header

 

Fun Fact:
The Hatter's character may have been inspired by Theophilus Carter, an eccentric furniture dealer in Oxford, who became known as "the Mad Hatter" from his habit of standing in the door of his shop wearing a top hat.
-Wikipedia

 

 

Where am I?
Home -> Footnotes -> Chapter 7 -> The Hatter

Mad Hatter imageThe Mad Hatter

"Your hair wants cutting," said the hatter. He had been looking at Alice for some time with great curiosity, and this was his first speech.

 

Introduction

The Hatter does not appear in Alice’s Adventures Underground, being added, along with the rest of the Mad Tea Party, for the printed edition. Interestingly, although commonly referred to as the “Mad Hatter,” Carroll never calls him this in the book, where he is simply the “hatter.”  Of course, the connection between the Cheshire Cat’s assurance that he is mad and his profession was certainly intentional.  The colloquial phrase “Mad as Hatter” entered common use in the 1830s although the origin is uncertain.  Many speculate that it refers to the symptoms of Mercury poisoning which affected many hatters in the early nineteenth century who used mercury to cure pelts.  In any case, although Carroll’s Hatter’s symptoms do not match those of mercury poisoning, his behavior certainly is peculiar, and, especially in Alice’s view, quite insane.

The Hatter is one of the most famous and most popular characters from the book, appearing in every adaptation and illustrated edition.  And critics have long been fascinated by the hatter, and especially with his obsession with time.  Despite his rudeness and annoying penchant for asking riddles that have no answer, Carroll’s compassionate treatment of his insanity has encouraged some critics to read the chapter as radical stance for the humane treatment of the insane.  Others have interpreted the Hatter simply as an adult, showcasing the ridiculous and nonsensical elements of adulthood.

 

Texts

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland – Chapter 7
Plain Text

Reappears in Chapter 11

 

Image Gallery

Below you can see how illustrations of the Hatter have changed over time. Many illustrators have relied heavily on Tenniel’s drawing, copying the price-tag on the hat motif, and even giving him a similar look. Especially noteworthy are Barry Moser’s, Rodney Matthews’ and Willy Pogany’s Hatters.  Ralph Steadman wrote this about his version: “THE HATTER represents the unpleasant sides of human nature. The unreasoned argument screams at you. The bully, the glib quiz game compre who rattles off endless reels of unanswerable riddles and asks you to come back next week and make a bloody fool of yourself again” (Textbooksrus.com).  Click on the name of an illustrator in the right hand column to see the next image.

{artist}-{year}
{artist} {lifespan}
{image}
{title}
{citation}

 

Other Media

The Mad Tea Party scene is one of the only scenes to make it into every Alice adaptation.  Unlike some other scenes, the Mad Tea Party translates remarkably well, with snappy dialogue and an abundance of verbal and physical gags. Big name actors are often cast as the Hatter, each bringing his own unique stamp.  Below are Disney’s 1951 version (voiced by Vaudeville comedian Ed Wynn) and Johnny Depp in Tim Burton’s 2010 film, which greatly expanded the role of the Mad Hatter in the action of film. Additionally, in many music videos which are based on Alice imagery, the main singer chooses to be depicted as the Mad Hatter. The role seems to be a comfortable one for Rock singers. As Steve Tyler sings in his “Sunshine” (2001), “I took to the Hatter like a walk in the park.”

 


A Mad Tea Party
Disney's Alice in Wonderland (1951)

 

 


A Mad Tea Party Clip (Johnny Depp)
Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland (2010)

 


Aerosmith's "Sunshine" (2001)

 


Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers "Don't Come Round Here No More" (1985)

 

 

Also See

Wikipedia article on the Mad Hatter

Short Documentary of Ed Wynn recording the voice of the Mad Hatter on YouTube.

The Hatter also has an expanded role in Syfy’s “Alice": watch a clip of Alice meeting the Hatter on YouTube

 


<- back to Chapter 7 Footnotes Index
<back to Footnotes home>