A Wrinkle in Time Summary
Description
Here you will find a A Wrinkle in Time summary (Madeleine L'Engle's book).
We begin with a summary of the entire book, and then you can read each individual chapter's summary by visiting the links on the "Chapters" section.
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Last Updated: Monday 1 Jan, 2024
Chapters
Chapters A Wrinkle in Time Summary Overview
The tale revolves around Meg Murry, an awkward high school girl who embarks on an interstellar journey with her younger brother, Charles Wallace, and Calvin O'Keefe, a friend, in order to save her mysteriously vanished father, a brilliant scientist, from an alien planet's malevolent forces. Their journey starts after they meet Mrs. Whatsit, a seemingly eccentric vagabond, but in reality, an astral being who can tap into Meg's thoughts. Mrs. Whatsit introduces them to a tesseract, a sort of spatial-temporal anomaly, which becomes their gateway to traverse the fifth dimension in their quest to find Mr. Murry. On the day following their encounter with Mrs. Whatsit, the trio, after crossing paths with Calvin O'Keefe, a popular schoolmate, are informed by Mrs. Whatsit and her companions, Mrs. Who and Mrs. Which, about a malignant cosmic entity known as the Dark Thing, which has consumed numerous planets including Camazotz, where Mr. Murry is held captive. Upon reaching Camazotz, they find a world where everything is eerily identical, controlled by the hypnotic pulsations of IT, a gigantic brain devoid of a body. Charles tries to combat IT using his superior intellect, but falls under IT's influence, becoming an automaton parroting IT's words. With Charles under IT's control, the group confronts IT, but can barely escape, tessering to Ixchel, a grey planet, while leaving Charles behind, still under the thrall of IT. On Ixchel, they encounter the three Mrs. W's again, and Meg realizes she must return to Camazotz alone to save Charles. She is told she possesses something that IT lacks, which will serve as her weapon against the evil, but needs to discover it herself. When faced with IT, Meg discerns her weapon is her capacity to love. By focusing on her love for Charles, she is able to break IT's hold on him and tesser back to Earth, where they are joyfully reunited with their father and Calvin. The narrative concludes with the Mrs. W's biding them farewell as they set off on another journey.
chapter 1
During a stormy night, Meg Murry struggles with sleep, worried about her problems. She struggles at school, her teachers want to demote her due to poor grades, and her dad has been absent for a long time. The loud barks of their dog, Fortinbras, heightens her worries, making her think about a prowler who recently stole bed-sheets as per local rumors. Trying to relax, Meg heads to the kitchen for cocoa and finds her younger brother, Charles Wallace, already there. He often seems to know what she's thinking. When their mother joins them, Meg shares her frustrations about being different at school and wishes to be more like her average twin brothers. Her mother advises her about the importance of balance - a "happy medium". Charles mentioned a friend, Mrs. Whatsit, who he spoke to about Meg's issues, but he doesn't reveal much about her. When Fortinbras starts barking again and their mother steps out, she returns with Mrs. Whatsit, an oddly dressed, soaked woman. She loves wild weather but got lost in the storm that night. Charles questions Mrs. Whatsit about her stealing bedsheets, confirming Meg's suspicions about her being the rumored thief. After drying off, Mrs. Whatsit puzzlingly mentions "there is such a thing as a tesseract" before leaving quickly, leaving Mrs. Murry shocked at the doorway.
