'A Wrinkle in Time': A cut passage is published
Fans of the classic science fiction novel 鈥淎 Wrinkle in Time鈥� recently got a look at a section of the book that was cut before publication.聽
According to the , 鈥淲rinkle鈥� author Madeleine L鈥橢ngle鈥檚 granddaughter, Charlotte Jones Voiklis, discovered the section. 鈥淲rinkle,鈥� which won the Newbery Medal, centers on Meg Murry, her brother Charles Wallace, and their friend Calvin O鈥橩eefe. The three children set off to search for Meg and Charles Wallace鈥檚 father, who is being held prisoner on a mysterious planet.
In the deleted passage, Meg asks her father how evil took hold on the planet Camazotz, where all people perform the same actions at the same time and free thinking is discouraged.
鈥淚t was the logical outcome of two things,鈥� Meg鈥檚 father tells her. 鈥淥f complete totalitarianism in certain countries鈥�. It鈥檚 like Russia under Kruschev. Or Germany and Hitler. Countries under dictatorships. Franco. Mussolini. Castro. Mao.鈥� When Meg asks him about democracies, he says, 鈥淚t鈥檚 an equally logical outcome of too much prosperity. Or you could put it that it鈥檚 the result of too strong a desire for security.鈥�
Wall Street Journal reporter Jennifer Maloney says that some scholars she queried about the passage believe that naming specific political figures could have dated the book. L'Engle may have taken it out because it was 鈥渢oo political, or too obviously political,鈥� suggested Suzanne Bray, who studies L鈥橢ngle鈥檚 work.聽
Voiklis told the WSJ it was her wish that 鈥淲rinkle鈥� fans not narrowly connect Camazotz only with communist countries.聽
鈥淚t鈥檚 normal to be afraid,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut you can鈥檛 let the fear control your decisions. Otherwise, you risk becoming like Camazotz.鈥�
