Final Thoughts

Overall I felt the novel The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger was a fantastic story, and all along I always had that little thought, “what if this was possible”. It truly captured the emotions of love and exhibited its iron grip on two who are really in love. The alternating perspectives between Clare and Henry were perfect it showed their relationship through each other’s eyes it really helped to understand characters and connect. However I did feel the story to be very cheesy at parts, which compromised the development at times but was brought full circle into the timeless story of two star crossed lovers. Or rather time crossed lovers, very reminiscent of The Lakehouse (2006) directed by Aljeandro Agresti.

I would recommend this book to anyone with an open mind, and able to focus on basically two stories in one book. They need to e in it for the long haul and read through. 

7/10

Freytag's Pyramid

   

                                                     Climax  (6)

                                            (5)                            (7)       Falling Action  

                                        (4)                                          (8)

                                    (3)                                                       (9)                       

                       

Rising Action       (2)                                                                           (10)

Intro  (1)                                                                                                        (11) Conclusion

1)    

1)  Introduction of the novel:

 Clare finds Henry working in the Newberry Public Library, after 2 years of waiting. She has known him since she was 6 due to his future self, time travelling to visit her. Henry is unsure who Clare is but agrees to go on a date with her. And so the story begins.

2)  Rising Action:

Throughout the story the reader alternates between being with Henry and Clare in the past and Henry and Clare in the present. We learn all about Clare, her childhood, who she is, who she grows into, the family she has, and the love she has for Henry.

3)  Clare and Henry get married. Ironically enough Clare marries the Henry she’s known all her life. As the future Henry is at the wedding, present Henry is time travelling.

4)  Henry travels so he can have the correct numbers for the lottery jackpot. This was the best way for him to provide for Clare. They were now millionaires.

5)  Henry is advised by Clare to seek Dr. Kendrick. A geneticist who is his doctor in the future, studying Henry’s DNA analyzing the chrono-displacement gene. Trying to find a cure for Henry and others.

6)  Climax:

Henry and Clare decide to have a child, although this leads them down a winding road of emotions and sadness. Clare has 6 miscarriages, and is tempted to give up as Henry hopes, but she has a one-night fling with a past Henry. This is when Alba is conceived, their future daughter.

7)  Falling Action:

Alba has grown into a beautiful young girl and is brought in secret to Dr. Kendrick to be taken blood from n order to be studied like Henry. However Clare has been against this for years. Henry felt this is a way to pass something on to Alba if he ever passed away, so that she has options and a life as a normal girl.

8)  Henry time travels to the middle of a park where he is trapped in the cold. He ends up with hypothermia and serious frostbite throughout his lower half, unable to walk or run. The worst possible thing that could happen to him.

9)  Henry time travels to a night in 2000; the night Ingrid finally commits suicide. Henry is the deciding factor in whether Ingrid will live or die, as it turns out she does shoot herself. Though it was not based on Henry’s answer to her love and whether he told the truth, this was just an escape or a decision already made looking for a reason. This was very upsetting for Henry and distressing.

10)                New Years Eve of 2006 Henry travels to the past in Clare’s field, where her brother shoots him while he and his father were out hunting. A mistake they will never know and a life lost.

11)                Conclusion:

In the end, after Henry has passed away he returns to Clare when she is in her senior years. This is a very magical moment filled with confusion and mystery as to how he actually travelled when he’s dead and finally example of their love. They truly loved each other and this time together is timeless.

Character Development (part2/2)

Character development (part 2/2)

Henry- The main male character, with the ability of time travel. Henry, much like other main characters in a story is connected to every character reader’s encounter, and they in turn affect his life. However not all characters have a positive effect as shown in my character tree.

Character Explanation:

Ingrid: Ingrid is the woman Henry had been seeing before we were introduced to him and more importantly before Clare and Henry first meet in the present. Ingrid was the anchor to Henry’s previous life that kept getting stuck in the sand and dragging Henry back to her. This carries on for about 1/3 way through the book up until Henry and Clare agree to be wed. At this point Ingrid is out of the picture until a dreadful night where Henry time travels to the last time anyone will see Ingrid alive.

Henry is paralyzed and travels into Ingrid’s living room. It is nighttime and another one of Ingrid’s attempts at suicide. She knows of Henry’s time travelling and isn’t surprised that he is there but amused he is paralyzed. She is being very light about the future, asking what she is playing a guessing game. One option was she was dead; Henry would not answer this question. After some stalling and dancing around the fact she is dead in the future, Ingrid makes up her mind.