chapter 2
Waking up, Meg is unsure if the previous night's strange occurrences were real or imagined. Her mom reassures her, saying "you don't have to understand things for them to be." Later at school, Meg gets sent to the principal, Mr. Jenkins, for impoliteness. Mr. Jenkins is confident Meg could perform better academically if she tried harder. He questions her about her family, specifically asking about her absent father, Mr. Murry. Meg is upset and reacts defensively when Mr. Jenkins implies Mr. Murry abandoned them. Post school, Meg, Charles Wallace, and their dog Fortinbras decide to meet Mrs. Whatsit and her two companions, who now live in a rumoured haunted house nearby. As they near the house, Fortinbras starts barking, revealing the presence of Calvin O'Keefe, a well-liked school athlete. Calvin discloses he's at the house to avoid his large family. However, after Charles Wallace prods, Calvin confesses he felt an unexplainable pull towards the house. Accepting this, Charles Wallace invites Calvin to their home for dinner. Before leaving, Charles Wallace guides Meg and Calvin inside the haunted house. A bespectacled, chubby woman is stitching, using Mrs. Buncombe's missing sheets. She's next to a bubbling black pot. Charles calls her Mrs. Who, and inquires if she knows Calvin. Mrs. Who communicates mainly through foreign quotes which she then translates. She vaguely mentions that Calvin is likely a "good choice." She also hints at an approaching "time", after which they should go home for some nourishment and rest. Leaving the house, Meg demands Charles decode Mrs. Who's peculiar comments, but Charles admits even he's puzzled. Left with no explanation, Meg, Charles, and Calvin walk back to the Murry's for dinner.
chapter 3
Meg, Charles Wallace, and Calvin come back to the Murry's home. Mrs. Murry is there, making thick stew for dinner. Calvin informs his mom he won't be back for dinner, but confides in Meg that his mom probably wouldn't even realize he was gone. The warm, loving atmosphere of the Murry house deeply affects Calvin. He tells Meg how lucky she is to have such a family. Before they eat, Meg shares a photo of her father with some scientists at Cape Canaveral with Calvin. She also assists him with his studies. Calvin is astonished when Meg, younger by several grades, helps him with math and physics. Mrs. Murry credits Meg's math skills to her father's number games from her childhood. Once they've eaten, Calvin spends time reading to Charles Wallace in bed, while Meg keeps her mother company. Mrs. Murry speaks about her sadness over her husband's absence. She insists explanations always exist for things, but we may not always understand them. This idea unsettles Meg, who prefers to understand everything. Speaking about Charles Wallace's unique understanding, Mrs. Murry mentions that Charles is special. Later, Meg and Calvin take a nightly stroll in the backyard. Calvin inquires about Meg's father, a physicist who worked for the government first in New Mexico, then Cape Canaveral. Meg shares that her father has been silent for a year, and Calvin mentions the town's rumors about Mr. Murry. Meg reacts defensively, but Calvin reassures her he doesn't buy into the rumors. He compliments Meg's eyes, making her blush. Suddenly, Charles Wallace appears, stating their mission to find Mr. Murry is about to begin. Mrs. Who appears in the moonlight while Mrs. Whatsit climbs over a fence, wearing Mrs. Buncombe's sheets. Mrs. Which, in a soft gust of wind, announces she's present, but will stay invisible to conserve energy for the tasks ahead.
chapter 4
Suddenly, Meg is pulled away from Charles and Calvin into a silent void. She can't call out to them as she has no body or voice. Abruptly, she feels her heart start beating and sees Charles and Calvin reappear. They learn from Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which that they are on the planet Uriel. Mrs. Whatsit explains their method of travel as "tessering" or "wrinkling" through space, which Meg connects to the previously mentioned "tesseract". Mrs. Whatsit shares that their father's life is in danger and they are headed to him, but need to understand their adversary first. She transforms into a stunning creature, part horse and part human, chastising a worshipping Calvin. The children ride on Mrs. Whatsit’s back across picturesque landscapes. Below, creatures perform a musical dance translating into Biblical verses from Isaiah 42:10-12. Overwhelmed with joy, Meg reaches for Calvin's hand. They continue their journey upwards, using clusters of flowers to breathe as the air thins. While traversing Uriel's sky, Mrs. Whatsit shows them a cosmic view unreachable from Earth. They observe Uriel's moon, a sunset and moonset, and a sinister blackness that swallows the surrounding stars. Meg realizes this shadow, a Thing itself, is the purest form of evil. Back on the ground, Meg confronts Mrs. Which, asking if the Dark Thing they saw is what her father is combating.
