A Wrinkle in Time

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A Wrinkle in Time, written by Madeleine L’Engle, is a science fiction novel centered on Meg Murry, a girl whose father went missing while completing a scientific project for the government                                           

                        

Following the sci-fi strain, the novel approaches the possibility of a fifth dimension, in which travelling from one point to another does not require a linear path. L’Engle titles this form of travel tessering or wrinkling through time. Tessering is a construct created to allow for the distance between two points to be minimized by taking shortcuts through time and space, which Meg discovers firsthand through her brother Charles Wallace’s eccentric friends Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which.

         By tessering through time, the five voyagers, plus Meg’s newly made friend Calvin, discover that a great cloud of evil is hovering throughout the universe. Informed by the three Mrs.’s, Mr. Murry has been trapped on a planet that was overcome by the evil. Equipped with specific items to help each child’s unique ability, the Murry’s and Calvin travel to the planet Camazotz without Mrs. Whatis, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which, attempting to find and rescue Mr. Murry.

            The children are successful in their search for Mr. Murry, but The Dark Thing has taken over Camazotz so strongly that Charles Wallace succumbs to its power under the prompting of the Man with Red Eyes. Meg, Mr. Murry, and Calvin escape the planet, but are left with the task of retrieving Charles Wallace after they make it back to safety. In the end, Meg must call upon the one thing that evil lacks in order to save and restore her brother…whatever that is.

            A Wrinkle in Time meshes two seemingly unrelated topics—theology and science fiction—to provide readers with an imaginative take on the struggle between good and evil. L’Engle’s personal experience with Christianity provided the novel’s outlook with spirituality and allusions to Biblical points of interest. For some readers, the semi-frequent use of Scripture and/or reference to Christian views might condemn the book for trying to force a point in an otherwise playful story. Personally, I think what L’Engle has achieved is a stunning work fit to grab a young adult’s attention through imagery and enticing scientific what-ifs, while simultaneously portraying the Christian narrative of love overcoming evil, however slim the chances may seem.

            Reaching children and young adult’s can be a difficult task, especially as social pressure becomes paramount to personal interest. In terms of religion and Christianity, this pressure can begin to deteriorate a natural desire to gain spiritual consciousness and faith. Luckily, books like A Wrinkle in Time work to give children the best of both the secular and spiritual world, while instilling vital principles and morals without much fuss. Even as an adult reader, I was affirmed and appreciative for the novel and how it managed to both entertain and inspire not only my imagination, but my spirituality, as well.

[A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle. Published 1962 by Farrar, Straus & Giroux in New York, NY.]