I was pleased when I saw A Wrinkle in Time on the reading list. I had not read the book since I was in junior high, and I was actually surprised that I would be rereading the novel in a religious perspectives class. I could not remember if and where the book discussed religion. I remembered the book had a strong sense of right and wrong; however, I guess I just never connected the religious significance.
L'Engle does an excellent job of establishing the separate and unique personalities of all the characters. As a young adult, I found the eccentric behavior exhibited by the characters to be comforting as I read the novel. Too often young adult novels have "cookie-cutter" characters that do not allow most readers to connect. I loved L'Engle ability to showcase that not all young adults are like the twins.
As I read through the novel I was surprised by how many times God and various Christian beliefs were embedded into the actions within the novel. The characters tend to grasp at Christian ideas and sayings when presented with a problem or when attempting to understand the problem. For instance, Mrs Whatsit attempts to explain the music they hear as the fly over a garden. Mrs Whatsit explains (in Meg and Calvin's words) that they are singing about the Lord.
I found it interesting when and where L'Engle would incorporate these various religious items. They did fit within the framework of the story (the battle between good and evil); however, they did not seem necessary or important for the reader to grasp the major themes.
The religious ideas presented are very elementary. Basically, there is a bad or dark force and a good force within the universe. L'Engle's ideas are not solely based around the earth, but that religion and faith can transfer beyond our planet and is present throughout the universe (unbeknownst to us).
Overall I enjoyed the book and I loved the message that it presents. Meg, the outcast in society, is able to save the day because of love. Regardless if you believe in religion or not, that is a wonderful message that I think is important for all individuals to hear.
3 comments:
I must have missed the references to God, but now that you point them out, I remember! Thanks for jogging the memory
I agree; there are many good messages on various levels to capture from this story. I especially like the message of the worth and value of the individual. I believe throughout life we all struggle to belong at times. This is not only a good theme for young adults to read about, but a nice reminder for us older people also.
Hi Amy,
I'm just trying to figure out how to blog. I should've asked my daughter!
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