A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
"A Wrinkle in Time" is a children's fantasy novel by Madeleine L'Engle that follows siblings Meg and Charles Wallace Murry as they embark on a journey to rescue their father, who is imprisoned on the planet Camazotz. This planet represents a dystopian society where individuality is suppressed by a disembodied intelligence known as "It," which controls the thoughts and actions of its inhabitants. The narrative emphasizes the significance of love and personal connection, as Meg ultimately discovers that her affection for her brother is the key to saving him from the influence of "It."
The story challenges traditional gender roles by placing a young female protagonist at the center of the adventure, showcasing her emotional strengths—such as impatience, anger, and determination—as essential traits for overcoming obstacles. Meg's journey illustrates the idea that true intelligence should be complemented by human emotion and connection, rather than replaced by a sterile, collective mentality. "A Wrinkle in Time" has garnered acclaim, including the Newbery Award, for its innovative portrayal of female empowerment and the value of nurturing relationships. Through its blend of science fiction and fantasy, the novel encourages readers to reflect on the importance of individuality and love in a world that often prioritizes conformity.
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
First published: 1962
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Fantasy
Time of work: The future
Locale: The northeastern United States and the planets of Camazotz and Uriel
Principal Characters:
Meg Murry , an awkward thirteen-year-old girlCharles Wallace Murry , her younger brotherDr. Murry , Meg and Charles’s father, a brilliant scientist sent to the planet CamazotzMrs. Murry , his wife and the children’s mother, a biologist and bacteriologistSandy , andDennys , the Murry’s ten-year-old twin sonsMrs. Whatsit ,Mrs. Who , andMrs. Which , three supernatural beings who enable the Murry children to journey to CamazotzCalvin O’Keefe , Meg’s friend, who accompanies her to CamazotzAunt Beast , a furry, tentacled creatureIt , a huge, disembodied brain which controls the thinking of all people on Camazotz
Form and Content
A Wrinkle in Time is Madeleine L’Engle’s story of a brother and sister who seek their father, who is imprisoned on the planet Camazotz. A fantasy novel for children, the work accentuates the power of women by casting thirteen-year-old Meg Murry as the protagonist and savior.
The government of the United States has sent Meg’s father to Camazotz to rectify a moral evil blighting the minds and souls of the planet’s inhabitants. On Camazotz (a possible play on “comatose”), the people are placidly content because they have no conflicts. Every thought and action of their daily lives is controlled by It, a disembodied brain that functions as the communal mind; there is neither opportunity nor desire for individuality. In short, the human beings of Camazotz have become little more than robots. Pain, an inherent part of being human, is denied them; in its place is the warm bliss of mindless “happiness.” Because Dr. Murry is a threat to their “perfect” society, the administrators of Camazotz have taken him captive.
The Mrs. W’s—Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which, supernatural beings who combat evil—commission Meg Murry and her brother Charles Wallace to accompany them to Camazotz, so that the children might rescue their father and see the spiritual decay that he has been fighting. After arriving on the planet, the children proceed to the CENTRAL Central Intelligence Building, where they find Dr. Murry imprisoned in a transparent marble column. With the aid of magic spectacles bestowed by Mrs. Which, Meg passes through the column and frees her father. Charles Wallace, however, unconsciously surrenders himself to the power of It. The sunny and tenderhearted little boy becomes hardened and surly, mocking the sister he once loved. Meg concludes that only her love for Charles Wallace can restore the child to himself. Her conviction is correct, for when she cries, “I love you!” her brother rushes into her arms. The story swiftly comes to an end as the children “tesser” (move quickly through time and space) back to the Murrys’ garden, whence they departed less than five minutes earlier. Returning with the children, Dr. Murry receives his wife’s embrace. Although he has been unable to restore human spirit to Camazotz, he will presumably work to keep Earth from slipping into a similar state, in which individual thought succumbs to “group think” and feeling is nonexistent.
As Dr. Murry has come to realize the flaws of a monolithic society, Meg arrives at a truth concerning the space age: that intelligence and scientific knowledge must not be allowed to overshadow the importance of human affection. When Charles Wallace falls under the spell of It—the unadulterated mind, free from muddling emotions—it becomes clear to his sister that without genuine connection to other people, he will degenerate to the robotic level of the Camazotzians. Therefore, Meg goes to his rescue with the strongest weapon that she possesses: love.
Context
A winner of the Newbery Award for children’s literature, A Wrinkle in Time alters the pattern of many earlier juvenile novels by casting females as the leading and more effective characters. Yet the work upholds supposedly feminine characteristics, making it clear that these very characteristics enable Meg Murry to save her father and brother. When the children and Mrs. Whatsit arrive on Camazotz, Mrs. Whatsit tells Meg that her strongest assets are her “faults”: her impatience, anger, and stubbornness—traits sometimes negatively attributed to women. Although Meg does not at first understand, she soon sees that Mrs. Whatsit is correct. While Calvin advises her to proceed slowly and cautiously in rescuing her father, Meg’s impatience will not let her wait; it propels her—literally—through the marble column. Similarly, her anger at the overwhelming power of It makes her stubbornly determined that the brain will not consume the mind and soul of her brother. Finally, her love for Charles Wallace, based not on his intelligence but only on the child himself, saves the little boy.
Meg’s love for Charles Wallace undoubtedly derives from the love and nurture that she herself receives from other females. Mrs. Murry, for example, always has time to be a mother, her intellectual interests notwithstanding. On Uriel, Mrs. Whatsit, in the guise of a flying horse, shelters frightened Meg under her wing. Aunt Beast holds and feeds her following her passage through the Dark Thing, an embodiment of evil, until she is strong enough to return to Camazotz. Thus, it is the maternal succor of females that gives Meg the power she needs for the job that she must perform; in turn, Meg’s impetuosity and fierce, unconditional love save the male characters, who are helpless in the hands of their enemies. For all of his intelligence, Dr. Murry can neither effect his own escape nor save his son. Through her characters, then, L’Engle emphasizes the importance of maintaining “womanly” qualities.
Bibliography
Friedan, Betty. The Feminine Mystique. New York: W. W. Norton, 1963. Explains that the frustration felt by many women of the 1950’s derived from their lack of personal fulfillment. With her combination of science and motherhood, Mrs. Murry represents the “new” woman Friedan is urging others to become.
Harvey, Brett. The Fifties: A Women’s Oral History. New York: HarperCollins, 1993. Discusses the family of the 1950’s, supporting theories and general observations with concrete examples from case studies. It was a decade of great conformity, which may explain why people outside the Murry family often regarded the “strange” children with hostility.
Huck, Charlotte S., Susan Helper, and Janet Hickman. Children’s Literature in the Elementary School. 5th ed. Fort Worth, Tex.: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich College Publishers, 1989. Contains discussions of A Wrinkle in Time, including the attempts to ban the work. The authors argue that L’Engle is a Christian writer.
Lukens, Rebecca J. A Critical Handbook of Children’s Literature. 4th ed. Glenview, Ill.: Scott, Foresman, 1992. Details the characteristics of children’s fiction and the components of plot, style, and characterization. Lukens distinguishes between strict science fiction and fantasy, explaining that the former concentrates on technology while the latter emphasizes the human element in a scientific world.