A Wrinkle In Time

This idea appears throughout A Wrinkle in Time, though it is not formally introduced until Chapter 8. Under IT’s control, Charles Wallace tells Meg and Calvin the people of Camazotz are happy because they are all exactly equal and alike. Meg refutes this claim by saying “like” and “equal” are not the same at all. Alike implies similarity, possibly even identical traits. Equal takes this idea a step farther, implying that all of Camazotz’s citizens possess the same amount of knowledge, the same level of ability, the same everything, which is untrue.

When Meg, Calvin, and Charles Wallace first arrive on Camazotz, they witness the planet’s children at play. The children play in rhythm to IT’s beat, making their games alike. Down the road, the three see a boy playing out of rhythm, who is hustled indoors by his terrified mother. This boy’s play is not like that of the other children. The boy is also not equal to the other kids. The other children possess a high level of ability to conform and a low level of desire to be unique. By contrast, the boy’s ability to be unique is high, and his desire to conform is low. His levels are not equal to those of the other children. He is like them but not equal to them. Later in Chapter 8, the boy is reprogrammed by IT to bounce the ball in rhythm. He requires more conditioning than the other children because his level of conformity is not equal to theirs. Even though he now plays in rhythm (making his game like that of the other children), he is still not equal.

“Like” and “equal” are also illustrated through Meg, Calvin, and Charles Wallace. The three are alike in that they are from Earth. Beyond this, they are different people with different abilities. Charles Wallace has gifts beyond the average human. An average is the sum of data points divided by the number of points. By its very definition, it implies not all data points (people) are equal. Calvin possesses some of the same abilities as Charles Wallace but at a much lower level. Though their abilities are alike, their uses of those abilities are not equal. Meg does not possess these abilities, but she excels at mathematics, a subject in which Calvin struggles. She and Calvin are alike in that both can do math, but Meg’s understanding is greater (not equal to) Calvin’s.

Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which also show how “like” and “equal” are not the same. Mrs. Who struggles to verbalize and often quotes others. Mrs. Whatsit, by contrast, excels at verbal communication. Both Mrs. Whatsit and Mrs. Who can materialize with ease, something Mrs. Which finds it difficult to accomplish. Though the ladies are beings of incredible age and power, they, too, have areas where they are less capable than others. Whether under the control of a governing mind, children, or ancient beings, all the characters of A Wrinkle in Time illustrate the difference between “like” and “equal.”