Chapter 2 Summary

Download PDF PDF Page Citation Cite Share Link Share

After having spent much of the previous night in the kitchen rather than sleeping in her bed, Meg wakes up grouchy. When she remembers the storm and having met Mrs. Whatsit, she hopes it was all a dream that is now over. Unfortunately, when Meg finds her mother in the kitchen, Mrs. Murry confirms that the strange events of last night did indeed occur. This does not improve Meg’s mood.

Meg recalls her mother’s strange reaction when Mrs. Whatsit mentioned something called a tesseract, and she asks her mother to explain. Mrs. Murry suggests that breakfast is not a good time to go into the matter. She tells Meg she will talk with her later.

At school, Meg’s thoughts lag well behind what is happening in the classroom. She cannot answer a question she had studied the night before while doing homework. When her teacher criticizes Meg for her lack of ability, Meg makes a smug remark. This earns Meg a trip to the principal’s office. Mr. Jenkins tells Meg that her teacher told him she has been very rude in class. Jenkins wants to know why Meg is acting this way. He wonders if something is going on at home that might be upsetting Meg. Meg can see through the principal’s intentions. She can tell that all he wants is a bit of gossip. When Meg refuses to give him intimate information about her family, the principal tells Meg that it is time to face facts; he implies it is time for Meg to realize her father is never coming home. Everyone knows how long Meg’s father has been away. Meg guesses that the woman at the post office has probably even told people how long it has been since Meg’s father sent them a letter, which is now over a year. At the end of their meeting, Mr. Jenkins suggests that Meg stop being so belligerent and uncooperative at school, and maybe that would help in her studies, too.

When Meg returns home from school, her youngest brother, Charles Wallace, is waiting for her. He has even packed her a bagful of food. He wants to take her to the haunted house in the woods so Meg can meet Mrs. Who. Mrs. Who lives with Mrs. Whatsit, he explains.

Just as they arrive at the haunted house, Meg and Charles Wallace hear their dog bark, and they stop short. When they peer through the woods, they see that their dog, Fortinbras, is standing in front of a tall, thin boy. Meg recognizes the youth as Calvin O’Keefe, a boy a couple of grades above her at school. Charles Wallace, who is only five years old, is unconcerned. He steps forward and begins to interview Calvin. As Charles Wallace pursues a very particular line of questions, Calvin is caught off guard. The rumors in the neighborhood were that Charles Wallace was a moron, yet Calvin recognizes that the young boy’s vocabulary is stunning.

Calvin tells Charles Wallace that he has come to the haunted house because he felt compelled to. He cannot quite explain what this means, but Charles Wallace appears to understand. Calvin also tells Charles Wallace that he is a sport, and he is not referring to athletics. Again Charles Wallace completely comprehends. A sport, as Charles Wallace knows, refers to a change in a gene that can result in an offspring that is quite different from its parents.

Still not knowing if he should fully trust Calvin, Charles Wallace takes the youth into the haunted house to meet Mrs. Who. Although Mrs. Who is busy making ghost costumes, she confirms that Calvin is all right. The children must leave, however, Mrs. Who tells them, because she is very busy right then. Charles Wallace has invited Calvin to go to their house so he can meet their mother. Calvin has the strange thought that even though he has no idea where Meg and Charles Wallace live, he feels as if he were—for the first time in his life—truly going home.

Expert Q&A

In chapter 2 of A Wrinkle in Time, what does Charles mean when he says "Meg has it tough. She's not really one thing or another" to Calvin?

Charles Wallace's comment about Meg reflects her struggle with identity and belonging. She is caught between being too intelligent and frustrated with conventional schooling, unlike her brothers who fit in easily. Unlike Charles, who embraces his uniqueness, Meg cannot align with either her peers or the extraordinary, making her feel like she doesn't belong in any specific category. This highlights her internal conflict and sense of not fitting in anywhere.

Get Ahead with eNotes

Start your 48-hour free trial to access everything you need to rise to the top of the class. Enjoy expert answers and study guides ad-free and take your learning to the next level.

Get 48 Hours Free Access
Previous

Chapter 1 Summary

Next

Chapter 3 Summary

Loading...