Bill the Lizard
Encyclopedia
Bill the Lizard is a fictional character
appearing in Lewis Carroll's
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
.
to be someone who does all of the hard work for The White Rabbit
and the denizens of the community. When Alice becomes stuck in one of The White Rabbit's house's rooms from drinking from an unlabeled bottle that made her grow uncontrollably, the rabbit's attempts to get in through the door and window fail. Bill the Lizard is sent to go through the chimney
to investigate, since he and another creature have a ladder
in their possession. Unwilling to let Bill get through the chimney, Alice uses her now huge foot, which is in the chimney, to kick Bill into the air. He manages to survive the fall thanks to the fellow creatures.
Reappearing in chapters eleven and twelve, Bill is a juror in the trial of The Knave
of Hearts' supposed theft of The Queen of Heart's
tart
s. When his pencil
squeaks too much on his slate
, it annoys Alice to the point that she takes the pencil from him. Not knowing where it went, Bill the Lizard starts using his finger to write, even though it left no mark on the slate. In chapter twelve, he becomes disheveled when the "mile-high" Alice disturbs the jury by messing up the jury box. When Alice puts Bill the Lizard back in his place, he stares blankly up in the sky. Then later, the Queen provides ink for Bill when she spills ink on his face.
Bill also makes a cameo in the video game American McGee's Alice
, before Alice faces the Duchess, under the name of Bill McGill. He is much more chameleon
-like and appears to be a builder, and wears a toolbelt, cap and waistcoat. He has a very cynical outlook on life and repeatedly asks Alice for brandy
, until a gust from the Duchess's house forces Alice inside, causing him to run in fear. He later appears again, and explains that he'll have the leeches in to clear up the remains of the defeated Duchess.
accent who is forced by the White Rabbit and the Dodo to go down the Rabbit's chimney to pull the "monster" (Alice, made giant) out of the house. However, he is not kicked out (as in the book), as her hands and legs are sticking out outside of the house. He spreads a lot of soot, causing Alice to begin to sneeze. Hearing her inhale frantically, the White Rabbit hides and the Dodo is knocked off the roof from Alice wriggling inside as she tries to suppress the sneeze. Bill, however, cannot escape in time, and Alice's sneeze is so big it blows all the soot out of the house and rockets Bill into the sky. The Rabbit and Dodo watch him disappear and Dodo smiles, "Well, there goes Bill." Alice, recovered from her sternutation, peeps out the window and utters: "Poor Bill." He is not seen again.
A similar lizard is a member of Ratigan's gang in the film The Great Mouse Detective
; perhaps a cousin.
In Who Framed Roger Rabbit
, Bill can be spotted in the beginning scene of the film helping someone hold a ladder.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
appearing in Lewis Carroll's
Lewis Carroll
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson , better known by the pseudonym Lewis Carroll , was an English author, mathematician, logician, Anglican deacon and photographer. His most famous writings are Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass, as well as the poems "The Hunting of the...
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is an 1865 novel written by English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. It tells of a girl named Alice who falls down a rabbit hole into a fantasy world populated by peculiar, anthropomorphic creatures...
.
History
Introduced in chapter four, Bill is perceived by AliceAlice (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)
Alice is a fictional character in the literary classic, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel, Through the Looking-Glass, And What Alice Found There. She is a young girl from Victorian-era Britain.-Development:...
to be someone who does all of the hard work for The White Rabbit
White Rabbit
The White Rabbit works for the Red Queen, but is also a secret member of the Underland Underground Resistance, and was sent by the Hatter to search for Alice...
and the denizens of the community. When Alice becomes stuck in one of The White Rabbit's house's rooms from drinking from an unlabeled bottle that made her grow uncontrollably, the rabbit's attempts to get in through the door and window fail. Bill the Lizard is sent to go through the chimney
Chimney
A chimney is a structure for venting hot flue gases or smoke from a boiler, stove, furnace or fireplace to the outside atmosphere. Chimneys are typically vertical, or as near as possible to vertical, to ensure that the gases flow smoothly, drawing air into the combustion in what is known as the...
to investigate, since he and another creature have a ladder
Ladder
A ladder is a vertical or inclined set of rungs or steps. There are two types: rigid ladders that can be leaned against a vertical surface such as a wall, and rope ladders that are hung from the top. The vertical members of a rigid ladder are called stringers or stiles . Rigid ladders are usually...
in their possession. Unwilling to let Bill get through the chimney, Alice uses her now huge foot, which is in the chimney, to kick Bill into the air. He manages to survive the fall thanks to the fellow creatures.