“It’s not a very big gun… “I could shoot you” “Yes. You could.” I say “Then I could shoot myself,” Ingrid says. “That could also happen.” “But does it?” “I don’t know, Ingrid. You get to decide.” Bullshit, Henry. Tell me,” Ingrid commands. “All right. No it doesn’t happen that way.” I try to sound confident. “But what if I want it to happen that way?”

…

“Did you love me?” Ingrid asks, looking down at me. “Yes” I tell her. “Liar,” Ingrid says, and she pulls the trigger. (478)

Clare: Throughout the entire book Clare is there for Henry through thick and thin. They have their rough patches like any couple does but they always work through them, and come out loving each other more than before! While Ingrid was the anchor holding Henry back, Clare is the wind beneath his sail and the helping hands to raise the anchor.

Gomez: Gomez is a close friend of Clare’s who becomes other than Clare, Henry’s best friend. Gomez is a unique individual very in tune with the political and country media and what is the next big change, Henry is very accommodating to this personality and adapts well to fit in. Initially Henry and Gomez do not get along well, Gomez is very curious and questioning of Henry’s intentions. Throughout the book Gomez is always there for Henry when needed and is the second person in Henry’s new life to learn about his secret. This shows the trust and relationship the two shares.

Dr. Kendrick: The man who changes the whole story line and the future of the characters lives. Dr. Kendrick is a doctor who specializes in genetics research and development, and from Clare’s understanding is the doctor Henry goes to in the future. Henry is skeptical as is the doctor, Henry for his safety and insanity of the situation and Dr. Kendrick who doesn’t believe anything Henry says. This leaves the two men at a crossroads and Henry knows one way to enlighten Dr. Kendrick of the possibilities of time-travel. Tell him something that will happen in the future.

“We’re having a daughter.” “No, you’re not actually,” I say gently. … Goodbye, Mr. DeTamble,” Dr. Kendrick says coldly. I leave as I get into the elevator I think to myself that he must be opening the letter right now. Inside is a sheet of typing paper. It says:

Colin Joseph Kendrick April 6, 1996 1:18 a.m. 6lbs. 8oz Caucasian male Down syndrome (301)

Dr. Kendrick studies Henry’s anatomy and genetics to try and find cures, ways to control it and or ultimately prevent it. Also he learns about if it will pass to offspring, and how to help their future child, Alba.

Abshire Family: Clare’s family, not much influence on Henry. However he is the man dating their daughter and marries her, largest impact someone can have on another families life.

Richard DeTamble: Henry’s Father. Richard pretty much gave up Henry as his son after his wife’s death and not only did he give up his son he gave up himself. Richard, much like Henry resorted to alcohol to solve his problems and dug himself a hole : that he couldn’t climb out of himself. Henry and Clare together brought him back to life, even brought music back to him that was deemed lost years ago. One of the things to change his life around or rather biggest person was Alba. She was his wife, beautiful, musically gifted, caring, and even more a part of Henry that shone through. Even though he is Henry’s father it took Clare’s influence and appearance in Henry’s life to go back to him, to have hope one more time.

Alba: Clare and Henry’s daughter and aside from Clare and Henry one of the most important characters is the entire novel. She is the character to never exist, 6 miscarriages before Alba was born. A miracle.

Charisse: Gomez’s wife and basically just another character that keeps the female lead role company. She has her moments but remains in the background for the majority of the novel.

Mark Abshire: Also not a large role in the story, we see him as a child and as an adult. He does have one important role in the story and is the ending of another life; Henry’s. Henry is killed by a gun shot when time travelling to the forest in Clare’s past and dies in the hallway of his house on the present day new year’s eve.

Character Development (part 1/2)

Henry’s time travelling ability affected almost everyone in some large way, and helped to grow closer bonds and friendship with these characters.

Henry

                                                Ingrid                                    Clare Abshire

                                        (first girlfriend)                              (wife)

            Gomez           Dr. Kendrick      Abshire family      Richard DeTamble     Alba

(friend)      (Henry’s doctor)                                      (Henry’s father)      (daughter)

             Charisse                                      Mark Abshire

(friend/ Gomez’s wife)                        (Clare’s brother)

This is a character tree I made showing which character affected or has a relationship with the character connected to by the arrow. As the diagram shows Henry is not directly related to the characters he meets in the story, they are met and introduced by Clare, however Henry’s disease has an impact on each of these characters.

Red- affects Henry negatively

Blue- affects Henry positively

Purple- neutral

Name Meanings

A crown for a king/ ruler

Henry

Origin: German

Meaning: Ruler of the Home

Connection: Henry is the main character in the book, and the story revolves around him like a “ruler”.

Clear as the ocean, or as transparent

Clare

Origin: Latin

Meaning: Clear

Connection: Clare is ery open minded and wants to be a part of Henry’s life also as a character she is somewhat transparent and predictable.

