Abstract:
In this paper I take that awareness a step further. First, I will show that the Pigeon scene derives from, and refers to, a natural history topos of the nineteenth century—what I will call the "egg-thief" motif. Second, I will review earlier commentary on the Pigeon scene. A varied set of readings already offers many possible ways of understanding the scene, but comments on such topics as its religious connotations, or Alice's identity problems, gain new dimensions when knowledge of the natural history context is brought into the discussion. Finally, I offer some further suggestions regarding our engagement as readers with this apparently enigmatic little encounter between snake-necked Alice and mother Pigeon.