chapter 5
Mrs. Which reveals to Meg that her father is imprisoned by the darkness, but they are on a mission to rescue him. They will be using a method of travel called tessering, which is a shortcut through time and space. Charles Wallace simplifies it for Meg, explaining that tessering is traveling in the fifth dimension, which when combined with the four other known dimensions, allows them to travel distances in a non-linear way. A strong wind lifts them up and they begin tessering. However, Meg abruptly feels a crushing pressure and hears a voice warning about being stuck in a two-dimensional planet. Mrs. Which confesses to an error as she isn't accustomed to corporeal thinking, forgetting that humans can't survive in two dimensions. Mrs. Whatsit informs them that their destination is a grey planet within Orion's belt. Despite Meg's worries about her mother, Mrs. Whatsit reassures her that they've used a time wrinkle alongside the space wrinkle, ensuring they'll return home five minutes before they left. Upon reaching the grey planet, they meet the Happy Medium in a cave. The Medium is a cheerful woman in a turban and satin dress with a crystal ball. Reluctantly, the Medium allows the children to see their home planet, revealing it's surrounded by the Dark Thing they initially saw from Uriel. The Dark Thing, Mrs. Which clarifies, is pure Evil and their enemy. They are not alone in their fight, joining a long line of Earth's greatest warriors against the Dark Thing, including Jesus, da Vinci, Shakespeare, Einstein, Bach, and Gandhi. When Meg demands to know about her father, Mrs. Which discloses that he's been taken captive on a planet surrendered to the Dark Thing.
chapter 6
The Happy Medium shows the kids a cosmic battle between stars and the Dark Thing through her crystal ball. Mrs. Whatsit reveals that she was once a star who also sacrificed her existence to combat the Dark Thing. This revelation deeply touches the children, especially Charles Wallace who expresses their gratitude with a kiss. To lighten the mood before their departure, the Happy Medium offers a glimpse of their mothers. Calvin's mother is shown disciplining a child, and Meg's mother is seen writing her daily letter to her husband. This sight evokes tears in Meg's eyes. They bid farewell to the Happy Medium and tesser to Camazotz, where their father is under confinement. Overlooking the town from a hill, the children are informed by the Mrs. Ws that they won't be accompanying them further. As a parting gift, each child is given something to aid them. Mrs. Whatsit enhances the children's existing traits, Mrs. Who gives Meg her spectacles, a Shakespeare extract to Calvin, and a Goethe quote to Charles. Mrs. Which advises them to stay strong together and Mrs. Whatsit urges Calvin to protect Meg. She also warns Charles about the imminent danger he might face in Camazotz. With this, the three children part ways with their supernatural guides and venture into the town. All houses in Camazotz are identical and the children acting out synchronized activities in front of each house. One boy drops his ball, creating an 'Aberration,' leaving his mother horrified. A paperboy questions their presence outdoors and informs them of the ruling entity, IT in the CENTRAL Central Intelligence. The children feel an uncanny uniformity in the behaviour of the town's residents as if everyone is under some control. Determined to face the challenges of Camazotz, the children decide to infiltrate the CENTRAL Central Intelligence building. Despite some concerns about recognizing their long-lost father and the impending dangers that might befall, they proceed, knowing they have no other choice.