Reappearing in chapters eleven and twelve, Bill is a juror in the trial of The Knave
Jack (playing card)
A Jack, also Knave, is a playing card with a picture of a man on it. The usual rank of a jack, within its suit, is as if it were an 11 ....
of Hearts' supposed theft of The Queen of Heart's
Queen of Hearts (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)
The Queen of Hearts is a character from the book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by the writer and mathematician Lewis Carroll. She is a foul-tempered monarch, that Carroll himself pictured as "a blind fury", and who is quick to decree death sentences at the slightest offense...
tart
Tart
A tart is a baked dish consisting of a filling over a pastry base with an open top not covered with pastry. The pastry is usually shortcrust pastry; the filling may be sweet or savoury, though modern tarts are usually fruit-based, sometimes with custard....
s. When his pencil
Pencil
A pencil is a writing implement or art medium usually constructed of a narrow, solid pigment core inside a protective casing. The case prevents the core from breaking, and also from marking the user’s hand during use....
squeaks too much on his slate
Slate (writing)
A writing slate is a piece of flat material used as a medium for writing.In the 19th century, writing slates were made of slate, which is more durable than paper and was cheap at the time when paper was expensive. It was used to allow children to practice writing...
, it annoys Alice to the point that she takes the pencil from him. Not knowing where it went, Bill the Lizard starts using his finger to write, even though it left no mark on the slate. In chapter twelve, he becomes disheveled when the "mile-high" Alice disturbs the jury by messing up the jury box. When Alice puts Bill the Lizard back in his place, he stares blankly up in the sky. Then later, the Queen provides ink for Bill when she spills ink on his face.
Bill also makes a cameo in the video game American McGee's Alice
American McGee's Alice
American McGee's Alice is a third-person action game released for PC on October 6, 2000. The game, developed by Rogue Entertainment and published by Electronic Arts, is set in an alternative universe of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland...
, before Alice faces the Duchess, under the name of Bill McGill. He is much more chameleon
Chameleon
Chameleons are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of lizards. They are distinguished by their parrot-like zygodactylous feet, their separately mobile and stereoscopic eyes, their very long, highly modified, and rapidly extrudable tongues, their swaying gait, the possession by many of a...
-like and appears to be a builder, and wears a toolbelt, cap and waistcoat. He has a very cynical outlook on life and repeatedly asks Alice for brandy
Brandy
Brandy is a spirit produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35%–60% alcohol by volume and is typically taken as an after-dinner drink...
, until a gust from the Duchess's house forces Alice inside, causing him to run in fear. He later appears again, and explains that he'll have the leeches in to clear up the remains of the defeated Duchess.
Disney
Bill makes a brief appearance in the Disney film based on the book. He was voiced by Larry Grey. Here, he is portrayed as a chimney sweep with a CockneyCockney
The term Cockney has both geographical and linguistic associations. Geographically and culturally, it often refers to working class Londoners, particularly those in the East End...
accent who is forced by the White Rabbit and the Dodo to go down the Rabbit's chimney to pull the "monster" (Alice, made giant) out of the house. However, he is not kicked out (as in the book), as her hands and legs are sticking out outside of the house. He spreads a lot of soot, causing Alice to begin to sneeze. Hearing her inhale frantically, the White Rabbit hides and the Dodo is knocked off the roof from Alice wriggling inside as she tries to suppress the sneeze. Bill, however, cannot escape in time, and Alice's sneeze is so big it blows all the soot out of the house and rockets Bill into the sky. The Rabbit and Dodo watch him disappear and Dodo smiles, "Well, there goes Bill." Alice, recovered from her sternutation, peeps out the window and utters: "Poor Bill." He is not seen again.
A similar lizard is a member of Ratigan's gang in the film The Great Mouse Detective
The Great Mouse Detective
The Great Mouse Detective is a 1986 animated feature produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation, originally released to movie theaters on July 2, 1986 by Walt Disney Pictures...
; perhaps a cousin.
In Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a 1988 American fantasy-comedy-noir film directed by Robert Zemeckis and released by Touchstone Pictures. The film combines live action and animation, and is based on Gary K. Wolf's novel Who Censored Roger Rabbit?, which depicts a world in which cartoon characters...
, Bill can be spotted in the beginning scene of the film helping someone hold a ladder.