Jabberwocky

Lewis Carroll

30 pages 1-hour read

Lewis Carroll

Jabberwocky

Fiction | Poem | Middle Grade | Published in 1871

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Character List

Meet the key characters, with insights into their roles, motivations, and relationships—spoiler-free.

Major Characters

The son is a young hero preparing for a dangerous journey into the wild. Armed with his vorpal sword, he seeks to confront the mysterious creatures of the wood, undergoing a traditional coming-of-age rite of passage. He shows determination by tracking his foe for an extended period and resting by the Tumtum tree to gather his thoughts before the battle.

Key Relationships

Son of The Father

Hunter of The Jabberwock

Adversary of Jubjub Bird

Adversary of Bandersnatch

The father acts as the wise mentor in the narrative. He possesses crucial knowledge about the local monsters and imparts this survival advice to his son. His presence frames the adventure, setting the quest in motion and waiting at home to celebrate a safe return with joyful exclamations.

Key Relationships

Father of The Son

Enemy of The Jabberwock

The Jabberwock is a formidable "manxome foe" residing in the tulgey wood. It features eyes of flame and makes peculiar "whiffling" and "burbling" noises as it moves. Despite being the primary target of the quest, its exact nature remains ambiguous, functioning as the central physical obstacle in the hero's path.

Key Relationships

Hunted by The Son

Enemy of The Father

Supporting Characters

Alice is the young girl whose dream frames the poem's existence in *Through the Looking Glass*. After playing with her kitten and passing through a mirror into a world of reversed logic, she finds a book written in an inverted language. She holds the book up to a glass to read the stanzas of "Jabberwocky," grasping the basic narrative of a monster hunt despite the confusing vocabulary.

Key Relationships

Observer of The Son

The Jubjub bird is a fantastic monster inhabiting the same wilderness as the Jabberwock. The creature demands constant vigilance from travelers, representing an unknown but significant physical danger in the dark woods.

Key Relationships

Threat to The Son

Enemy of The Father

Described specifically as "frumious," the Bandersnatch is a beast of the tulgey wood that travelers must entirely shun. It stands out among the monsters as the only one described with an adjective conveying a distinctly furious or fuming temperament.

Key Relationships

Threat to The Son

Enemy of The Father