Yes, that's the one, Child.
Thanks for the link, Boromir88. Pretty deep stuff! I'll have to put on my snorkle suit for that one!
Thanks for the high compliment, Bethberry! I'm humbled!
By the way, Estelyn, the illustrator of
Sylvie and Bruno is Harry Furniss, whereas John Tenniel illustrated
Alice.
In the preface to the second half, Carroll writes his rationale for the story.. in part:
Quote:
It may interest some of my readers to know the theory on which this sotry is constructed. It is an attempt to show what might possibly happen, supposing that Fairies really existed; and that they were sometimes visible to us, and we to them; and that they were sometimes able to assume human form: and supposing, also, that human beings might sometimes become conscious of what goes on in the Fairy-world -- by actual transference of their immaterial essence, such as we meet with in "Esoteric Buddhism". [reminds me of astral projection]
I have supposed a Human being to be capable of various physical states, with varying degrees of consciousness, as follows:
(a) the ordinary state, wiht no consciousness of the presence of Fairies;
(b) the "eerie" state, in which, while conscious of actual surroundings, he is also conscious of the presence of Fairies;
(c) a form of trance, in which, while unconscious of actual surroundings, and apparently asleep, he (i.e. his immaterial essence) migrates to other scenes, in the actual world, or in Fairyland, and is conscious of the persence of Fairies.
I have also supposed a Fairy to be capable of migrating from Fairyland into the actual world, and of assuming, at pleasure, a Human form; and also to be capable of various psychical states, viz.
(a) the ordinary state, with no consciousness of the presence of Human beings;
(b) a sort of "eerie" state, in which he is conscious, if in the actual world, of the presence of actual Human beings; if in Fairyland, of the presence of the immaterial essences of Human beings.
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He proceeds to tabulate the passages as to what is which.
I found it rather interesting, and thought I'd share it, especially since it might not make it into an online version of the story.