The whole theory of modern education is radically unsound. Fortunately in England, at any rate, education produces no effect whatsoever. If it did, it would prove a serious danger to the upper classes, and probably lead to acts of violence in Grosvenor Square.
Lady Bracknell is talking about the upper class and how the lives of the lower class effect it.
However, at last she stretched her arms round it as far as they would go, and broke off a bit of the edge with each hand. ‘And now which is which?’ she said to herself, and nibbled a little of the right-hand bit to try the effect: the next moment she felt a violent blow underneath her chin: it had struck her foot! She was a good deal frightened by this very sudden change, but she felt that there was no time to be lost, as she was shrinking rapidly; so she set to work at once to eat some of the other bit. Her chin was pressed so closely against her foot, that there was hardly room to open her mouth; but she did it at last, and managed to swallow a morsel of the lefthand bit.
Alice is trying to get back to her original size by listening to the caterpillar and eating a piece from either side. She was "a good deal frightened" when she suddenly changed sizes. This shows how Alice tries to feel like her normal self again by eating.
Half-past one, time for dinner!’ (‘I only wish it was,’ the March Hare said to itself in a whisper.) ‘That would be grand, certainly,’ said Alice thoughtfully: ‘but then—I shouldn’t be hungry for it, you know.’ ‘Not at first, perhaps,’ said the Hatter: ‘but you could keep it to half-past one as long as you liked.’ ‘Is that the way you manage?’ Alice asked. The Hatter shook his head mournfully. ‘Not I!’ he replied.
The Hatter tells Alice that it's dinner time, but she tells him that she's not hungry. He responds by telling her she isn't at first, but once she starts eating, she won't want to stop. This relates to the idea of experiencing life because one may not realize how dull their life is until they experience something that makes them realize that they way they were living isn't desirable.