A Wrinkle in Time
I've been watching a few movies lately, taking note of the mind,
body, and spirit characters, but I have not neglected these characters
in literature. The classic by Madeleine L'Engle, A Wrinkle in Time, contains clear examples of all three character types, working together to defeat the evil IT.
Meg is first shown in her attic room, frightened by a "dark and stormy night." She convinces herself there's more to it than just the storm, though. People in town talk about her and she lets it get to her, emotionally. Her father's apparent disappearance only adds to her emotional turmoil. She decides to go downstairs for cocoa to make her feel better.
When there's something outside and Mrs. Murray wants to go out to investigate during the storm, Meg pleads with her not to go out. She is also very concerned about her mother's reaction when Mrs. Whatsit explains that a tesseract is a real thing.
In town, Meg listens to what people say, but she also reads additional meaning into their words, especially in the scene where she is sent to principal Jenkins' for being "inexcusably rude" in class.
When the children meet the Medium, Meg was the one who looked through the crystal ball and saw that Earth was under attack from the Black Thing. All of this happens before they ever reach the planet where they encounter the evil IT, solidifying Meg's role as the spirit character very early in the book.
Charles Wallace is more than smart; he verges on psychic, especially when it comes to Mrs. Murray and Meg. When Meg comes down from her attic room for cocoa during the storm, Charles Wallace is already preparing some. When Meg notices there's double the amount of milk that is needed, Charles Wallace says the extra is for Mrs. Wallace, who appears moments later. Charles Wallace also prepares sandwiches in almost the same way - knowing without being told.
When Mrs. Whatsit appears, Meg is afraid she might be the rumored tramp who has been stealing things from clotheslines. Charles Wallace immediately knows the 'tramp' is really Mrs. Whatsit.
Charles Wallace and Meg meet up with Calvin O'Keefe, an older boy from Meg's school, and Calvin explains that he is a 'sport.' Charles Wallace knows he is not referring to baseball or basketball and says he, too, is a sport. He then defines the term to prove he knows what he is talking about. He also defines 'compulsion,' noting that the definition is from the "Concise Oxford" and really isn't very accurate.
When they arrive on the planet Camazotz and see a group of kids playing, bouncing a ball in unison, they are all curious. One child breaks the pattern and then goes inside, leaving his ball behind. Charles Wallace's response is to conduct an experiment in an effort to learn more about their situation. He wants to return the ball in order to see what the child's or parent's reaction might be.
It is his thirst for knowledge that eventually leads to Charles Wallace being trapped by IT. He wants to learn more about this being and he wants to discover where his father is being held captive. He thinks he can resist IT, but IT takes over and begins controlling Charles Wallace.
When Calvin is first introduced, we learn what he looks like, which differs from Meg's or Charles Wallace's introduction. Body characters are often introduced by their physical characteristics.
When the children enter the house occupied by Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which, Charles uses a "strong hand" on Meg's arm to ease her fear. He often expresses his feelings for Meg through physical action, such as a soft touch or brushing away a tear.
At the Murray's house, Calvin compares his mother to Mrs. Murray on the basis of physical appearance. On Camazotz, Calvin recognizes the inhabitants of the planet are "people," unlike the creatures that were so magnificent on the planet Uriel.
Charles Wallace, having been taken over by IT, walks through a wall and Calvin ask how it's done. He then explains the physical process to Calvin, using Calvin's body as the basis for comparison with the wall.
Madeleine L'Engle expertly uses body, mind, and spirit to weave a timeless, award-winning classic.
The Spirit Character: Margaret (Meg) Murray
Meg is first shown in her attic room, frightened by a "dark and stormy night." She convinces herself there's more to it than just the storm, though. People in town talk about her and she lets it get to her, emotionally. Her father's apparent disappearance only adds to her emotional turmoil. She decides to go downstairs for cocoa to make her feel better.
When there's something outside and Mrs. Murray wants to go out to investigate during the storm, Meg pleads with her not to go out. She is also very concerned about her mother's reaction when Mrs. Whatsit explains that a tesseract is a real thing.
In town, Meg listens to what people say, but she also reads additional meaning into their words, especially in the scene where she is sent to principal Jenkins' for being "inexcusably rude" in class.
When the children meet the Medium, Meg was the one who looked through the crystal ball and saw that Earth was under attack from the Black Thing. All of this happens before they ever reach the planet where they encounter the evil IT, solidifying Meg's role as the spirit character very early in the book.
The Mind Character: Charles Wallace Murray
Charles Wallace is more than smart; he verges on psychic, especially when it comes to Mrs. Murray and Meg. When Meg comes down from her attic room for cocoa during the storm, Charles Wallace is already preparing some. When Meg notices there's double the amount of milk that is needed, Charles Wallace says the extra is for Mrs. Wallace, who appears moments later. Charles Wallace also prepares sandwiches in almost the same way - knowing without being told.
When Mrs. Whatsit appears, Meg is afraid she might be the rumored tramp who has been stealing things from clotheslines. Charles Wallace immediately knows the 'tramp' is really Mrs. Whatsit.
Charles Wallace and Meg meet up with Calvin O'Keefe, an older boy from Meg's school, and Calvin explains that he is a 'sport.' Charles Wallace knows he is not referring to baseball or basketball and says he, too, is a sport. He then defines the term to prove he knows what he is talking about. He also defines 'compulsion,' noting that the definition is from the "Concise Oxford" and really isn't very accurate.
When they arrive on the planet Camazotz and see a group of kids playing, bouncing a ball in unison, they are all curious. One child breaks the pattern and then goes inside, leaving his ball behind. Charles Wallace's response is to conduct an experiment in an effort to learn more about their situation. He wants to return the ball in order to see what the child's or parent's reaction might be.
It is his thirst for knowledge that eventually leads to Charles Wallace being trapped by IT. He wants to learn more about this being and he wants to discover where his father is being held captive. He thinks he can resist IT, but IT takes over and begins controlling Charles Wallace.
The Body Character: Calvin O'Keefe
When Calvin is first introduced, we learn what he looks like, which differs from Meg's or Charles Wallace's introduction. Body characters are often introduced by their physical characteristics.
When the children enter the house occupied by Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which, Charles uses a "strong hand" on Meg's arm to ease her fear. He often expresses his feelings for Meg through physical action, such as a soft touch or brushing away a tear.
At the Murray's house, Calvin compares his mother to Mrs. Murray on the basis of physical appearance. On Camazotz, Calvin recognizes the inhabitants of the planet are "people," unlike the creatures that were so magnificent on the planet Uriel.
Charles Wallace, having been taken over by IT, walks through a wall and Calvin ask how it's done. He then explains the physical process to Calvin, using Calvin's body as the basis for comparison with the wall.
Madeleine L'Engle expertly uses body, mind, and spirit to weave a timeless, award-winning classic.
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