The Red Queen uses opposites to describe the garden and the hill primarily to make the point that her garden and hill are better and bigger than any others. By comparing her surroundings to other gardens and hills, she emphasizes her own superiority and the exceptional nature of her world, asserting a sense of dominance and grandeur. This reflects the whimsical and often nonsensical logic found in Carroll's work, where characters frequently engage in absurd comparisons to assert their viewpoints.
Read this excerpt from Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll.
“That's right,” said the Queen, patting her on the head, which Alice didn't like at all, “though, when you say ‘garden,’—I'VE seen gardens, compared with which this would be a wilderness.”
Alice didn't dare to argue the point, but went on: “—and I thought I'd try and find my way to the top of that hill—”
“When you say ‘hill,’” the Queen interrupted, “I could show you hills, in comparison with which you'd call that a valley.”
Why does the Red Queen use opposites to describe the garden and the hill?
to remind Alice that she is the Red Queen and Alice is just a commoner who must mind her manners
to describe to Alice just how horrible and small all other gardens and hills really are
to make the point that her garden and hill are better and bigger than any others
to convince Alice to stay with her in her garden and on top of her hill in the looking-glass land
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