--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I learned long ago that being Lewis…" description: "\"I learned long ago that being Lewis Carroll was infinitely more exciting than being Alice.\" — Joyce Carol Oates" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0d/joyce-carol-oates-344_exciting_i-learned-long-ago-that-being-lewis-carr_33377.png" --- # I learned long ago that being Lewis Carroll was infinitely… ![“I learned long ago that being Lewis Carroll was infinitely more exciting than being Alice.” quote by Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0d/joyce-carol-oates-344_exciting_i-learned-long-ago-that-being-lewis-carr_33377.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0d/joyce-carol-oates-344_exciting_i-learned-long-ago-that-being-lewis-carr_33377.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0d/joyce-carol-oates-344_exciting_i-learned-long-ago-that-being-lewis-carr_33377.png) > “I learned long ago that being Lewis Carroll was infinitely more exciting than being Alice.” [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker finds greater thrill in the creative act of authoring than in merely experiencing a story as a character. **In simple terms:** Creation beats passive consumption. Key Takeaway Being the creator is more exhilarating than being the subject. Themes creativity identity authorial power imagination self-expression Mood playful reflective Type aphor literary observation When to use this quote - writing workshops - author talks - creative retreats - literary criticism - storytelling classes Key Concepts narrative agency role reversal literary homage Practical Applications - encouraging writers to embrace authorial voice - teaching the value of creative agency Questions to Reflect On - How does assuming the author's role change your perception of a story? - What does this say about the allure of creation versus participation? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Carroll Infinitely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carroll-infinitely-433530/) [Exciting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exciting/) [Exciting Alice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exciting-alice-433528/) [Infinitely Exciting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/infinitely-exciting-433529/) [Lewis Carrol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lewis-carrol/) [Lewis Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lewis-carroll/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Long ago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-ago/) ## Related quotes > [“INTERVIEWER Why don’t you write tragedy? BARTHELME I’m fated to deal in mixtures, slumgullions, which preclude tragedy, which require a pure line. It’s a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-barthelme/interviewer-why-don-t-you-write-tragedy-barthelme-i-m-fated-to-deal/) [Donald Barthelme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-barthelme/) > [There are days when it seems to me that in literature the most convincing depiction of the world in which we live is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-are-days-when-it-seems-to-me-that-in-literature-the-most/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Although Lewis Carroll thought of The Hunting of the Snark as a nonsense ballad for children, it is hard to imagine - in fact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gardner/although-lewis-carroll-thought-of-the-hunting-of-the-snark-as-a/) [Martin Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gardner/) > [I've always loved 'Alice,' and I've always loved Lewis Carroll. I love his kind of tone and his intelligence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bobin/i-ve-always-loved-alice-and-i-ve-always-loved-lewis-carroll-i-love/) [James Bobin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bobin/) > [Writers are voracious readers. Once I unlocked the mystery of the alphabet that led to words, a multitude of words connecting me to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-naylor/writers-are-voracious-readers-once-i-unlocked-the-mystery-of-the/) [Gloria Naylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-naylor/) > [“Fantasy is a natural human activity. It certainly does not destroy or even insult Reason; and it does not either blunt the appetite for,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien/fantasy-is-a-natural-human-activity-it-certainly-does-not-destroy-or/) [J.R.R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien/) > [I get so tired of people saying, 'Oh, you only make fantasy films and this and that', and I'm like, 'Well no, fantasy is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-burton/i-get-so-tired-of-people-saying-oh-you-only-make-fantasy-films-and/) [Tim Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-burton/) > [“A boat beneath a sunny sky, Lingering onward dreamily In an evening of July – Children three that nestle near, Eager eye and willing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-coren/a-boat-beneath-a-sunny-sky-lingering-onward-dreamily-in-an-evening-of/) [Victoria Coren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-coren/) > [“My book aspires, as Lewis Carroll’s White Queen so eloquently put it, to believe six impossible things at once, if not before breakfast then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mccord/my-book-aspires-as-lewis-carroll-s-white-queen-so-eloquently-put-it/) [Michael McCord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mccord/) > [Epilepsy is a disease in the shadows. 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The beheading of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/in-answer-to-the-question-what-scenes-one-would-like-to-have-filmed/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [“Lewis Carroll’s Alice In Wonderland. “I can’t go back to yesterday because I was a different person then.