Who the Red Queen is
The Red Queen meets Alice outside the Looking-glass House, where the country follows the pattern of a chessboard. She is as tall as Alice, and her stern manner makes their meeting feel like a lesson in rules. She tells Alice that reaching the eighth square will allow a pawn to become a queen.
The Red Queen and the others in the story
The Red Queen takes Alice by the hand and leads her into a run that grows faster and faster. Alice notices that the landscape never moves, although she expects their speed to carry them somewhere. The Queen explains that here, constant running only keeps a person in the same place.
Her guidance mixes useful directions with advice that does not fit Alice's ordinary experience. When they stop, she offers Alice a dry biscuit as a cure for thirst. She describes the squares ahead, then vanishes and leaves Alice to continue alone.
A best-known line
“Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place.”
Questions
Who is the Red Queen?
The Red Queen is the stern ruler who introduces Alice to the chess game's rules.
Why does the Red Queen run with Alice?
Their run demonstrates the country's strange rule that even great effort can leave someone standing still. The Queen says they must run twice as fast to get anywhere else.
Does the Red Queen help Alice?
Yes, she explains how Alice can become a queen and outlines the route ahead. Her bossy instructions also confront Alice with rules unlike those at home.