Cheshire Cat

This article is about a character mainly associated with Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. For other uses, see Cheshire Cat (disambiguation).
Cheshire Cat
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland character

The Cheshire cat as illustrator John Tenniel envisioned it in the 1865 publication
Created by Lewis Carroll
Voiced by Sterling Holloway
Tony Pope (Disneyland attractions)
Jim Cummings (current)
Keith David (Once Upon A Time in Wonderland)
Stephen Fry
Information
Species Tabby British Shorthair Cat
Gender Male (the Queen of Hearts cries "off with his head" when the cat upsets the king)
Quote "Most everyone's mad here"
"You may have noticed that I'm not all there myself"

The Cheshire Cat (/ˈɛʃər/ or /ˈɛʃɪər/) is a fictional cat popularised by Lewis Carroll in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and known for its distinctive mischievous grin. While most often celebrated in "Alice"-related contexts, the Cheshire Cat predates the 1865 novel and has transcended the context of literature and become enmeshed in popular culture, appearing in various forms of media, from political cartoons to television, as well as cross-disciplinary studies, from business to science. One of its distinguishing features is that from time to time its body disappears, the last thing visible being its iconic grin.

Origins

There are numerous theories about the origins of the phrase "Grinning like a Cheshire Cat" in English history.

This phrase owes its origin to the unhappy attempts of a sign painter of that country to represent a lion rampant, which was the crest of an influential family, on the sign-boards of many of the inns. The resemblance of these lions to cats caused them to be generally called by the more ignoble name. A similar case is to be found in the village of Charlton, between Pewsey and Devizes, Wiltshire. A public-house by the roadside is commonly known by the name of The Cat at Charlton. The sign of the house was originally a lion or tiger, or some such animal, the crest of the family of Sir Edward Poore.[4]

Lewis Carroll's character

The Cheshire Cat is now largely identified with the character of the same name in Lewis Carroll's novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Alice first encounters the Cheshire Cat at the Duchess' house in her kitchen, and later on the branches of a tree, where it appears and disappears at will, and engages Alice in amusing but sometimes perplexing conversation. The cat sometimes raises philosophical points that annoy or baffle Alice; but appears to cheer her when it appears suddenly at the Queen of Hearts' croquet field; and when sentenced to death, baffles everyone by having made its head appear without its body, sparking a debate between the executioner and the King and Queen of Hearts about whether a disembodied head can indeed be beheaded. At one point, the cat disappears gradually until nothing is left but its grin, prompting Alice to remark that 'she has often seen a cat without a grin but never a grin without a cat'.[5]

According to recent analysis by scholar David Day, Lewis Carroll's cat was Reverend Dr Edward Bouverie Pusey, Oxford professor of Hebrew, and Carroll's mentor.[6]

A hanging chain forms a catenary.

The name Pusey was suggested by Alice's deferential address of the cat as "Cheshire Puss". Pusey was an authority on the fathers of the Christian Church, and in Carroll's time Pusey was known as the Patristic Catenary (or chain), after the chain of authority of Church patriarchs. As a mathematician, Carroll would have been well familiar with the other meaning of catenary: the curve of a horizontally-suspended chain, which suggests the shape of the cat's grin.[7]

RIDDLE: What kind of a cat can grin?

ANSWER: A Catenary.

David Day, Queen's Quarterly (2010)

Source of imagery

Grinning Cheshire Cat, St Wilfrid's Church. Grappenhall, Cheshire
The cat carving in St Nicolas Church, Cranleigh

There are many other suggestions that Carroll found inspiration for the name and expression of the Cheshire Cat in the 16th century sandstone carving of a grinning cat, on the west face of St. Wilfrid's Church tower in Grappenhall, a village adjacent to his birthplace in Daresbury, Cheshire.

