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Everybody has won, and all must have prizes.
—Dodo[src]

The Dodo is a fictional character appearing in Chapters 2 and 3 of the book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. The Dodo is a caricature of the author. A popular but unsubstantiated belief is that Dodgson chose the particular animal to represent himself because of his stammer, and thus would accidentally introduce himself as "Do-do-dodgson."[1]

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

In this passage Lewis Carroll incorporated references to the original boating expedition of 4 July 1862 during which Alice's Adventures were first told, with Alice as herself, and the others represented by birds: the Lory was Lorina Liddell, the Eaglet was Edith Liddell, the Dodo was Dodgson, and the Duck was Rev. Robinson Duckworth. In order to get dry after a swim, the Dodo proposes that everyone run a Caucus race — where the participants run in patterns of any shape, starting and leaving off whenever they like, so that everyone wins. At the end of the race, Alice distributes comfits from her pocket to all as prizes. However this leaves no prize for herself. The Dodo inquires what else she has in her pocket. As she has only a thimble, the Dodo requests it from her and then awards it to Alice as her prize. The Caucus Race as depicted by Carroll is a satire on the political caucus system, mocking its lack of clarity and decisiveness.

Interpretations

Disney animated film version

In the Disney film, the Dodo plays a much greater role in the story. He is merged with the character of Pat the Gardener, which leads to him sometimes being nicknamed Pat the Dodo, but this name is never mentioned in the film. The Dodo is also the leader of the caucus race, a role originally held by the Mouse. He has the appearance and personality of a sea captain. The Dodo is voiced by Bill Thompson and animated by Milt Kahl.

Dodo is first seen as Alice is floating on the sea in a bottle. Dodo is seen singing, but when Alice asks him for help, he does not notice her. On shore, Dodo is seen on a rock, organizing a caucus race. This race involves running around until one gets dry, but the attempts are hampered by incoming waves.

Dodo is later summoned by the White Rabbit, when the rabbit believes a monster, actually Alice having magically grown to a giant size, is inside his home. Dodo brings Bill the Lizard, and attempts to get him to go down the chimney. Bill refuses at first, but Dodo is able to convince him otherwise. However, the soot causes Alice to sneeze, sending Bill high up into the sky. Dodo then decides to burn the house down, much to the chagrin of the White Rabbit. He begins gathering wood, such as the furniture, for this purpose. However, Alice is soon able to return to a smaller size and exit the house.

The White Rabbit soon leaves, while Dodo asks for matches, not realizing that the situation has been resolved. He then asks Alice for a match, but when she doesn't have any, Dodo complains about the lack of cooperation and uses his pipe to light the fire.

The Dodo later appears briefly at the end of the film, conducting another Caucus Race.

Uilleam

In Tim Burton's adaptation of Alice in Wonderland, the Dodo's appearance retains the subtle apparent nature from John Tenniel's illustration. He bears a down of brilliant blue and wears a blue coat and white spats along with glasses and a cane. He is one of Alice's good-willed advisers, taking first note of her abilities as the true Alice. He is also one of the oldest inhabitants. His name is Uilleam, and he is portrayed by Michael Gough. He goes with the White Rabbit, Tweedledum and Tweedledee, and Dormouse to take Alice to Caterpillar to decide whether Alice is the real one. He is later captured by the Red Queen's forces. When Alice came to the Red Queen's castle, he was seen at the Red Queen's castle yard as a caddy for the Queen's croquet game. After the Red Queen orders the release of the Jubjub bird, he is then seen briefly running from it when the Tweedles went to hide from it and escaped.

His name may be based on a lecture on William the Conqueror from Chapter Three of the original novel. The character is voiced by Michael Gough in his final feature film role before his death in 2011. Gough came out of retirement to appear in the film but the character only speaks three lines, so Gough managed to record in one day. Unlike most of the other creatures, Uilleam doesn't appear in the end battle scene.