chapter 7
Calvin proposes to explore the CENTRAL Central Intelligence Building alone, promising to return and update Meg and Charles Wallace. However, the Murry siblings insist on sticking together, as advised by Mrs. Which. As they ponder on how to gain entry into the building, a door opens, unveiling a large entrance hall with dull, green marble and icy walls filled with identical men in business attire. Their curiosity prompts them to inquire about the operations in CENTRAL from one of the uniformly dressed men. To their confusion, the man instructs them to submit papers to several slot machines, oblivious to their unfamiliarity with the planet's complex mechanical system that dictates all affairs. He mentions running a "number-one spelling machine" on the "second-grade level," and warns them of potential "reprocessing," if he fails to report their presence. Suddenly, the marble wall dissolves, leading the children into a vast room filled with machines and android-like attendants. At the room's end, they approach a man with red eyes, seated on a platform. A glowing light above his head pulses in sync with his eyes. The children quickly realize that the man is linked with the Dark Thing, prompting Charles to warn Meg and Calvin to shut their eyes to prevent hypnosis. Despite the man's attempt to hypnotize them by rhythmically reciting multiplication tables, Charles and Calvin resist by shouting nursery rhymes and the Gettysburg Address. The man communicates telepathically, questioning their motive to seek their father, unable to grasp that fatherhood itself is reason enough. Unexpectedly, Charles lunges forward, kicking the man, surmising that the man's control over himself is compromised. Charles is tasked to gaze into the man's eyes to uncover his identity, as he is the only one among the children with a neuropsychological system intricate enough to understand the man. The Man with the Red Eyes provides an extravagant turkey dinner, which tastes like sand to Charles. He explains that the food is synthetic and Charles would enjoy it if he opened his mind to IT. Despite Meg's objections, Charles agrees to understand the man's true identity. After a hypnotic stare from the man, Charles's behavior changes drastically. He accuses Meg of being "belligerent and uncooperative" and insists the food is tasty. Alarmed, Meg cries out to Calvin, claiming the boy isn't their Charles anymore.
chapter 8
Charles Wallace, under IT's influence, enjoys his meal while claiming the Man with the Red Eyes is a friend and the Mrs. W's are foes. Meg and Calvin discern the change in him, trying to connect with the real Charles trapped inside. They confront the Man with the Red Eyes, who introduces himself as the Prime Coordinator and assures them that Charles will guide them to Mr. Murry. Following Charles down a stark white passage, Meg remembers Mrs. Whatsit's gift to Calvin—communication. She urges him to engage with Charles. Calvin's friendly demeanor momentarily connects with Charles, but he soon drifts off again, urging them to yield to IT, whom he calls the "Boss" and "Happiest Sadist." Charles praises IT's merits, emphasizing that on Camazotz, complete uniformity eliminates war and unhappiness. Meg, however, believes that a small amount of unhappiness is essential for true happiness. Charles gestures and the corridor wall becomes see-through, revealing a room bathed in a dim, sulfuric glow. When Meg questions, Charles explains he adjusted the wall's atoms to open it. They see a boy they had seen earlier bouncing a ball rhythmically, wincing in pain with every bounce. Charles states this is punishment for the boy's prior disobedience. Charles then displays another cell, housing a see-through column with Mr. Murry trapped inside.
chapter 9
Meg makes a desperate effort to reach her father in the column but fails, as her father doesn't perceive her. In her irritation, she lashes out at Charles who retaliates by striking her. Calvin almost rescues the true Charles through a recitation from Shakespeare's The Tempest, gifted by Mrs. Who, but Charles remains under influence. Overwhelmed, Meg recalls Mrs. Who's glasses, dons them and finally manages to reach her father. Mr. Murry is elated by Meg's presence, though he only sees her after using Mrs. Who's glasses. With Meg in tow, he uses the glasses to escape the column. Once out, Charles Wallace reacts rudely towards Mr. Murry, prompting Meg to reassure her father that this isn't the real Charles. Charles then insists on taking them to IT, a proposition that terrifies Mr. Murry, fearing for Meg's life. They have no other choice but to follow Charles. They exit the CENTRAL Central Intelligence Building and enter a peculiar, dome-shaped structure glowing violet. Inside, Meg is assaulted by a consistent pulsation influencing the pace of her heart. The structure houses nothing but a gigantic brain on a raised circular platform. Mr. Murry warns Meg and Calvin against succumbing to IT's rhythmic manipulation. Despite Meg's attempts to resist IT's control by reciting the Declaration of Independence, the periodic table, and irrational square roots, she starts to fall under IT's spell. Seeing Meg's impending loss to IT, Calvin orders everyone to tesser. Mr. Murry grabs Meg's hand and she experiences the chaotic sensation of tessering.
