The first work I want to analyze is Alice in Wonderland. Then Jabberwocky. Lastly, I want to analyze The Hunting of the Snark.
I want to analyze these works because they are all fantastic examples of “nonsense literature”. Basically, “nonsense literature” is a broad term for any literature that balances elements that make sense with elements that do not. By balancing these two elements, nonsense literature has the effect of subverting language conventions.
Some formal elements Carroll uses to both create and negate meaning are semantics, syntax, phonetics, context and formal diction. This is a genre of literature unto itself that is recognizable by the various techniques used to create this balance between meaning and lack thereof. Some techniques used are portmanteau, faulty cause and effect, neologism, reversals, imprecision and infinite repetition. Carroll uses all of these techniques in these three works to great effect. In Jabberwocky and Snark, Carroll creates a nonsense poem with the use of portmanteau words and neologisms.
