Cezar Titianu

VIII A

A wrinkle in time

by Madeleine L'Engle

"A Wrinkle in Time" is about a girl whose father is captured by an evil creature and
forced to be under it's control. 3 ladies named Ms.Who, Ms.Whatsit, and Ms.Which are
introduced into the story in the beginning and tell the girl, Meg, about transportation by using
a wrinkle in time. The first dimension the go to is full of centaur-like creatures full of life and
love. The three miss W's turn about to be those centaur creatures in disguise as humans. They
show Meg a dark cloud called the Dark Thing that is taking over planets around it. The place
where Meg's dad is, is already taken over leaving all it's inhabitants under the the Dark
Thing's control. Meg, her friend, and her brother are transported to the taken over planet to
save Meg's dad. When they arrive on the planet they search for Meg's dad becoming closer
and closer to being controlled by IT. When they find Meg's dad her brother becomes
controlled and they barely make it out through a tesseract. She then decides she must go back
to save her brother. She is told she has the ability to undo what IT has done, and she later
discovers that ability is the power to love. By loving her brother she is able to unturn him and
they escape through a tesseract landing in her brother's garden.
Margaret “Meg” Murry: Meg is the heroine and main character. She is an awkward
young lady and a high school student. She is not doing well in school and keeping up with her
classes. Meg learns to control her emotions, especially her anger throughout the novel which
speaks of her ability to overcome herself and grow as a person.
Charles Wallace Murry: Charles is known in the family as the genius. He is extremely smart
and only five years old. In the novel, he is able to sense people’s thoughts and understand
things that not every character in the book can.
Calvin O’Keefe: A young and athletic boy that goes to school with Meg. Calvin comes from
a larger family that does not pay attention to him. He accompanies the Murrys on their space
and time travels.
"A Wrinkle in Time" (1962) was challenged for it's use of language and the idea of
witchcraft. At the time it was written girls were not seen as main characters so many people
disliked the book for that reason. I think that was a stupid and medieval
way of thinking. But do not forget the Harry Potter series written between 1997-2007, was
banned also by the same group of people. And we are living in the 21st century.
People trying to ban it were religious people who dislike the witch characters and the idea of
traveling to different dimensions because it went against their religious beliefs. "A Wrinkle in
Time" is challenged in religious groups and churches.

My precious motto learned from this book is: THE ONLY WAY TO DEFEAT DARKNESS
IS TO BECOME THE LIGHT!

Some good qualities of the book, are that it was very interesting in the idea of travel by
a wormhole to different dimensions and the idea of some dark creature immersing everything
in darkness. This book was entertaining for many people. Some awards it won were the
Newberry Medal, the Sequoyah Book Award, and the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award. The book
inspired two film adaptations, both by Disney: a 2003 television film directed by John Kent
Harrison, and a 2018 theatrical film directed by Ava DuVernay.

● The social significance of A Wrinkle in Time is that is reflects on the importance of

friendship, love, loyalty, and individuality against an evil entity.
Cezar Titianu
VIII A

● By providing a nonconformist theme, children that have felt different or odd can relate to
Meg and her adventure.
● According to Cart (2011) the historical significance of A Wrinkle of
Time emphasizes the "rapid change of pace overtaking the lives on young people in the late
sixties and seventies".
● This change speaks to the shift towards an independence in young people and how they
carry similar problems as their adult companions
● Because Meg, Charles Wallace, and Calvin are on an adventure to save Mr. Murry they take
on the adult role of the novel.
● Another component of A Wrinkle in Time is that it upholds an "optimistic view that
goodness [will] prevail" because the reader wants Meg and her companions to find Mr. Murry
and defeat IT.

New words explained:

Tesseract – In geometry, the tesseract is the four-dimensional analogue of the cube; the tesseract is to
the cube as the cube is to the square. Just as the surface of the cube consists of six square faces, the
hypersurface of the tesseract consists of eight cubical cells. The tesseract is one of the six convex
regular 4-polytopes. A Tesseract is a device that allows the characters within A Wrinkle in Time to
travel in time and space A passage way in a tesseract is known as a tesser and it is similar to a black
hole. Tessers allow people to teleport into the fifth dimension and be able to create a "wrinkle in time.
Mrs. Which explains to Meg and Charles Wallace that to find him and release him from captivity, they
can use a tesseract, or a wrinkle in time. According to Mrs. Which, the tesseract is the fifth dimension
that can shorten the distances across both time and space.
Chewer – to chew-Bite and work (food) in the mouth with the teeth, especially to make it easier to
swallow. Ex: So, gum chewers, when you've chewed it enough please wrap it and bin it, or stick it
behind your ear for later.

Welfare – The health, happiness, and fortunes of a person or group. Ex: They care a lot about the
welfare of their families.

Benevolent – Well meaning and kindly. Ex: He always has a benevolent smile.

To mumble – Say something indistinctly and quietly, making it difficult for others to hear.

Inhabitant – A person or animal that lives in or occupies a place.

Exhausted – Very tired. Ex: She returned home, exhausted from work.

Impassive – Not feeling or showing emotion.

Satchel – A bag carried on the shoulder by a long strap and closed by a flap, used especially for
school books. Ex: At one point Marcos asked her to show everyone what she had in her satchel.

Frightened – Afraid or anxious. Ex: I'm not frightened of him.

Frantic – Distraught with fear, anxiety, or other emotion. Ex: He was frantic with worry.

Distinguished – Very successful, authoritative, and commanding great respect. Ex: A distinguished
American educationist is coming to visit our school.
Cezar Titianu
VIII A
Swamp – An area of low-lying, uncultivated ground where water collects; a bog or marsh. Ex: In the
swamps the water shimmered darkly.

Pursuer – A person or thing that pursues another. Ex: His pursuer has been awarded today.

Earthquake – A sudden violent shaking of the ground, typically causing great destruction, as a result
of movements within the earth's crust or volcanic action. Ex: We have had many small earthquakes.

Moonlight – The light of the moon. Ex: The moonlight is extremely bright this night.

Lament – A passionate expression of grief or sorrow. Ex: Her lament does not express regret, but
rather the deep sadness.

Hollow – Having a hole or empty space inside. Ex: I hadn't had breakfast, and my stomach felt
hollow.

Sphinx – A winged monster of Thebes, having a woman's head and a lion's body. It propounded a
riddle about the three ages of man, killing those who failed to solve it, until Oedipus was successful,
whereupon the Sphinx committed suicide. Ex: They were going to see the sphinx and come back with
souvenirs.

Drumbeats – A stroke or pattern of strokes on a drum. Ex: We understand drumbeats more than any
language.

Chained – Chain: A series of linked metal rings used for fastening or securing something, or for
pulling loads. Ex: They were chained by the door.

Savior – A person who saves someone or something from danger or difficulty. Ex: My dad was my
savior.

To struck – past participleof strike: Hit forcibly and deliberately with one's hand or a weapon or other
implement. His struck was very difficult to avoid.

Everlasting – Lasting forever or a very long time. Ex: She is my everlasting love.

To whirl – Move or cause to move rapidly round and round. Ex: I whirled her round the dance hall.

Cleft – Split, divided, or partially divided into two. Ex: The British Museum is in a bit of a cleft stick
over Africa.

Pedestal – The base or support on which a statue, obelisk, or column is mounted.

Knight – (in the Middle Ages) a man who served his sovereign or lord as a mounted soldier in
armour.

Vault – A roof in the form of an arch or a series of arches, typical of churches and other large, formal
buildings.