《時間的皺紋》：愛的魔力

寧夏 王燕寧

馬德琳·英格的小說《時間的皺紋》敘述的是15歲的女孩麥格尋找失蹤的爸爸的故事。這本風格獨特的書，激發了我們對愛的思索，對人文主義的關懷以及對快樂生活的展望。

A Wrinkle in Time begins by relating Meg's personal struggles at school and her inability to fit in with the crowd. This is also a problem for her younger brother Charles Wallace. Both children are extraordinarily intelligent indeed.

Charles Wallace befriends a strange group of women living nearby—Mrs Whatsit, Mrs Who,and Mrs Which. These three ladies soon take the children on a strange journey, promising to help them rescue their father who has been missing for two years. One afternoon, after meeting Calvin near the ladies' house, the three are swept off to Uriel, another planet, by wrinkling space and time.

On Uriel, the children are given a view of the Dark Thing, a massive blackness that threatens to overtake the universe. It is only the work of great figures that keeps the Dark Thing from overtaking earth. The ladies tell the children that this is what their father is fighting.

After a visit with the Happy Medium, an oracle （女祭司） who tells them what path they must follow, the children are taken to Camazotz,a planet overtaken by the Dark Thing. The children meet the Man who tries to hypnotize（對……施催眠術） them into following IT. Charles Wallace eventually gives in with the hope of defeating the Dark Force, but he is taken in by the powerful evil.

They are then taken to see Meg's father who has been imprisoned by IT. After Meg heroically rescues him from his glass chamber,Charles Wallace, still under IT's influence, takes them to see this IT. IT tries to hypnotize both Calvin and Meg, but Mr Murry saves them both.

On another planet, Ixchel, Meg is healed by a giant beast called Aunt Beast. Aunt Beast shows her the meaning of true love and soon gives her the strength to save Charles Wallace.On Camazotz, Meg confronts IT. Using love, the only power that IT does not have, Meg finally defeats IT. IT only uses the power of hate, but Meg's love for her brother is stronger than the hate of IT. As she and the rescued Charles Wallace embrace, they are sent back to earth where they are reunited with their family.

Reading Check

After reading this article, try to draw a mind map which includes the characters, plots, and theme of the novel A Wrinkle in Time.

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