A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle Essay -- essays research paper

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle Madeleine L’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 â€Å"why-must-everything-happen-to-me† attitude [P.7]. Although her five year old younger brother Charles Wallace is â€Å"rumored to be not quite bright† [P.9], he is actually extremely advanced for his age and Meg’s main caretaker. â€Å"How did Charles Wallace always know about her? How could he always†¦probe (and understand) with frightening accuracy† [P.8]? The two are remarkably close, and whenever life becomes too much for Meg, Charles Wallace reaches out to comfort her. All three—Meg, Charles Wallace, and their new found friend, 14 year old Calvin O’keefe—fit 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. â€Å"The funny part of it† he says, â€Å"(is that) I love them all and they don’t give a hoot about me†¦I care, (but) nobody else does† [P.40]. All three children, each with his own special individual qualities, strive to get along in their everyday world. The boys don’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. Murry’s absents, and Meg’s constant wish of â€Å"if only father (were here)† [P.4]; and then with Calvin’s horribly neglectful family—he 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. Love—the one thing Meg possesses that It doesn’t†¦Ã¢â‚¬ I love you Charles Wallace† she cries, â€Å"My baby brother who always takes care of me. Come back to me†¦come away from It, come back, come home. I love you† [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 â€Å"winning is everything† and the story finds a way of â€Å"making everything work out†[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 off—one big happy family.