CHAPTER 11: WHO STOLE THE TARTS?

The knave of hearts is accused of stealing tarts from the Queen of Hearts; the accusation against him is based on a nursery rhyme.

The proceedings of the trial are obviously unjust, and Carroll is lightly satirizing the justice system. It is not a specific satire of justice as it existed in Victorian England; it can more accurately be read as a satire of some of the dangers involved in trials.