Womanhood and Coming of Age in Madeleine L. Engle´s A...

When Madeleine L’Engle first published A Wrinkle in Time in 1962, women’s place in society differed greatly than what L’Engle portrays in her novel. L’Engle broke barriers of the time with her portrayal of women in A Wrinkle in Time. The novel is infused with the themes of womanhood and coming of age. To be more specific, it is a novel which is thoroughly blended with the strengths of womanhood and with the concept that how women in a society can bring forth specific positive changes. The protagonist, Meg Murry, is a gifted adolescent who constantly harps on being different from other children. Her mother, Mrs. Murry, defines empowerment in women. Mrs. Murry is a phenomenal mother, devoted wife, and genius chemist. During the 1960s it was†¦show more content†¦Automatically she pushed her glasses into position, ran her fingers through her mouse-brown hair, so that it stood wildly on end, and let out a sigh almost as noisy as the wind.† (Lâ₠¬â„¢Engle, 10). As the novel continues through Meg’s journey to Camozotz she blossoms into a woman and accepts her individuality. The uniformity of Camozotz shows Meg that being different perhaps is not so bad. Meg comes into her own identity, womanhood, and accepts her uniqueness. An important factor in regards to the character of Mrs. Murry would be her influence on Meg Murry’s evolution into womanhood. Meg is inspired, yet intimidated by her mother’s perfection. At the introduction of Mrs. Murry’s character there is insight into Meg’s perception of her mother, â€Å"Mrs. Murry gently touched Meg’s bruised cheek. Meg looked up at her mother, half in loving admiration, half in sullen resentment† (L’Engle, 12). Although there was a sense of insecurity for Meg at the beginning of the novel, Mrs. Murry was inspiration to ignite the unique woman within Meg. Womanhood is blissful and women can be influencers and initiators, ushering positive changes in the society. It must be noted that the author has hinted on the fact that women are evolving from both the academic and social perspectives and that is the