A Wrinkle in Time
Summary
A Wrinkle in Time, Madeleine L'Engle's 1962 science fantasy novel, has captivated readers for generations with its blend of adventure, science, and spirituality. The story follows teenager Meg Murry as she travels through space and time to rescue her missing father, accompanied by her precocious younger brother Charles Wallace and friend Calvin O'Keefe. Winner of the prestigious Newbery Medal, the novel tackles themes of good versus evil and conformity versus individuality.
Plot
Dr. Murry, a physicist, disappeared while working on a secret government project involving a tesseract—a way to travel through space by folding the fabric of space-time—and has been missing for more than a year. When A Wrinkle in Time opens, 13-year-old Meg Murry embarks on a journey through space and time to rescue her father, accompanied by her brother Charles Wallace and their friend, Calvin O'Keefe. On their quest, the children are aided by three mysterious beings—Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which—that transport them across the universe using tesseracts. They travel to various planets and learn that a dark force called The Black Thing is spreading evil throughout the cosmos. Meg, Charles Wallace, and Calvin eventually arrive on the planet Camazotz, where they find Dr. Murry imprisoned by IT, a disembodied brain that controls the planet's inhabitants.
Charles Wallace is hypnotized by IT, but Meg is able to rescue her father. They escape to another planet, leaving Charles Wallace behind. The beings tell Meg she must return alone to save her brother. Using the power of love, Meg is able to free Charles Wallace from IT's control. The children and their father then return to Earth, reuniting their family.
Themes
• Good versus evil
• Power of love and family
• Coming of age and self-discovery
• Faith and spirituality
• Dangers of conformity
• Science and imagination
• Overcoming fear and insecurity
Setting
Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time takes place in the early 1960s, reflecting the era in which it was written and published. The story begins in a small New England town, where the Murry family lives in an old farmhouse. This rural American setting provides a familiar, grounded starting point before the characters embark on their fantastical journey.
As the adventure unfolds, the protagonists travel across vast distances of space and time using a fifth-dimensional phenomenon called a “tesseract.” They visit several planets in other galaxies, including the utopian world of Uriel and the dystopian Camazotz. These alien worlds allow L'Engle to explore themes of conformity, free will, and the struggle between good and evil on a cosmic scale.
Throughout their interplanetary travels, the characters also move through different time periods, blurring the lines between past, present, and future. This fluid treatment of time and space creates a setting that is at once familiar and otherworldly, grounded in 1960s America yet reaching far beyond into the unknown expanses of the universe. The novel's setting thus becomes a tapestry of real and imagined places, woven together by the characters' extraordinary journey.
Characters
• Meg Murry: The 13-year-old protagonist, an intelligent but stubborn and insecure girl who goes on a journey across the universe to rescue her father.
• Charles Wallace Murry: Meg's extraordinarily gifted 5-year-old brother who has telepathic abilities. He is vulnerable to the mind control of IT.
• Calvin O'Keefe: A popular 14-year-old boy who joins Meg and Charles Wallace on their quest. He has a gift for communication.
• Dr. Alex Murry: Meg and Charles Wallace's father, a physicist who disappears while working on a secret government project involving tesseracts.
• Dr. Kate Murry: Meg and Charles Wallace's mother, a scientist who continues her work while waiting for her husband's return.
• Mrs. Whatsit: A celestial being disguised as an eccentric old woman who guides the children on their journey.
• Mrs. Who: Another celestial guide who speaks mostly in quotations from famous thinkers and writers.
• Mrs. Which: The eldest and most powerful of the three celestial guides.
• IT: The evil, disembodied brain that controls the planet Camazotz and tries to ensnare Charles Wallace.
• The Man with Red Eyes: IT's main puppet on Camazotz who attempts to hypnotize the children.
• Aunt Beast: A gentle, tentacled creature on the planet Ixchel who cares for Meg after she is injured.
Quick facts
• A Wrinkle in Time was rejected by at least 26 publishers before finally being published in 1962.
• Madeleine L'Engle wrote the book in about a year, finishing it in 1960.
• The story was partly inspired by Albert Einstein's theory of relativity.
• L'Engle came up with the names Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which while on a family road trip.
• L'Engle based the Murray family on her own family experiences.
• The book popularized the scientific concept of a “tesseract” as a way to travel through space and time.
• A Wrinkle in Time is the first book in L'Engle's Time Quintet series.
• The novel was first adapted for the screen in 2003 as a made-for-TV movie.
• In 2018, A Wrinkle in Time was adapted by Disney as a major film, directed by Ava DuVernay and starring Storm Reid, Oprah Winfrey, and Reese Witherspoon.
• The novel has faced several challenges and attempted bans in American schools and libraries for its mature themes and unorthodox perspective on Christianity.
• A Wrinkle in Time won the prestigious Newbery Medal in 1963.
About the author
Madeleine L'Engle
Madeleine L'Engle is an American author best known for her young adult novel A Wrinkle in Time. Born in 1918 in New York City, L'Engle had a passion for writing from a young age, though she struggled academically. She attended boarding school in Switzerland and South Carolina before studying English at Smith College.
After graduating in 1941, L'Engle moved to New York City to pursue a career in theater and writing. There she met actor Hugh Franklin, whom she married in 1946. The couple later moved to rural Connecticut, where they raised their three children. During this time, L'Engle continued writing while also running a general store and serving as a church choir director.
L'Engle's breakout success came in 1962 with the publication of A Wrinkle in Time, which won the prestigious Newbery Medal. The novel blended science fiction, fantasy, and Christian themes, all hallmarks of L'Engle's writing. She went on to pen dozens of books for children and adults, including sequels to A Wrinkle in Time and memoirs about her life and faith.
A devout Episcopalian, L'Engle often explored spiritual themes in her work. She served for many years as the librarian and writer-in-residence at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City. L'Engle received numerous honors for her contributions to literature, including the National Humanities Medal in 2004. She died in 2007 at the age of 88.