Lewis Carroll's father, Reverend Charles Dodgson, was Rector of Croft and Archdeacon of Richmond in North Yorkshire, England, from 1843 to 1868; Carroll lived here from 1843 to 1850.[8] Historians believe Lewis Carroll's Cheshire Cat in the book Alice in Wonderland was inspired by a carving in Croft church.[9]

A fully mature British Shorthair

Another possible inspiration was the British Shorthair: Carroll saw a representative British Shorthair illustrated on a label of Cheshire cheese.[10] The Cat Fanciers' Association profile reads: "When gracelessness is observed, the British Shorthair is duly embarrassed, quickly recovering with a 'Cheshire cat smile'”.[11]

In 1992, members of the Lewis Carroll Society attributed it to a gargoyle found on a pillar in St. Nicolas Church, Cranleigh, where Carroll used to travel frequently when he lived in Guildford (though this is doubtful as he moved to Guildford some three years after Alice's Adventures in Wonderland had been published) and a carving in a church in the village of Croft-on-Tees, in the north east of England, where his father had been rector.[12]

Carroll is believed to have visited St. Christopher's church in Pott Shrigley, Cheshire, which has a stone sculpture most closely resembling the pictorial cat in the book.

Cultural references

The Cheshire Cat character has been re-depicted by other creators and used as the inspiration for new characters, primarily in screen media (film, television, video games) and print media (literature, comics, art). Other non-media contexts that embrace the Cheshire Cat include music, business, and science.

A Cheshire cat stuffed toy from the Children's Museum of Indianapolis

Prior to 1951 when Walt Disney released an animated adaptation of the story (see below), there were few post-Alice allusions to the character. Martin Gardner, author of The Annotated Alice, wondered if T. S. Eliot had the Cheshire Cat in mind when writing Morning at the Window but notes no other significant allusions in the pre-war period.[13]

Images of and references to the Cheshire Cat cropped up with increasing frequency in the 1960s and 1970s, along with more frequent references to Carroll's works in general. (See generally the lyrics to White Rabbit by the rock group Jefferson Airplane).[14][15] The Cheshire Cat appeared on LSD blotters as well as in song lyrics and popular fiction.[16][17]

Film adaptations

Disney's 1951 animated film, Alice in Wonderland

In the 1951 Disney animated film, Alice in Wonderland, the Cheshire Cat is depicted as an intelligent and mischievous character that sometimes helps Alice and sometimes gets her into trouble. He frequently sings the first verse of the Jabberwocky poem. The animated character was voiced by Sterling Holloway (Alice in Wonderland) and Jim Cummings (2004–present).

Disney's 1999 TV film, Alice in Wonderland

In the 1999 television adaptation of Carroll's books, the Cheshire Cat is portrayed by Whoopi Goldberg. She fully acts as an ally and friend to Alice.

Tim Burton for Disney's 2010 live-action film, Alice in Wonderland

The Cheshire Cat appears in Walt Disney's 2010 Alice in Wonderland, directed by Tim Burton. British actor Stephen Fry voices the character.[18] In the movie, Cheshire (as he is often called; or sometimes 'Chess') binds the wound Alice suffered earlier by the Bandersnatch and guides her to Tarrant Hightopp, the Mad Hatter and Thackery Earwicket, the March Hare. He is blamed by the Hatter for desertion when the White Queen is deposed by the Red; but later impersonates the Hatter when the latter is sentenced to decapitation. Throughout his appearances, 'Chess' is able to make himself intangible or weightless, as well as invisible (and thus to survive decapitation), and is usually shown in mid-air, at shoulder-height to human-sized characters.[19] In the video game adaptation of the movie, Chess is a playable character who can not only turn himself invisible, but other objects around him as well.

Cross-film comparison

Each major film adaptation of Lewis Carroll's tale represents the Cheshire Cat character and his traits uniquely.

