A Wrinkle in Time Essay Questions

Question

What does the Dark Thing represent?

Answer

The Dark Thing is L'Engle's representation of evil. L'Engle, relying on a particular Christian framework, understands evil to be a force at work within the universe. People do not necessarily cause evil - instead, the Dark Thing is the personification of evil that people can participate in and be influenced by. Thus, L'Engle would conclude that people are not necessarily good or evil, but can instead be influenced by either force.

Question

Discuss what role 'difference' plays in the novel.

Answer

The idea of difference plays a large role in the development of L'Engle's characters in the novel. Meg must battle the idea of being different, wanting at first to be the same as the rest of the people at her school, until she learns on Camazotz the kind of power that difference can have for good.

Difference also represents the ability of characters to use special talents that others do not have. For instance, Calvin, who is very different from the rest of his family, learns that he has a special talent for understanding and persuading other people along with a particular ability to love others. This is a gift that the rest of his family does not have. Through his difference, then, Calvin is able to embody traits that help propel the children forward in their quest.

Question

Discuss the meaning of childhood within the framework of the novel.

Answer

The notion of childhood, while not one of the novel's major themes, still impacts the way in which the children deal with the world around them. This affects Charles Wallace, perhaps, more than any of the other characters. In the novel, Charles Wallace must deal with the fact that he is very different than other children his age. His plan is to stay quiet while at school so that his difference is not exploited by other children. In this way, Charles Wallace can be said to have, in one way, lost his childhood.

However, on Camazotz, the three ladies let him know that his greatest power is in his ability to embrace his childhood. His grown-up nature, in that context, is a liability, not an asset.

Question

Discuss what Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which might represent?

Answer

One possible element that the three ladies in the novel might represent is the way in which goodness cannot be judged from exterior appearances. Mrs. Whatsit, especially, is described as wearing tattered, disheveled clothes. None of the women are described as being beautiful, nor do they seem to posses traits that would allow other people to immediately trust them or put faith in them. Meg, especially, feels that she cannot trust Mrs. Whatsit when she first meets her, though Charles Wallace assures her that she is there to help them.

The children soon learn, however, that the ladies' appearances are not all that they seem. Mrs. Whatsit had actually been a star that had done battle with the Dark Thing and lost her star life because of it. Her beauty is also seen when she transforms into a beautiful winged creature that takes them to the top of a mountain to see the Dark Thing. Through the example of the three ladies, the children learn to look past appearances to see the motivations of good within a person.

Question

What is L'Engle's philosophy of education in the novel?

Answer

Through Meg's school struggles, L'Engle criticizes ways in which education attempts to institutionalize particular forms of learning while quelling the creative impulse of students. L'Engle characterizes Meg's teachers and her principal, Mr. Jenkins, as being well-intentioned people who don't understand the particular genius of the Murry children.

L'Engle criticizes the mode of education that only encourages students to follow a particular formula for finding particular answers. This is contrasted with Meg's mathematical ability, an ability that her father taught her to use. Meg's father taught her to take shortcuts to conceptualize math problems, and though she always gets the right answers, teachers are always angry at her for not doing it the "correct" way.

L'Engle, therefore, suggests through this critique of education that a student's creativity should be of greater value than simply learning the "correct" way to find answers. This also fits in with her general philosophy of creativity as being the answer to much of the evil tendencies towards conformity.

Question

Why do you believe Meg had such a hard time learning to love in the novel?

Answer

Meg had a hard time learning to love because her own impatience, one of her faults, easily led her to anger and guilt. When she was unable to save Charles Wallace, and then when her father and Calvin was unable to save him, her impatience led her to be angry at them and to be consumed with darkness. It was only through learning to give of herself that she was able to defeat this fatal flaw.

Question

What is Mr. Murry's character flaw, and how does it affect him in the novel?

Answer

Mr. Murry's character flaw, conversely enough, is that he wants to protect his children too much. This is most seen in his reluctance to let the beasts take Meg away on the planet Ixchel, even though doing so would save her life. This also affects him when Meg tries to save Charles Wallace and he at first refuses to let her go. His reluctance to send his children out into the world, even when there is danger, means that Meg has a harder time overcoming her anger and saving her brother.

Question

Compare and contrast the novel's notion of outer and inner beauty.

Answer

The novel provides two contrasting pictures of the world, though both are given as important things to understand if a person is to truly appreciate the world around them. Outer beauty is best exemplified in the natural order of things - the way atoms compose things and the way nature orders itself and makes itself beautiful. Inner beauty is the quality of love that individuals express for each other. Each of these qualities is reflected in the other to a certain extent in the novel.

Question

In one scene, Calvin compares the three ladies to "Guardian angels." Do you agree with this characterization?

Answer

In one sense, characterizing the ladies as Guardian angels fits the Christian framework of the novel. They are endowed with gifts that allow them to travel through time and space. Likewise, Mrs. Whatsit was at one time a star, meaning she was part of God's creation. Their most angelic qualities, however, is their ability to love unconditionally, a trait that is the highest quality each character is striving for.

Question

In some place, A Wrinkle in Time has been banned. Why do you think this is?

Answer

L'Engle's use of religious imagery in the book is not a classic use of such themes. Her take on Christianity fuses religion with science as well as magical themes. Just as recent books on witches and magic have been condemned by some, L'Engle's book was one of the first to fuse these controversial themes in one novel.