheshire)

In addition to a smile, there is another equally interesting skill for this character - it is to dissolve and materialize in the air at will, but from where did the author take this idea? At one time there was a legend about the Congleton cat: one day a favorite of the abbess abbot was missing, but a few days later the nun heard a familiar scrape. Opening the door, she saw her beloved cat, which at the same moment dissolved into the air. Since then, many visitors to the abbey have seen this ghost. Lewis Carroll himself was known for his penchant for mysticism and was probably impressed with this story, which he embodied in his character.

Country of the Cheshire Cat

For sure it will not be a lie to call the Land of Wonders the kingdom of the Cheshire Cat. After the first meeting in the kitchen of the Duchess, this character accompanied Alice. Moreover, she 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 that Cheshirsky liked to ask set Alice at a dead end, but after a little thought, she found a way out of situations thanks to them. His expressions have long been disassembled into quotes, which are used to emphasize the absurdity of situations.

Character of the character

When reading the book, most readers got the impression that this character is quite friendly and nice. And indeed it is. Cheshirsky cat has some inexplicable charm despite the fact that he prefers the life of a loner. He is optimistic, cheerful and always comes to the rescue in a difficult moment.

But at the same time, the cat is selfish and will never admit its guilt because of obstinacy. Extremely irritable and impulsive, due to which can commit unseemly acts, which will be regretted in the soul, but does not admit it. He is vain and a little wicked, although he himself does not tolerate a lie. Particularly interesting is his attitude to himself, because the Cat considers itself crazy only because it is surrounded by madmen. In general, this is the most contrasting and inimitable character in the world literature.

Culture and Cheshire Cat

This hero has long acquired a reputation for cult, and his image is used by many authors in his works, for example, such as Jeff Nun, Andrzej Sapkovsky, Jasper Fforde, Frank Beddor. Huge popularity Cheshire Cat has acquired in this form of art as anime. There is also a large number of comics with his participation. Recently, tattoos with the image of a Cheshire cat have gained popularity.

But still the most interesting images of the character embodied in the adventures of Alice. A popular Disney cartoon, released in 1951, presents this cat as an intellectual with a harmful character, which is sometimes classified as one of the Disney villains. In the computer game about the adventures of Alice in the wrought-up nightmares of Wonderland under the name Alice Madness Returns, this hero appeared before us in the form of a bad cat with tattoos, but continues to act as a tour guide and his quotations forcing the main character to reflect on the events.

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