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Hookah

A hookah, also known as a waterpipe, is a single or multi-stemmed (often glass-based) instrument for smoking (usually tobacco) in which the smoke is cooled and filtered by passing through water. The practice of hookah-smoking originated in India and spread to England during the British occupation in the 19th century. For writers in the Victorian era, including Lewis Carroll, the hookah often symbolized Eastern, non-Christian wisdom or knowledge. At the time, many drugs and illicit substances were perfectly legal, and renowned for their "mind expanding" qualities. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, for instance, is one of the most famous drug-using figures from Victorian literature.

The Caterpillar's use of the hookah has often been interpreted and expanded as proof of the theory that most of the text of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland represents the experience of being under the influence of halucinogenic drugs. Most notably, Thomas Fensch, in his essay "Lewis Carroll--The First Acidhead" (1968) draws attention to the fact that "there is no mention of what the Caterpillar smokes in his hookah," suggesting that the Caterpillar's languididty arises from the influence of drugs, and that Alice's subsequent ordeal with mushroom can be interpreted as "psychedleics--baby--now" (424).

 

Disney's 1951Caterpillar, memorably, was quite adept at blowing the smoke from his hookah into shapes, such as letters and crocodiles, make the scene quite striking, visually. Later illustrators, such as Camille Rose Garcia, have incorporated this idea into their work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also See

Wikipedia, Novel Guide, Lenny's Alice in Wonderland Site
The Caterpillar Footnote

 

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