A Wrinkle In Time

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1962

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Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-3

Chapters 4-6

Chapters 7-9

Chapters 10-12

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

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Discussion Questions

Symbols & Motifs

The Tesseract

In Chapter 5, Charles Wallace defines the tesseract as the fifth dimension—the square of time, which allows one to travel great distance without time passing. The novel’s title is a reference to this process, which is shown by Mrs. Who. She folds a wrinkle into her skirt, much as a tesseract creates a wrinkle in the timestream. Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which have much experience with the tesseract and make the process smooth for the children. By contrast, Mr. Murry barely understands how to tesser, which results in Meg almost dying. The tesseract represents how technologically far behind the Earth is compared to other parts of the universe. Mr. Murry’s inexperience with the tesseract traps him on Camazotz. In the hands of the more experienced, the tesseract becomes the vehicle of his rescue.

The tesseract also represents Meg’s fear. Meg does not tesser well, even with the help of the Mrs. Ws. She also dislikes the process. In Chapter 4, the Mrs. Ws sweep the children into a tesseract without warning. Meg panics, and her panic doubles when she realizes she’s alone in a void. She senses no other presence and feels utterly alone. After her father’s disappearance, Meg’s greatest fear is abandonment. Cut off from everyone while tessering reflects that fear. As the stakes rise and Meg gets closer to finding her father, she develops a grudging relationship with the tesseract. She still dislikes the experience but acknowledges there’s no hope for her father without it.

In more general terms, the tesseract represents how all beings are, essentially, alone in the universe. No matter how many friends or family members surround someone, they are born and die alone. They also face moments of adversity. Others may offer support, but each being’s journey is an independent one. The tesseract functions in much the same way. Meg and the others travel together, but they are cut off from one another. At the end of the book, Meg returns to Camazotz alone to rescue Charles Wallace. As when she tessers, Meg must face this battle on her own.

Light and Darkness

The overarching conflict of A Wrinkle in Time is one of light versus darkness. Light represents love/bravery, and darkness stands for hatred/fear. Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which are beings of light. They offer love to the children, which helps them along their journey. In particular, their love helps Meg find the love within herself to save Charles Wallace. At the opposite end of the spectrum, IT represents the darkness. IT shrouds Camazotz in fear, keeping the planet’s people too afraid to challenge IT. In the final battle, IT fights against Meg’s love with hatred, but Meg’s love for Charles Wallace is too strong.

A Wrinkle in Time departs from the traditional idea of light always overcoming darkness. As shown by the Happy Medium in Chapter 6, light can defeat the darkness. Mrs. Whatsit did so as a star, but sometimes, darkness is more powerful. Upon arriving on Camazotz, the Mrs. Ws tell the children they cannot stay. Despite being creatures of light, the Mrs. Ws are powerless on Camazotz and leave the children to face the dangers alone. Light and love are strong, but sometimes fear is stronger. The Mrs. Ws have nothing on Camazotz to draw out their deepest, most powerful love. By contrast, Meg’s desire to rescue her father, and later Charles Wallace, gives her light enough strength to fight IT.

In Chapter 5, the Happy Medium shows the children Earth. Darkness enshrouds the planet but does not cover it entirely. The darkness has been there for a long time. Mrs. Whatsit explains the presence of the darkness is what makes the Earth so troubled. Mrs. Whatsit does not explain whether the darkness is responsible for Earth’s trouble or if Earth’s troubled nature attracted the darkness. Similarly, it is unclear if Camazotz was troubled even before IT and the darkness arrived. As the Mrs. Ws’ love begets love from Meg, however, it can be inferred that darkness begets darkness, implying troubled planets somehow call to the darkness.

Spiritualism

A Wrinkle in Time relies heavily on ideas of heaven and other religious concepts. Mrs. Who quotes many passages involving the Christian view of God. Her first reference to religion comes in Chapter 2 with the words, “Faith is the sister of justice” (36), implying those who have faith are also just. When the group visits the Happy Medium in Chapter 5, Mrs. Who quotes, “How small is the earth to him who looks from heaven” (86), suggesting a belief in heaven. This line also puts the Earth into perspective with the universe—just a tiny speck in infinite vastness. Mrs. Who’s greatest reference to religion comes in Chapter 12 when she offers her gift before Meg returns to Camazotz. She quotes a passage from the Bible: “God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty” (202). Part of the message means for Meg to find love for herself; the other part means for her to offer all of this love to Charles Wallace to protect him. This call to religion helps Meg understand love and save her brother.

Mrs. Who’s spectacles also represent spiritualism. After Meg uses them to pass through walls and save her father, Mr. Murry observes the virtue has gone out of them. The spectacles help Meg because she is in the right. They allow her to oppose and triumph against IT to an extent. The spectacles also represent the steadfast goodness of Mrs. Who. Through it all, Mrs. Who remains patient and good. Mrs. Which’s nature is harsh. Mrs. Whatsit loses her patience in Chapter 12 when Meg yells about her father leaving Charles Wallace behind. By contrast, Mrs. Who never wavers. She, like her spectacles, shines with goodness. In Chapter 11, Calvin refers to the ladies as angels, an accurate and religiously inclined description.

On the planet Uriel, Meg experiences a joy like she’s never known. The inhabitants of the planet sing a song of pure happiness. Mrs. Whatsit and Charles Wallace help translate the song into a verse from the Bible, implying a universal belief in a higher power. The music and translated lyrics lift up the children and Mrs. Whatsit.