A Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeleine L'Engle
**Overview of A Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeleine L'Engle**
"A Swiftly Tilting Planet" is a novel by Madeleine L'Engle that follows the journey of fifteen-year-old Charles Wallace Murry and a winged unicorn named Gaudior. They are tasked with traveling back in time to prevent a potential nuclear holocaust instigated by the dictator Madog Branzillo. To succeed, Charles must use his empathy to connect with the minds of others, seeking to alter critical past events that lead to the present crisis. Their travels take them through significant moments in history, including the creation of the universe and various historical figures like Madoc, a Welsh prince.
The narrative blends elements of myth, fantasy, suspense, and science fiction, incorporating themes from Scripture and exploring the nature of good and evil. As Charles and Gaudior face opposition from the Echthroi, forces of evil trying to hinder their mission, they learn that success is not guaranteed. The novel is part of a larger fantasy trilogy that includes "A Wrinkle in Time" and "A Wind in the Door," showcasing the Murry family's ongoing struggle against darkness through love and understanding. L'Engle's work is noted for its depth and complexity, making significant demands on readers while offering profound rewards for those who engage with its themes.
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A Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeleine L'Engle
First published: 1978
Type of work: Fantasy/science fiction/moral tale
Themes: The supernatural, science, and religion
Time of work: The late twentieth century and medieval times
Recommended Ages: 13-15
Locale: New England, Wales, and the fictional South American country Vespugia
Principal Characters:
Charles Wallace Murry , a precocious fifteen-year-old boy, chosen to travel back through time to stop the destruction of the worldGaudior , a unicorn, sent to help Charles in his perilous journeyMeg Murry O’Keefe , Charles’s older sister, who is able to communicate with her brother telepathicallyMrs. Branwen Zillah “Beezie” O’keefe , Meg’s mother-in-law, who gives Charles the ancient rune of PatrickMadog Branzillo, “El Rabioso,” , ; the dictator of VespugiaThe Echthroi , evil forces who try to thwart Charles and Gaudior
The Story
A fifteen-year-old boy, Charles Wallace Murry, and a unicorn, Gaudior, are called to travel back in time to intervene in past events in order to prevent a nuclear holocaust. To alter past events, Charles must use his powers of empathy to go within others in order to steer them toward goodness and prevent specific acts of evil from occurring. Charles and Gaudior must find the specific Might-Have-Been that has led to the present crisis. Throughout their time travels, they are harassed by the Echthroi, powers of evil who try to thwart them.
The Murry family are gathered in their country home for Thanksgiving dinner when Dr. Murry receives a call from the president. Madog Branzillo, dictator of Vespugia, has threatened to start a nuclear war with the United States in twenty-four hours. Somehow he must be stopped. With the help of an ancient rune taught to him by his sister Meg’s mother-in-law, Mrs. Branwen Zillah O’Keefe, Charles has the means of stopping Branzillo, if he can find the precise Might-Have-Been and alter it in time.
Despite the cold rain, Charles goes outdoors to his favorite star-watching rock and recites the first two lines of the rune. Gaudior, a winged unicorn, appears, and the two ride the wind back into the past. On their first trip back in time, they witness the creation of the universe, when all was harmonious until some of the stars turned away from the good. After they observe the creation of the earth and the solar system, Charles enters the consciousness of Harcels, a young boy of the People of the Wind, in order to experience the sensation of being within another person.
As Charles and Gaudior ride the wind forward in time, they are thrown into a Projection, an evil possibility that the Echthroi want to make real. With the help of the rune, they escape and return to their mission. Charles enters the mind of Madoc, a Welsh prince who has come across the seas to the New World before the time of Leif Eriksson. On the day of his wedding, Madoc must vanquish his jealous brother, Gwydyr, who has unexpectedly appeared, before he can marry Zyll, the native princess. Madoc triumphs with the aid of the rune, and Gwydyr leaves for South America, to settle in what eventually becomes Vespugia.
Charles and Gaudior travel forward in time to New England during the Puritan era. Charles enters the mind of Brandon Llawcae, a young Welsh boy, just in time to prevent Zylle Llawcae, his sister-in-law and one of Madoc’s descendants, from being hanged as a witch. Attempting to move in both space and time, Charles and Gaudior are almost destroyed by the Echthroi as they try to reach Vespugia. To recover their strength, they travel to Gaudior’s home planet, where Charles witnesses the hatching of baby unicorns from eggs.
After their recovery, they return to Earth, having realized that Madog Branzillo’s name is derived from Madoc and from Bran and Zillie, suggesting a connection with the Welsh settlers of Vespugia. Charles must ensure that Bran Maddox, who has emigrated to Vespugia from New England, will marry his American fiancee, Zillah, and not the Vespugian temptress Zillie, so that their descendant, the dictator Madog Branzillo, will turn out to be a man of peace and not of war. Charles manages this difficult task, although he is almost lost at the death of the sickly Matthew Maddox, Bran’s twin brother, whose being Charles has entered. Mrs. O’Keefe and Meg hurry outside and say the rune to bring Charles back. As they return to the house, there is a call from the president saying that the threat of war has been averted.
Context
In A Swiftly Tilting Planet, L’Engle has virtually created a new genre that incorporates myth, fantasy, suspense, and science fiction. The novel derives its mythic quality from its retelling of Scripture, particularly the stories of creation, the Garden of Eden, and Cain and Abel. The fantasy element stems from the assumption that by traveling back in time, individuals can alter past events so as to prevent evil contingencies from occurring. Success in that struggle is by no means guaranteed, however, and several times Charles and Gaudior are almost lost in Projections thrown in their way by the Echthroi.
L’Engle is an accomplished children’s writer who makes great demands upon her readers, but whose books offer equally great rewards for perceptive readers. She has acknowledged the influence of George Macdonald on her work, which at times also resembles that of C. S. Lewis and Ursula Le Guin. A Swiftly Tilting Planet is part of L’Engle’s fantasy trilogy, which also includes the Newbery Medal-winning A Wrinkle in Time (1962) and A Wind in the Door (1973). In each of these works, Charles and Meg Murry, at various ages, embark on a series of fantastic adventures that involve them in the cosmic struggle of good and evil. In each book, their eventual triumph comes not through force or might, but through their quiet confidence and self-knowledge and their ability to name and to love, which link them with the ancient universal harmonies.
Bibliography
Bloom, Harold, ed. Women Writers of Children’s Literature. Philadelphia: Chelsea House, 1998.
Chase, Carole F. Suncatcher: A Study of Madeleine L’Engle and Her Writing. Philadelphia: Innisfree Press, 1998.
Hein, Rolland. Christian Mythmakers: C. S. Lewis, Madeleine L’Engle, J. R. Tolkien, George MacDonald, G. K. Chesterton, Charles Williams, Dante Alighieri, John Bunyan, Walter Wangerin, Robert Siegel, and Hannah Hurnard. Chicago: Cornerstone Press, 2002.
Hettinga, Donald R. Presenting Madeleine L’Engle. New York: Twayne, 1993.
Shaw, Luci, ed. The Swiftly Tilting Worlds of Madeleine L’Engle. Wheaton, Ill.: Harold Shaw, 1998.