Twins Again!
Though not nearly as obvious as in Dunn's Geek Love, the idea of twins is also present in A Wrinkle in Time. They may not have had a very prominent role in the story, but I still was intrigued by Sandy and Dennys. They serve the obvious function of acting as a physical manifestation of Meg's desire to fit in the earlier chapters. Their identical appearance further fits the theme of conformity. To add to this. like Elly and Iphy, they too are constantly referred to inseparably as "Sandy and Dennys."
However, the aspect of their character that truly interested me was how they were perceived by the other characters of the book. The narrator describes them as the following:
The twins didn't have any problems. They weren't great students, but they weren't bad ones, either. They were perfectly content with a succession of B's and an occasional A or C. They were strong and fast runners and good at games, and when cracks were made about anybody in the Murry family, they weren't made about Sandy and Dennys. (page 11)
The twins are distinguished from the rest of their family as ordinary and independent. While Meg, Charles Wallace, and their mother all depend on each other (in terms of Charles Wallace's empathy, and the bond shared between them), the twins are independent from this symbiosis. In their brief appearance, the twins at least once try to breach and partake in this bond when they tell Meg that they would protect Charles Wallace. Though their interference is looked down upon by the narrator, it shows the twins attempts to dependency between them and both Meg and Charles Wallace. It also shows the narrators desire to alienate the twins for their normalcy. More potently, the other characters also practice a policy of alienation with regards to the twins. When Meg, Charles Wallace, and their mother are sharing their midnight snack they consider the possibility of the twins joining them, but decide to remain "exclusive." These isolationist actions taken towards the twins mark the twins as "freaks" from the rest of the family. Their freakishness doesn't come from any remarkable trait of theirs though, but instead the normalcy they represent.
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Great observation, D. The twins are absolutely Othered by the Murry family (albeit in what is perceived as a positive "Othering" since they're the only ones that fit into school and "normal" society). You're also right to note their attempt to be part of the family by telling Meg they'd protect CW (an offer that is basically ignored).
ReplyDeleteInteresting that L'Engle chose to ignore the twins as potential characters with powers, given the common portrayal of twins as "special." Perhaps that was a purposeful decision.