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandt-legg/lewis-carroll-s-alice-in-wonderland-i-can-t-go-back-to-yesterday/) [Brandt Legg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandt-legg/) > [“If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there. —LEWIS CARROLL It’s more important to have the will to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demi-lovato/if-you-don-t-know-where-you-are-going-any-road-will-get-you-there/) [Demi Lovato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demi-lovato/) > [“Lewis Carroll is the writer who taught me the sheer delight of falling through a 'looking-glass' of my own!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-rose/lewis-carroll-is-the-writer-who-taught-me-the-sheer-delight-of/) [Pamela Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-rose/) > [Are you Lewis Carroll?" Redd asked him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-beddor/are-you-lewis-carroll-redd-asked-him/) [Frank Beddor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-beddor/) ## More by Joyce Carol Oates > [“A woman who has lost her husband is invalid, thus an invalid. In”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/a-woman-who-has-lost-her-husband-is-invalid-thus-an-invalid-in/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [Running! If there's any activity happier, more exhilarating, more nourishing to the imagination, I can't think of what it might be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/running-if-there-s-any-activity-happier-more-exhilarating-more/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [You need so much energy and encouragement to write that if someone says something negative, some of that energy goes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/you-need-so-much-energy-and-encouragement-to-write-that-if-someone/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [Paradox: how do we know what we have failed to see because we have no language to express it, thus we cannot know that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/paradox-how-do-we-know-what-we-have-failed-to-see-because-we-have-no/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [At all crucial moments in our lives we want to speak without knowing what to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/at-all-crucial-moments-in-our-lives-we-want-to-speak-without-knowing/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [A writer’s life is in his work, and that is the place to find him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/a-writer-s-life-is-in-his-work-and-that-is-the-place-to-find-him/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [The challenge is to resist circumstances. Any idiot can be happy in a happy place, but moral courage is required to be happy in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/the-challenge-is-to-resist-circumstances-any-idiot-can-be-happy-in-a/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [The first sentence cant be written until the final sentence is written.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/the-first-sentence-cant-be-written-until-the-final-sentence-is-written/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [“Did you know, Marianne: how by breaking the code that day, you broke it forever? For us all?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/did-you-know-marianne-how-by-breaking-the-code-that-day-you-broke-it/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > ['The Accursed' is very much a novel about social injustice as the consequence of the terrible, tragic division of classes - the exploitation not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/the-accursed-is-very-much-a-novel-about-social-injustice-as-the/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [Keep a light, hopeful heart. But expect the worst.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/keep-a-light-hopeful-heart-but-expect-the-worst/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [And this is the forbidden truth, the unspeakable taboo - that evil is not always repellent but frequently attractive; that it has the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/and-this-is-the-forbidden-truth-the-unspeakable-taboo-that-evil-is/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [I don't think that writer's block exists really. I think that when you're trying to do something prematurely, it just won't come. Certain subjects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/i-don-t-think-that-writer-s-block-exists-really-i-think-that-when-you/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [... such speculation is like staring into the hot white sun. you know the sun is there but you can't see a thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/such-speculation-is-like-staring-into-the-hot-white-sun-you-know-the/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [“You don’t have to understand why anything that has happened to you has happened nor do you even have to understand what it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/you-don-t-have-to-understand-why-anything-that-has-happened-to-you/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) [Explore all 658 Joyce Carol Oates quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) ## More Exciting quotes > [It's like saying French shouldn't be taught because you don't understand it because it's new. Shakespeare is just like learning a new, exciting language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-barnett/it-s-like-saying-french-shouldn-t-be-taught-because-you-don-t/) [Samuel Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-barnett/) > [The show was number one in the ratings, Gordon Russell was our head writer, the story lines were magnificent and the acting most exciting.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-storm/the-show-was-number-one-in-the-ratings-gordon-russell-was-our-head/) [Michael Storm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-storm/) > [It's always exciting to be part of films where you matter and add value.