1. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L‘Engle

2. About the Author, Madeleine L‘Engle (pronounced Lengle)
Born Madeleine L’Engle Camp on November 29, 1918
Mother-pianist
Father-journalist & writer-fought in WWI
Since his lungs were damaged by mustard gas during war, family moved where air was dry, easy to breath
L’Engle was lonely as an only child and wished for a larger family, which is why the characters in her novels had large families
Her parents were busy with their many writer, artist, and musician friends, so L’Engle entertained herself by writing stories
She also grew up in a house full of books—her parents read aloud often

3. More About Madeleine L’Engle
At age 12, L’Engle was sent to a boarding school, which she hated, in the Swiss Alps
At age 14, she moved back to the U.S., and sent to Ashley Boarding School in South Carolina, which she loved
Her father died when she was 17
Spent 4 years at Smith College, graduating with honors in 1941
After college, she moved to Greenwich Village in NYC with 3 female friends
She still wanted to write but worked in theater to pay her bills
She died September 6, 2007, in Litchfield, CT

4. Essential Questions What does it mean to love?
  How can love overpower fear?
  How can children become empowered and demonstrate strong leadership?
  What can the imaginative characters who travel beyond the real world tell us about ourselves and the future?
  What is one’s place in the universe? How can one find it and fit in there?
  Is time travel possible--why or why not?
  How do writers make readers believe in the worlds they create with their imaginations?
  How can writers describe settings so readers can easily imagine them?
What is the difference between science fiction and fantasy?

5. Genres Science Fiction and Fantasy
Science is one of L’Engle’s favorite subjects—loves reading science books and using scientific ideas in her writing
In A Wrinkle in Time, “tesseracts” are used to travel through time and space--she has several scientist friends who confirm “tesseracts” are real

6. Differences Between Sci-Fi and Fantasy https://www. youtube. com/watch
Explores what is possible
Draws on from what we know from reality and science
Advanced technology, usually set in the future
Relatively recent genre, dating back a century
Expands our world
Fantasy
Explores the impossible
Invents
Supernatural and magical occurrences that have no basis in science
One of the oldest genres, found in ancient Greek myths, stories of monsters, magic, and gods
Transcends our world

7. Time Period Influences: The Space Race
The book was written in the early 1960s, when the idea of space exploration was new and exciting
In the late 1950s, the first artificial satellite was sent into space by the Soviet Union, which launched a “space race” competition with the U.S.
In 1961, the year the book was published, both nations sent manned rockets into space

8. Political Themes of the Time
Life on the planet Camazotz is similar to what Americans thought life in the former Soviet Union was like at the time
The U.S. and Soviet Union were in a Cold War—a long period of hostility without actual war
The U.S. was a democratic country in which the individual rights of every citizen was protected by the Constitution
In the Soviet Union, many aspects of life were controlled by the government
Soviets did not have freedom of speech or freedom of religion

9. Plot (Book Jacket) Book Jacket (Plot)
It is a dark and stormy night. Meg Murray, her small brother, Charles Wallace, and their mother are in the kitchen for a midnight snack when a most disturbing visitor arrives.
“Wild nights are my glory,” the unearthly stranger tells them. “I just got caught in a downdrift and blown off course. Let me sit down for a moment, and then I’ll be on my way. Speaking of ways, by the way, there is such a thing as a tesseract.”
Meg’s father had been experimenting with this fifth dimension of time travel when he mysteriously disappeared. Now the time has come for Meg, her friend Calvin, and Charles Wallace to rescue him. But can they outwit the forces of evil they will encounter on their heart-stopping journey through space?
Plot (Book Jacket)

10. Setting
Meg’s town—her old-fashioned house/vacation home in a comfortable and quiet community in Anywhere, America
Uriel, the 3rd planet of the star Malak
A 2-dimension planet where the children can’t breathe
Orion’s Belt
Camazotz—a planet taken over by the Dark Thing, domelike building that houses IT

11. Characters Protagonist—Meg Murray
12-year-old girl, loyal and protective over her family
Loving sister to Charles Wallace and loyal friend to Calvin
Wears glasses and loves math
Familiar with her faults: impatience, anger, stubbornness
Loner—doesn’t fit into school

12. Friends and Family Charles Wallace
Meg’s 5-year-old brother
Understands things no normal 5-year-old would
Large vocabulary, enunciates clearly
He is a genius, but people think he is dumb because he doesn’t speak often
Committed to loving his big sister and letting her know
His faults include pride, arrogance, and too much trust in his abilities

13. Mrs. Murry
Meg’s mother
Beautiful and intelligent—Ph.Ds in biology and bacteriology
Calm and capable with her children
Honest with Meg that she is upset over their father’s disappearance
Defends her children no matter what and knows they are smart

14. Mr. Murray
Meg’s father
A physicist who has been working for the government and missing for a long time
No one knows where he is, but his family believes he is on a dangerous and secret mission

15. Sandy and Dennys Murray
Meg’s 10-year-old twin brothers
Independent and self-sufficient
Ordinary kids who contrast with Meg and Charles Wallace
Fit in at school and are popular
Protective over Meg and Charles Wallace

16. Calvin O’Keefe
Poorly dressed 14-year-old boy from a large, poor family
Tall and skinny but athletic and popular
Unhappiness is from home life, not school life
Very close to Meg and Charles Wallace
He isn’t afraid of Meg’s tears or doubts—he protects her

17. Magical Helpers Mrs. Whatsit
Strange neighbor who appears at the Murray house looking like a smallish tramp bundled in clothes
The youngest of 3 ladies whom Calvin calls “guardian angels”
The “angel” most closest to the children
Her real form is a beautiful horse-like creature from the planet Uriel

18. Mrs. Who A plump little woman with enormous eyeglasses
One of the 3 “guardian angels”
She loves to use quotes to make her point

19. Mrs. Which The oldest and leader of the “guardian angels”
Also the wisest and most powerful
Not as friendly as her other sisters
Escorts the children to the unknown realm
She is a shadow—rarely seen, but very much there

20. Aunt Beast
A very tall, gray being with 4 arms and many waving tentacles
Has only indentations where a human would have features like a nose, mouth, and eyes
Body covered with soft fur, which gives a beautiful smell
She talks through her tentacles, and heals Meg

21. Villains
IT/the Dark Thing: A disembodied alien brain who is an evil shadow that takes over planets and people and deadens everything he touches
The Man with the Red Eyes/Prime Coordinator: Taken over by IT—speaks for IT
Has gentle voice, but his eyes are horrible fiery red
He tries to hypnotize Meg, Charles Wallace, and Calvin and take over their minds
His lies and is not trustworthy

22. Conflicts Meg’s problems fitting in at school
Meg’s father has been missing for a long time
Meg’s scary trip through outer space to find her father
The Dark Thing that Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Which, and Mrs. Who are fighting
The Man with Red Eyes, IT, and other evils Meg and her friends find the courage to fight to try to rescue her father

23. Themes—Author’s Message
Moral Responsibility
The Power of Love, Especially Family Love
The Responsible Use of Science and Technology
The Conflict Between Good and Evil
Coming of Age/Search for Identity
Choices
Love, Faith, Trust
Daring to be Different
Using Our Faults

24. Literary Techniques We Will Look At
Allusions—references to a mythological, historical, or literary person, place, or thing
For example, Mrs. Who quotes, or alludes to many famous writers and texts throughout the book, including Shakespeare and the Bible
Symbolism--the use of any object, person, place, or action that has a meaning in itself while standing for something larger than itself, such as a quality, attitude, belief, or value.
For example, the light and darkness are symbols