Jabberwocky Sets Stage

"Beware the Jabberwock, ...
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!

Jabberwocky,1872, Louis Carroll
Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There
The underlined title takes you to the full poem (if you haven't already visited). Use back in your browser to return here. Remember, Carrol was making up words in creating the monster, the entire setting (the "borogoves," the "toves") as well as the qualities of things. The borogoves were "all mimsy," the wood was "tulgey," the sword used to dispatch the Jabberwock was "vorpal." Interesting, isn't it, that the dictionary today defines "vorpal" as "deadly," crediting the made-up word Carroll gives us in the poem. It's also part of the label I use, "vorpal blade" in this blog.

The poem will probably be considered sexist by some readers because the voice speaks to "my son." Thus, it is a male who actually kills the Jabberwock. Does it make a difference? If the Jabberwock gets killed in Carroll's day, it probably had to be by a male. Whatever. Think Jabberwock as the ugly aggressive behaviour coming at a girl. See the need for ending its life,