Carroll had an incredible imagination, the fact that his works are still spoken about with reverence to this day is testimony alone of that.
On the drugs front. I believe we have a tendency to forget that heroin, cocaine, etc were freely available over the counter at that time, for everyday ailments without a doctor having to be involved. Conan Doyle wrote about his character Sherlock Holmes using opiates to aid concentration. It was commonplace.
Carroll was also a photographer and it is from this area that the paedophile suspicions arise.
Imo again we need to understand the context of photography at that time. Artists were the first to jump at this new medium, it was faster, cheaper and, some would have argued, a superior means of capturing portraits, landscapes and tableaux vivants, 'living pictures'. This was an unimaginable technological leap at the time.
I am of the opinion that what Carroll did with his photography was to transfer the poses and visual language from the art tradition of draped figures, nymphets, cherubs etc to his work with these children.
I have not seen one of his images yet where
the child/children looked in any way intimidated by him. By all accounts they loved being around him.
Of course we could all argue he was a bit stupid to put himself in that position. That would be hard to dismiss. I just have a sensation that he appreciated the imaginations of children and they were enthralled by his.
Obviously there is no way of being 100% certain but the fact that none of these children reported abuse when they grew older carries
some weight as well for me.
The attempted tie-in between nonce and nonsense is pretty damn desperate journalism.
I have used the Jabberwocky at least three times with kids. It was never anywhere near the same each time because
everything in that poem is up for definition and therefore brilliant for letting kids imaginations off the leash.
For example.
Take the first stanza and read it in a chirpy, cheery tone.
`Twas brillig,
and the slithy toves.
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
Now read it again in a whispery, creepy, scary tone.
It works both ways because nothing is actually defined.
Sorry for the extended gibbering.
). It does seem like there is some reference to drug use but perhaps that's just a misinterpretation.
