Dodo (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland) facts for kids
for the Mauritius Animal, See Dodo or See Dodo (disambiguation)
Quick facts for kids Dodo |
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John Tenniel's drawing of the Dodo in "A Caucus Race and a Long Tale". This is from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
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| First appearance | Alice's Adventures in Wonderland |
| Created by | Lewis Carroll |
| Information | |
| Species | Dodo |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | Bird |
The Dodo is a fun character found in Chapters 2 and 3 of the 1865 book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. This famous book was written by Lewis Carroll, whose real name was Charles Lutwidge Dodgson. The Dodo character is actually a playful drawing of the author himself! Some people believe Dodgson chose the Dodo because he had a stammer, and when he said his own name, it might have sounded like "Do-do-dodgson."
A long time ago, the real Dodo was a bird that could not fly. It lived on the island of Mauritius, which is east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. Sadly, these birds became extinct in the mid-1600s when Dutch settlers came to the island.
Contents
The Dodo in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
In the book, Lewis Carroll included parts of a real boating trip from July 4, 1862. This was when he first told the stories that became Alice's Adventures. In the story, the characters are based on the people who were there:
- Alice is herself.
- The Lory is Lorina Liddell.
- The Eaglet is Edith Liddell.
- The Dodo is Lewis Carroll (Dodgson).
- The Duck is Reverend Robinson Duckworth.
After everyone gets wet from a swim, the Dodo suggests they all run a "Caucus Race" to get dry. In this race, people run in any shape they want, starting and stopping whenever they feel like it. The funny thing is, everyone wins!
At the end of the race, Alice gives out candies from her pocket as prizes. But this leaves no prize for her! The Dodo asks what else she has. Since she only has a thimble, the Dodo takes it and then gives it back to Alice as her prize. The Caucus Race in the book makes fun of how some political meetings work, showing that they can be confusing and not always lead to clear decisions.
The Dodo in Disney's Animated Film
| Capt. Dodo | |
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| First appearance | Alice in Wonderland |
| Created by | Lewis Carroll Walt Disney |
| Portrayed by | Bill Thompson |
| Information | |
| Nickname(s) | Dodo |
| Species | Dodo |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | Sailor |
In the 1951 Disney movie, the Dodo has a much bigger part. He is combined with another character, Pat the Gardener. Sometimes people call him Pat the Dodo, but this name is not used in the film. The Dodo is also the leader of the Caucus Race. He looks and acts like a sea captain. The Dodo's voice was done by Bill Thompson, and he was animated by Milt Kahl.
We first see the Dodo when Alice is floating in the sea in a bottle. The Dodo is singing, but he does not notice Alice when she asks for help. On shore, the Dodo is on a rock, trying to organize a Caucus Race. The idea is to run around until everyone is dry, but waves keep getting in the way.
Later, the White Rabbit calls the Dodo for help. The rabbit thinks a monster is inside his house, but it is really Alice, who has grown very big! The Dodo brings Bill the Lizard and tries to get him to go down the chimney. Bill does not want to at first, but the Dodo convinces him. However, the soot makes Alice sneeze, sending Bill flying high into the sky! The Dodo then decides to burn the house down, which makes the White Rabbit very upset. He starts gathering wood, even furniture, for the fire. Luckily, Alice soon shrinks back to her normal size and leaves the house.
The White Rabbit quickly leaves. The Dodo asks for matches, not realizing the problem is solved. He then asks Alice for a match. When she does not have one, the Dodo complains about the lack of help and uses his pipe to light the fire.
The Dodo also appears briefly at the end of the movie, leading another Caucus Race.
The Dodo in Tim Burton's Film
| Uilleam | |
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| Alice in Wonderland character | |
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| First appearance | Alice in Wonderland |
| Created by | Lewis Carroll/Tim Burton |
| Portrayed by | Michael Gough |
| Information | |
| Species | Dodo |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | Adviser Caddy |
In Tim Burton's 2010 movie Alice in Wonderland, the Dodo looks a lot like John Tenniel's original drawings. He has bright blue feathers and wears a blue coat, white spats (covers for shoes), glasses, and carries a cane. He is one of Alice's helpful advisers and is one of the oldest characters in Wonderland. His name is Uilleam. He was played by Michael Gough.
Uilleam goes with the White Rabbit, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, and the Dormouse to take Alice to the Caterpillar. They need to find out if Alice is the "real" Alice who is meant to save Wonderland. Later, the Red Queen's soldiers capture him. When Alice arrives at the Red Queen's castle, Uilleam is seen helping with the Queen's croquet game.
After the Red Queen lets the Jubjub bird loose to attack her own people, Uilleam is seen running away from it. He escapes, but then the Jubjub bird snatches him, and he is not seen again in the movie.
His name, Uilleam, might be a nod to a lecture about William the Conqueror from Chapter Three of the original book. The character's voice was provided by Michael Gough. This was his last movie role before he passed away in 2011. Gough came out of retirement for the film, but the character only had three lines, so he recorded them in just one day.
See also
In Spanish: Dodo (Alicia en el País de las Maravillas) para niños
