Friday, August 2, 2019
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine Lââ¬â¢Engle Essay -- essays research paper
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine Lââ¬â¢Engle Madeleine Lââ¬â¢Engle uses a creative mixture of three different story-book motifs for building the story line in her book A Wrinkle in Time. From beginning to end Meg, Charles Wallace, and Calvin go through adventure after adventure bursting with animated fairy-tale characteristics, a model preteen coming-of-age theme, and a subtle Christian suggestion. The three are intertwined naturally, and work well within the science-fiction twist of this very believable fantasy tale. The main character Meg Murry is the perfect innocent child turned heroine. As in the typical coming-of-age theme, the beginning of the story presents 13 year old Meg as young, and terribly dependent on others. Constantly wallowing in self-pity, Meg enters the first chapter emotionally immature with a dismal self-centered ââ¬Å"why-must-everything-happen-to-meâ⬠attitude [P.7]. Although her five year old younger brother Charles Wallace is ââ¬Å"rumored to be not quite brightâ⬠[P.9], he is actually extremely advanced for his age and Megââ¬â¢s main caretaker. ââ¬Å"How did Charles Wallace always know about her? How could he alwaysâ⬠¦probe (and understand) with frightening accuracyâ⬠[P.8]? The two are remarkably close, and whenever life becomes too much for Meg, Charles Wallace reaches out to comfort her. All threeââ¬âMeg, Charles Wallace, and their new found friend, 14 year old Calvin Oââ¬â¢keefeââ¬âfit the average misunderstood characteristics found in many fairy-tale and preteen stories. While both Calvin and Charles Wallace are misunderstood by most, Charles Wallace at least has the support of a loving home, with dysfunctional preoccupied parents, Calvin, on the contrary, has no one to understand and appreciate him. ââ¬Å"The funny part of itâ⬠he says, ââ¬Å"(is that) I love them all and they donââ¬â¢t give a hoot about meâ⬠¦I care, (but) nobody else doesâ⬠[P.40]. All three children, each with his own special individual qualities, strive to get along in their everyday world. The boys donââ¬â¢t seem to care much what others think, only Meg, with her many temperamental imperfections, flounders from day to day. Mixed in with this is a hint of an orphaned-child theme. Although none of the children are actual orphans, the thought is implied first through Mr. Murryââ¬â¢s absents, and Megââ¬â¢s constant wish of ââ¬Å"if only father (were here)â⬠[P.4]; and then with Calvinââ¬â¢s horribly neglectful familyââ¬âhe is, in essen... ...er to her caretaker, while she challenges It in an attempt to save her brother. In the grand finale, love concurs the incredibly evil force. Loveââ¬âthe one thing Meg possesses that It doesnââ¬â¢tâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ I love you Charles Wallaceâ⬠she cries, ââ¬Å"My baby brother who always takes care of me. Come back to meâ⬠¦come away from It, come back, come home. I love youâ⬠[P.208] The message is written all through the text. God is stronger than Satan. God is love, and love is stronger than It. Once again ââ¬Å"winning is everythingâ⬠and the story finds a way of ââ¬Å"making everything work outâ⬠[class lecture]. Charles Wallace is free, the Murry children have their father back, and Mrs. Murry has her husband back. Calvin has new friends and family with the Murrys. Meg, who has undergone her right of passage, finds friendship and self-confidence, is sure to return to daily life with a different more assertive and positive attitude. After the dark spiritual fight against It, Meg returns with a spiritual healing, and the absence of anger and resentment. Like The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe the group returns at the exact moment they had departed on the quest, ready to take up where they left offââ¬âone big happy family.
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