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raashi-khanna/it-s-always-exciting-to-be-part-of-films-where-you-matter-and-add/) [Raashi Khanna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raashi-khanna/) > [With all the technology we're inventing and what they're coming up with scientifically, people are having longer lifetimes. It's scary, but in the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittany-murphy/with-all-the-technology-we-re-inventing-and-what-they-re-coming-up/) [Brittany Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittany-murphy/) > [Life can be difficult sometimes, it gets bumpy. What with family and kids and things not going exactly like you planned. But that's what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-van-patten/life-can-be-difficult-sometimes-it-gets-bumpy-what-with-family-and/) [Joyce Van Patten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-van-patten/) > [A great read; an exciting, frightening account of organized crime today. But like all important works of nonfiction, it goes further… This book is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/le-ly-hayslip/a-great-read-an-exciting-frightening-account-of-organized-crime-today/) [Le Ly Hayslip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/le-ly-hayslip/) > [My first company, Pure Software, was exciting and innovative in the first few years and bureaucratic and painful in the last few before it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reed-hastings/my-first-company-pure-software-was-exciting-and-innovative-in-the/) [Reed Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reed-hastings/) > [Schools must inquire deeper into their own practices, explore new ways to motivate their learners, make use of learning styles, introduce multiple intelligences, integrate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-fullan/schools-must-inquire-deeper-into-their-own-practices-explore-new-ways/) [Michael Fullan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-fullan/) > [I'm not a fan of endless mystery in storytelling - I like to know where the mythology's going; I like to get there in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-kripke/i-m-not-a-fan-of-endless-mystery-in-storytelling-i-like-to-know-where/) [Eric Kripke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-kripke/) > [A perfect movie is a different thing, but a funny movie is easy. I was really happy that I got everyone that I got.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-walsh/a-perfect-movie-is-a-different-thing-but-a-funny-movie-is-easy-i-was/) [Matt Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-walsh/) > [“Life is adventurous and exciting because you never know where you will be in a few minutes or so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debasish-mridha/life-is-adventurous-and-exciting-because-you-never-know-where-you/) [Debasish Mridha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debasish-mridha/) > [Napster has pointed the way for a new direction for music distribution, and we believe it will form the basis of important and exciting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-diller/napster-has-pointed-the-way-for-a-new-direction-for-music/) [Barry Diller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-diller/) > [In science, the most exciting expression isn’t ‘Eureka!’ It’s ‘Huh?’](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hawley/in-science-the-most-exciting-expression-isn-t-eureka-it-s-huh/) [Michael Hawley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hawley/) > [I still consider it a summer job, though. So, I try to maintain that summer job as long as I can. But it's exciting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-buffett/i-still-consider-it-a-summer-job-though-so-i-try-to-maintain-that/) [Jimmy Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-buffett/) > [I'm not an artist, and I want to take risks, and when the possibility of failure occurs, it's because the idea is all exciting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-morgan/i-m-not-an-artist-and-i-want-to-take-risks-and-when-the-possibility/) [Peter Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-morgan/) [Browse all 3,331 Exciting quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exciting/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I learned long ago that being Lewis Carroll was infinitely more exciting than being Alice.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joyce Carol Oates" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/i-learned-long-ago-that-being-lewis-carroll-was-infinitely-more/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Exciting" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/i-learned-long-ago-that-being-lewis-carroll-was-infinitely-more/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0d/joyce-carol-oates-344_exciting_i-learned-long-ago-that-being-lewis-carr_33377.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0d/joyce-carol-oates-344_exciting_i-learned-long-ago-that-being-lewis-carr_33377.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0d/joyce-carol-oates-344_exciting_i-learned-long-ago-that-being-lewis-carr_33377.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I learned long ago that being Lewis Carroll was infinitely more exciting than being Alice.” — Joyce Carol Oates", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Joyce Carol Oates", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I learned long ago that being...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/i-learned-long-ago-that-being-lewis-carroll-was-infinitely-more/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/i-learned-long-ago-that-being-lewis-carroll-was-infinitely-more/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```