Screen Media Adaptation Distribution Medium Cheshire Cat's Appearance Cheshire Cat's Behavior Image
Alice in Wonderland
(1951 film)[20]
Film (Alice in Wonderland, traditional animation by Walt Disney Studios)[20] Thick build and a primarily pink coat with purple stripes. Wide smile and close-set, piercing yellow eyes. Character always depicted in good lighting with strong visibility, unlike other adaptations which obscure or shadow him Mischievous, and takes pleasure in misdirecting Alice. He is able to dislocate his head from his body (does so in jest), but is also capable of invisibility, and frequently enters and exits the scene with all parts faded away except for his grin or eyes.
Adventures in Wonderland
(1991 TV show)[21]
Televised broadcast (Adventures in Wonderland, TV series through 1995) [21] Closer resemblance to a tiger or lioness than a house cat. Coat has a white base with stripes painted in a violet accent color. Form possesses human-like mouth and facial structure A sarcastic and playful rendition of the character. In this adaptation, the Cheshire Cat has the ability to appear and disappear in any location. He is quick to play practical jokes on other the characters in the show.
Alice in Wonderland
(1999 made-for-TV movie)[22]
Television Film[22] A fluffy grey cat with a human face and feline features. A grinning cat who teaches Alice "the rules" of Wonderland. Her favorite pastime is appearing and disappearing.
Alice in Wonderland
(2010 film)[23]
Film (Alice in Wonderland, live-action directed by Tim Burton)[23] More slender build, with a round head and grey/green coat with several blue/black stripes. Bright aqua eyes (with slit-shaped pupils) and prominent teeth. Often more backlit than other adaptations, with only a faint, luminescent glow (self-generated) bringing his features into view. Disappearing and reappearing at will, and able even to change his size, levitate himself, assume the appearances of other characters, and become intangible at will. The cat plays a few jokes and toys with the other characters, but is helpful on a few occasions. He speaks in a slow and fluid manner.

In addition to the Cheshire Cat's appearances in films central to its Lewis Carroll origins, the Cheshire Cat has been featured in other cinematic works:

Television adaptations

The Cheshire Cat has been seen by television audiences in a broadcast spin-off:

Video game adaptations

The Cheshire Cat as depicted in American McGee's Alice

The Cheshire Cat appears as an avatar character in several video games:

Novels

The Cheshire cat has inspired other characters in the publishing world:

Comics

American comics

The Cheshire Cat can be spotted in several comics by major American publishers:

Anime and manga

The Cheshire Cat character has been embraced by the world of Japanese comics (Manga) and animation (Anime), where several odes to the Cheshire Cat have been observed:

Art

The Cheshire Cat has transcended screens to be featured in fine art:

Other media and cross-disciplinary references

In music

Several musical references to the Cheshire cat can be found song lyrics and album titles:

In business

Pubs in the United Kingdom bear the name of the Cheshire Cat:

In science

The scientific community has embraced the Cheshire Cat as a metaphor to explain several scientific phenomena:

...[T]aken from Lewis Carroll, we liken this theory to the strategy used by the Cheshire Cat in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland of making its body invisible to make the sentence "off with his head" pronounced by the Queen of Hearts impossible to execute...CC dynamics, which rely to some extent on separation of the sexual processes of meiosis and fusion in time and/or space, release the host from short-term pathogen pressure, thus widening the scope for the host to evolve in other directions.