Uilleam appears in the video game adaptation and makes a cameo appearance in Alice Through the Looking Glass.

Pandora Hearts

In the anime and manga series Pandora Hearts Dodo is the chain of Rufus Barma one of the four dukedoms.

References

  1. Turvey, S. T.; Cheke, A. S. (2008). "Dead as a dodo: The fortuitous rise to fame of an extinction icon". Historical Biology. 20 (2): 149-163. doi:10.1080/08912960802376199.
           Alice in Wonderland

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland | Through the Looking-Glass | The Hunting of the Snark

🐰Universe🎩
Characters
Alice | White Rabbit | Dodo | Bill the Lizard | Caterpillar | Duchess | Cheshire Cat | March Hare | Hatter | Dormouse
Queen of Heats | King of Hearts | Knave of Heats | Gryphon | Mock Turtle | Red Queen | White Queen | Red King
White King | White Knight | Tweedledum and Tweedledee | Sheep | Humpty Dumpty | The Lion and the Unicorn
Bandersnatch | Jubjub bird
Locations
Wonderland | Looking-glass world
Related
Lewis Carroll | The Annotated Alice | Mischmasch
Works based on Alice in Wonderland (Films and television | Disney franchise)
Translations of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland | Translations of Through the Looking-Glass | Unbirthday

🐰Media🎩
Film
1903 | 1910 | 1915 | 1931 | 1933 | 1949 | 1951 | 1966 | 1972 | 1976 | 1982 | 1985 | 1987 | 1988 (Czechoslovak)
1988 (Australian) | 1995 | 1999
Stage
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (ballet) | Alice in Wonderland (musical) | Alice in Wonderland (opera)
But Never Jam Today (Carroll musical) | Wonderland (Wildhorn musical) | Peter and Alice (2013 play)
Wonder.land (Albarn musical)
Television
Fushigi no Kuni no Alice | Once Upon a Time in Wonderland
Poems
"All in the golden afternoon..." | "How Doth the Little Crocodile" | "The Mouse's Tale" | "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Bat"
"You Are Old, Father William" | "'Tis the Voice of the Lobster" | "Jabberwocky" | "The Walrus and the Carpenter"
"Haddocks' Eyes" | "The Mock Turtle's Song" | "The Hunting of the Snark"
Sequels
A New Alice in the Old Wonderland (1895) | New Adventures of Alice (1917) | Alice of Wonderland in Paris (1966)
Alice Through the Needle's Eye (1984) | Automated Alice (1996)
Wonderland Revisited and the Games Alice Played There (2009)
Retellings
The Nursery "Alice" (1890) | Alice's Adventures in Wonderland retold in words of one syllable (1905)
Alice in Verse: The Lost Rhymes of Wonderland (2010)
Parodies
The Westminster Alice (1902) | Clara in Blunderland (1902) | Lost in Blunderland (1903)
John Bull's Adventures in the Fiscal Wonderland (1904) | Alice in Blunderland: An Iridescent Dream (1904)
Imitations
Davy and the Goblin (1884) | The Admiral's Caravan (1891) | Gladys in Grammarland (1896) | A New Wonderland (1898)
Rollo in Emblemland (1902) | Justnowland (1912) | Alice in Orchestralia (1925)
Reimagining
Alice in Wonderland or What's a Nice Kid Like You Doing in a Place Like This? (1966) | Alice or the Last Escapade (1977)
Adventures in Wonderland (1991) | The Looking Glass Wars (2006) | Alice (2009) | Malice in Wonderland (2009)
Alice in Wonderland (2010) | Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016)
Literary
Alice in Murderland | Alice in the Country of Hearts | Miyuki-chan in Wonderland
Video games
Alice no Paint Adventure (1995) | Alice in Wonderland (2000) | American McGee's Alice (2000) | Alice in Wonderland (2010)
Alice: Madness Returns (2011)

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