Wrinkle in Time

Theme Analysis

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Good versus Evil

The universe in A Wrinkle in Time is a battle between the forces of light and darkness, or good and evil. The evil is represented metaphysically by the Dark Thing or the Black Thing, and manifests in the physical forms of the man with red eyes and IT. The representatives of light are perpetually involved in a struggle against darkness. The good characters are various. There are Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Which and Mrs. Who, whose essential forms, as revealed on Uriel, seem to embody bliss and joy. Mrs. Whatsit was formerly a star that gave up its own life in the battle against darkness. The creatures on the planet Ixchel are also defenders of the light against the darkness. Needless to say, Mr. Murry and the children are also on the side of the light.

Good is associated with love, individual creativity, moral responsibility and free will. Evil is associated with conformity, hatred, submission to authority, and lack of personal responsibility and initiative. Evil is presented as possessing many of the qualities historically present in communist societies, including excessive bureaucracy, a drab sameness, and mind control amounting to brainwashing by a central authority. In this sense the novel can be seen as an allegory of the cold war between the freedom-loving West and the communist Soviet Union. This becomes explicit when Meg realizes that the Declaration of Independence, with its statement that all men are created equal, is quite different from the false equality or sameness imposed from outside, which is what happens on Camazotz.

The cosmic framework of good versus evil suggests a Christian view of the world, and there are a number of references to Christian concepts and traditions. Examples are when Calvin describes the three ladies as guardian angels; when the music that emanates from the creatures on Uriel is translated as the words of Isaiah, the Old Testament prophet, in praise of creation; when the Gospel of John is quoted: "the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." However, none of the characters are described as Christians, and there is no mention of Jesus Christ. The Christian framework is therefore more implied than stated explicitly.

The Primacy of Love

Love is always stronger than hatred, or anything else the forces of darkness can muster. It is love that defeats IT in the end--Meg's love for her brother, Charles Wallace. Love is presented in both a cosmic and a personal context. In the cosmic context, love is the supreme principle of life, and it is embodied in the three ladies, despite their whimsical and eccentric behavior. This becomes explicit in a significant moment in the last chapter, when Mrs. Whatsit says to Meg, "I give you my love, Meg. Never forget