chapter 10
Meg comes to, feeling icy and paralyzed, hearing Calvin and her father, Mr. Murry, talk about her. Their conversation reveals Mr. Murry's unexpected journey to Camazotz while trying to tesser to Mars, and the different flow of time on that planet. He was on the brink of submitting to IT before the children arrived to rescue him. Meg strives to make a sound, eventually able to croak out words. She is enraged to find out that Charles Wallace was left behind and criticizes her father for failing to save them all. Mr. Murry counters that he's human, not a miracle-worker, but holds faith that "all things work together for good for them that love God." As Mr. Murry rubs Meg's fingers causing her pain, he says that's an encouraging sign of returning sensation. Suddenly, Calvin alerts them to three four-armed, odd creatures with tentacles for hair and eyeless faces approaching them. Calvin courteously introduces himself and explains Meg's poor condition. Initially, Meg is scared until one creature's touch sends warmth through her and it decides to take her along.
chapter 11
Calvin discloses to the alien creatures that he comes from a world battling the Dark Thing. The creatures are taken aback as Calvin and the Murrys have never interacted with extraterrestrial beings before. They insist that they should look after Meg, who seems frail and exposed. Meg finds solace resting against one of the creatures, feeling warmth and protection. They bathe her in something warm, dress her in a fur garment, and feed her an "indescribably delicious" dish. Engaging in conversation with one of the creatures, Meg decides to name it "Aunt Beast" after considering and discarding names like "mother," "father," "acquaintance," and "monster." Meg attempts to convey the concepts of light and sight to Aunt Beast, who lacks eyes. Upon the creature's urging, Meg succumbs to sleep and wakes up feeling rejuvenated. Aunt Beast admits the struggle of communication in Meg's language but persists. She reveals they inhabit a planet named Ixchel, which is also resisting the Dark Thing. Aunt Beast then sings a mesmerizing song that soothes Meg and reconciles her with the universe. After comforting and dressing Meg again, Aunt Beast escorts her to reunite with her father and Calvin, who are enjoying a flavorful yet colorless meal. Meg hastily inquires if they have contacted the three Mrs. W's. Trying to describe them to Aunt Beast proves futile due to the creature's blindness. Focusing intensely on the unique nature of the three women, Meg abruptly hears Mrs. Which's booming voice declaring their presence.
chapter 12
Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which appear on Ixchel following Meg's call but claim they can't assist in saving Charles Wallace. Mr. Murry solicits their help to tesser to Camazotz and save Charles, but Mrs. Which dismisses his attempt as futile. Calvin too, offers to go after Charles but is denied. Meg, amidst the silence, realizes that it's up to her to save her brother, a thought that terrifies her. She initially resists, but it dawns on her that her close bond with Charles puts her in the best position to rescue him. Despite her father and Calvin's reservations, Mrs. W's convince them that it's the right thing to do. Meg bids farewell to her father, Calvin, and Aunt Beast, extending an apology to her father for her earlier outbursts. Mrs. Which promises to guide her through the Black Thing via tessering to ensure her safe arrival to Camazotz. The Mrs. W's each gift Meg something: Mrs. Whatsit amplifies her inherent love; Mrs. Who blesses her with a passage from the New Testament; and Mrs. Which fortifies within her a quality that IT lacks, which Meg has to discover on her own. After tessering with Mrs. Which, Meg lands on Camazotz and heads straight for the domed building housing IT. Inside, Charles huddles behind the dais, his eyes rolling and a tic in his forehead pulsating to IT's grotesque beat. Meg struggles to pinpoint Mrs. Which's gift as Charles maintains that she possesses nothing that IT does not. He then asserts that Mrs. Whatsit despises her, leading Meg to the realization that her unique weapon against IT is love. She may not love IT, but she loves Charles, and she uses this love to call out to him. In response, Charles rushes to her and they tesser together through the darkness, reuniting with Calvin and Mr. Murry in the twins' vegetable garden on Earth. Following a heartfelt reunion, the three Mrs. W's materialize. Mrs. Whatsit apologizes for leaving without a goodbye as they are needed for a new assignment. As she begins to explain their mission, a gust of wind interrupts her mid-sentence and the three ladies vanish.
