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What happened to the dad in A Wrinkle in Time?

Published in Literary Character Fates 2 mins read

In Madeleine L'Engle's classic novel, A Wrinkle in Time, the dad, Mr. Murry, a brilliant physicist, became trapped and imprisoned on the dark planet of Camazotz during a scientific experiment involving fifth-dimensional travel.

Who is Mr. Murry?

Mr. Murry is Meg Murry's father and a highly intelligent physicist. He works for a top-secret government agency, dedicating his research to groundbreaking concepts of space-time travel. His work explores the idea of a tesseract, often described as a "wrinkle in time" or a shortcut through the universe, allowing for instantaneous travel across vast distances.

The Experiment Gone Awry

Mr. Murry's ambitious research led him to attempt to "tesser" to Mars. This involved using a tesseract to fold space and time, aiming to reach his destination in an instant. However, during this experimental journey, something went wrong, and he did not arrive at his intended destination.

Capture and Imprisonment on Camazotz

Instead of Mars, Mr. Murry found himself captured and imprisoned on the planet Camazotz. This planet is a dark, oppressive, and highly conformist world, completely controlled by an evil, disembodied brain known as "IT." On Camazotz, individuality is suppressed, and everything operates under a rigid, synchronized order. Mr. Murry was held captive there, unable to escape or communicate with his family on Earth.

To summarize Mr. Murry's fate:

Aspect Detail
Identity Mr. Murry, Meg's father
Profession Physicist for a top-secret government agency
Research Focus Experiments with fifth-dimensional space-time travel using a tesseract
Intended Destination Mars
Actual Outcome Captured and imprisoned
Location of Capture The dark, conformist planet of Camazotz

The Children's Quest for Rescue

Mr. Murry's disappearance sets the central plot of A Wrinkle in Time into motion. His children, Meg and Charles Wallace, along with their friend Calvin O'Keefe, embark on an extraordinary journey through space and time to find and rescue him. Guided by the celestial beings Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which, they too learn to tesser and confront the oppressive forces of Camazotz to reunite their family.