Tuesday, April 18, 2006

The first thing that comes to mind when reading A Wrinkle in Time is the similarities and differences between this and other fantasy novels. The unlikely hero seems to be a pretty common theme in this genre. In both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, not to mention every C.S Lewis book that we have read, there is a character who may not appear heroic at first that must come of age by the end of the story. Fantasy novels are very much laden with archetypes.
In A Wrinkle in Time the unlikely heros are Meg, her brother Charles Wallace, and their classmate Calvin. There is always a magician or wise older sage that must play gatekeeper and help them attain their goals. In this case, Ms. Who, Ms. Whatsit, and Ms. Which will show them how to acheive their goal, which is finding their dad. They meet Calvin on their way to Ms. Whatsit's house, and it is immediately clear that he will have a major role in the story, even though they just met him.
The story of the unlikely hero gives the everyday person hope on acheiving their goals, especially when it is pretaining to bookish kids, who are likely to be reading this book. Although Meg and Charles Wallace are exceptionally bright, they lack the experience and confidence needed to really grow into themselves. Although I have read this book, I do not remember much, so I am looking forward to seeing how this turns out- again.

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