The Hatter's Time Trap

The Hatter, trapped in a permanent tea-time after offending Time, embodies the consequences of breaking the rules of Wonderland's social order.

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The Hatter's First Words

A Personal Remark The Hatter's Observation The Hatter's first words to Alice are "Your hair wants cutting," a personal remark that Alice rebukes. The Hatter then asks the riddle "Why is a raven like a writing-desk?" which has no answer. This establishes the Hatter as a character who delights in nonsense and social provocation. The Hatter's Watch The Hatter takes out his watch and shakes it, noting that it is two days wrong. He blames the March Hare for using butter that may have contained crumbs. The watch tells the day of the month but not the hour, a testament to the Hatter's troubled relationship with time.

The Story of the Quarrel

Murdering the Time The Concert Incident The Hatter tells Alice about his quarrel with Time. He was singing at the Queen of Hearts' concert, performing "Twinkle, twinkle, little bat," when the Queen shouted, "He's murdering the time! Off with his head!" The Hatter escaped, but Time has never forgiven him. Since then, it is always six o'clock, and the Hatter is condemned to endless tea-time. The Eternal Tea Party Because it is always six o'clock, the Hatter, March Hare, and Dormouse are forced to keep moving around the table as the tea things get used up. They never have time to wash the dishes. The Hatter's punishment is a living hell of repetition and boredom. His story is a cautionary tale about the dangers of offending the powers that be in Wonderland.

The Hatter's Testimony

A Nervous Witness The Hatter in Court The Hatter is called as the first witness at the trial. He enters with a teacup and bread-and-butter, explaining that he hadn't finished his tea. The King questions him about the date he began his tea, and the Hatter, with the March Hare and Dormouse, gives conflicting answers. The jury writes down all three dates. The Hatter's Fear The Queen stares at the Hatter, reading a list of singers from the concert, and the Hatter trembles. He stammers through his evidence, mixing up the bread-and-butter with the tea. The King grows impatient, and the Hatter, in a panic, drops his teacup and kneels. The King dismisses him as a poor speaker, and the Hatter flees, barely escaping the Queen's order to have his head taken off outside. The Hatter's terror in the court shows that his bravado at the tea-party is a fragile mask.

at the Mad Tea-Party

mid-tea party

during the trial