A Wrinkle in Time Literary essay

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness only light can do that, hate cannot drive out hate only love can do that." This is one of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s most memorable quotes. Meg from A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'engle can relate to Dr. King's inspiring words, because Meg learned from personal experience that only love can defeat hate and only light can conquer darkness. Through this book Meg travels through time and space to find her lost father, with her brother, Charles Wallace and her friend Calvin. Meg's father is trapped behind the dark thing and in order to get him she must fight the dark thing. Ms. Who, Ms. Whatsit, and Ms. Which who are magical beings who were once stars lead her on this journey. However, before Meg can fight the dark thing she must know what she's up against. In order to do this Ms. Whatsit takes Meg, Charles Wallace and Calvin to a planet with a very thin atmosphere so they can see the dark thing. Since they are human and require oxygen to stay alive, Ms. Whatsit gave them beautiful flowers that gave them the oxygen they needed to survive on this planet, in order to see the dark thing. 

Meg needs to fight the dark thing in order to save her father's life. The flower lets her see the dark thing all while keeping her alive so she can accomplish her goal. "The atmosphere is so thin here," Ms.Whatsit said as though an answer to her unasked question, "That it does not obscure your vision as it would at home. Now look straight ahead." Meg, Charles Wallace and Calvin have never known about the dark thing, because u can't see it from Earth, but now even though she hasn't known about it, or seen it for very long the dark thing is all Meg can thing about, because it is what is standing in the way of being with her father. "Meg's hand holding the blossoms slowly dropped and it seemed as though a knife gashed through her lungs. She gasped, but there was no air for her to breath. Darkness glazed her eyes and mind, but as she started to fall into unconsciousness her head dropped down into the flowers which she was still clutching; and as she inhaled the fragrance of their purity her mind and body revived, and she sat up again." The flower is what is keeping Meg alive and allowing her to fight. Without it the darkness will take her life and her fathers only hope of escaping the Dark thing. The flower symbolizes life and love which Meg needs to defeat the Dark thing. 

In order to help Charles Wallace get out of the control of IT Meg has to let go of her hate and show what she has that IT doesn't have: love. In order to save Charles Wallace she shows how much she loves him. "No, it was not anger it was loathing; it was hatred, sheer and unadulterated, and as she became lost in hatred she also began to be lost in IT. Meg thought that what she had that IT didn't have was hate. She thought that if she hated IT enough, IT would loose it's control over Charles Wallace. But it has hate, hate made it worse, hate makes everything worse. If Meg kept on hating IT, IT would have taken control of Meg. Luckily Meg realizes that hate is not the way to win over Charles Wallace, love was!

IN order for Meg to clearly see what she has to do she needs help. The flower is not the only thing to help Meg, in the end it is also the help of Ms. Who, Ms. Whatsit, and Ms. Which. Meg learns from them that she has to use what IT doesn't have, to save Charles Wallace, love. Meg's love is what saves Charles Wallace's life. Meg realized that hate got her no where only love did.