Notes

  1. "Cheshire cat – Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary". merriam-webster.com. 2011. Retrieved 8 August 2011.
  2. As stated in Martin Gardner's Annotated Alice
  3. Gardner, Martin (1999). The Annotated Alice: Alice's adventures in Wonderland & Through the looking glass. W.W. Norton. ISBN 0-393-04847-0.
  4. Samuel Maunder, The Treasury of Knowledge and Library Reference, Edition 12 Publisher: Longman, Orme, Brown, Green, & Longmans, 1853, page 396
  5. Annotated Alice; the statement "a grin without a cat" is a reference to mathematics dissociating itself completely from the natural world.
  6. David Day, "Oxford in Wonderland" Queen's Quarterly Vol. 117 Issue 3 (Fall 2010): 403+
  7. David Day, "The Cheshire Cat’s Grin: Solving the greatest mystery of Wonderland, 150 years later." The Walrus September 2015.
  8. Clark, Ann (1979). Lewis Carroll: A Biography. London: J. M. Dent & Sons. ISBN 0-460-04302-1.
  9. Gardner, Martin (2000). The Annotate Alice: The Definitive Edition. New York / London: W.W. Norton and Company. p. 62. ISBN 0-393-04847-0.
  10. Stewart, Ian (2010). Professor Stewart's Hoard of Mathematical Treasures. Profile Books. p. 67.
  11. Geyer, Georgie Anne. When Cats Reigned Like Kings: On the Trail of the Sacred Cats. Transaction Publishers. p. 219.
  12. "Cheshire Cat found by fans of Lewis Carroll". The Toronto Star. Toronto ON. Reuters. 8 July 1992. p. C24.
  13. Gardner, Martin (1999). The Annotated Alice: Alice's adventures in Wonderland & Through the looking glass. W.W. Norton. p. 62. ISBN 0-393-04847-0.
  14. Brooker, Will (2004). Alice' s Adventures: Lewis Carroll and Alice in Popular Culture. London: Continuum. p. 81. ISBN 0-8264-1433-8. Retrieved 7 July 2008.
  15. Roos, Michael (1984). "The Walrus and the Deacon: John Lennon's Debt to Lewis Carroll". Journal of Popular Culture. 18 (1): 19–29. doi:10.1111/j.0022-3840.1984.1801_19.x.
  16. Vanessa St Clair (5 June 2001). "A girl like Alice". The Guardian. UK.
  17. Real, Willi (2003). "The Use of Literary Quotations and Allusions in: Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451". Retrieved 7 July 2008.
  18. Boshoff, Alison (20 February 2010). "Alice's very weird wonderland: Why a behind-the-scenes row might see Tim Burton's most fantastical film yet disappear from cinemas as fast as the Cheshire Cat". Daily Mail. London: Associated Newspapers. Archived from the original on 15 November 2010. Retrieved February 21, 2010.
  19. "Alice in Wonderland – Glossary of Terms/Script (early draft)" (PDF). Walt Disney Pictures. JoBlo.com. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 November 2010. Retrieved March 30, 2010.(early draft of the film script, first started February 2007)
  20. 1 2 "Alice in Wonderland (1951 film)". IMBD. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  21. 1 2 "Adventures in Wonderland (1991 TV show)". IMDB. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  22. 1 2 "Alice in Wonderland (TV Movie 1999)". Retrieved 5 October 2014.
  23. 1 2 "Alice in Wonderland (2010 film)". IMBD. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  24. http://tvline.com/2013/09/05/once-upon-a-time-in-wonderland-cheshire-cat-keith-david/
  25. "Exploratorium: Science Snacks: Cheshire Cat". Retrieved 23 March 2009.
  26. "Cheshire Cat Stockport – Pub & Bars Information , 150 Middlesex Road". Viewleeds.co.uk. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
  27. "The Cheshire Cat in Christleton – Pub Home & About Us". Vintageinn.co.uk. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
  28. Duensing, Sally; Miller, Bob (1979). "The Cheshire Cat effect". Perception. 8 (3): 269–273. doi:10.1068/p080269.
  29. "Cheshire Cat: Perception Science Project". Exploratorium Science Snacks. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
  30. Yarus, Michael (1993). "How many catalytic RNAs? Ions and the Cheshire cat conjecture". The FASEB Journal. 7 (1): 31–39. PMID 8422972. Retrieved 24 September 2014.
  31. Frada, Miguel, et al. "The 'Cheshire Cat' escape strategy of the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi in response to viral infection." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 105.41 (2008): 15944-15949. http://www.pnas.org/content/105/41/15944.full
  32. "Observation of a quantum Cheshire Cat in a matter-wave interferometer experiment". Nature Communications. 5. 29 July 2014. doi:10.1038/ncomms5492. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
  33. 1 2 3 Morgan, James. "'Quantum Cheshire Cat' becomes reality". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 24 September 2014.
  34. http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap151127.html Astronomy Picture of the Day 27th November 2015

References

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