Charisse and Gomez
Without information, lost in the
world they've joined into with
Henry and Clare.

Gomez:

Information N/A

Connection: Much like in the novel there isn’t any given information on Gomez’s life or past.

Charisee:

Origin: Greek

Meaning: Grace

Connection: None

Alba:

Origin:

Meaning: Dawn of Day, White

Connection: Alba is the turning point in the story and another sign of hope, a new leaf, also perceived as a “new day”. The colour white also symbolizes her innocence, and child stage of life.

The dawn of a NEW day

http://www.behindthename.com/

Further Theme Development

Symbolizes Henry and
Clare's love

Symbolizes Henry's
Disease

      As those who have read or seen The Time Traveler’s Wife as a movie know the obvious theme is love/romance. And the message is, true love can overcome insurmountable odds. Although when I broke down the story further for my English essay I wanted to find a deeper theme, something as relatable as love but not necessarily as obvious or cliché. The theme I found was disease. Diseases are problems found around the world constantly, everyday. Affecting another person in any country every minute. Henry DeTamble is a time traveler and throughout the book he and other characters constantly refer to this ability as a disease. This disease draws the characters closer together because of its secrecy, uniqueness, and the desire to help Henry with anything they can. Though disease isn’t the exact theme it and love combine together wonderfully. In many people’s lives, relationships are based on the health or truth being told of the other person, Henry and Clare’s relationship flows exactly as a real world one. When a partner is told the other has a disease or problem for the rest of their life they either stay because of love or leave from stress. Henry and Clare have many bumps along the road but find their love is more powerful and not something to give up but honesty is what brings them closer and holds them together.

Character Development

In the novel the Time Travelers’ Wife the two main character Clare and Henry obviously have a very strong initial attraction, which progresses into a passionate love as the story moves on. Even though Henry had never met Clare in his life, as far as he could remember, she clearly knew him and was overjoyed by finding him. 

“[T]his astoundingly beautiful amber-haired tall slim girl turns around and looks at me as though I am her personal Jesus.” (Niffenegger 9)

            This quote from the beginning of the book kicks off the early romance blooming between Henry and Clare. And exemplifies Henry thoughts on her, and shows his interest as being quite strong. And Clare also knows exactly who he is, and is done waiting through the pre-determined 2 years without seeing Henry.

“”I’m Clare Abshire. I knew you when I was a little girl,” and invites me to dinner.”

(Niffenegger 9)

            Henry’s first meeting Clare is in this conversation, though by a technicality she’s known him for 14 years. This is where the time travelling immediately draws you in and is the instant chemistry that binds them together within the first 15 pages of the story. As the story progresses the writing style is very unique in the fact that Audrey Niffenegger actually separates both characters personal point of views with different parts of the book. The lives of both are lived separately on the pages alternating between Henry and Clare and how each person feels about what is happening at the time the other is having a conversation with them. This adds a different way of reading and understanding the character because now, we really get down to who the character is and can see what is happening with each person’s life. It is not the most common writing style but it is definitely the most interesting and connective I’ve ever read. With the book being written in a post-modern style it adds a tone to the book, which is absent in most others. But it also ties in with the roots of literature, through Shakespeare’s plays and texts having each character talk at a time and having asides seeing how the character feels.

As the story progresses so does the characters. With the mentioned writing style being as effective as it is, you can see how each character grows as a person, grows to each other, and what will come of the life they are going to live. Throughout the novel Henry and Clare live in the present day but Henry always time travels away which causes problems for their relationship at times but things always correct themselves. The real connection between Hery and Clare is the stories that are shared between the two that no one knows about the other. Clare already knows everything about Henry and this draws Henry closer to her. But is it a problem for one person in a relationship to know everything bout the other while the other has to learn about them as they share? It is a critic that comes up amongst most readers though I see it as a story and a technique that is very similar to real life or at least other novels. It is similar to that of the classic; boy next door or girl next door. They know each other but not necessarily everything, and learn more, as they grow closer.

Henry – The male lead and frankly a mess of a man, who works as a library assistant in his local library. His life has consisted of drinking and woman. But this is in his past; unfortunately for him he can time travel. This “disease” is at the time only found in him, chrono-displacement. Henry has lived a very difficult life and his present isn’t the greatest. He had a recent break-up with a long time girlfriend, has trouble controlling himself around alcohol, and is constantly reminded he is not the son his father expected, and his mother passed away when he was 5. However his future has hope and her name is Clare, a girl his future self has known since she was 6, so she’s knows him for 14 years. Will she be able to help show him the man he could and, if willing to,  will become.

Clare – The female lead in the story. Clare is a beautiful 20-year-old woman who works as an artist and comes from a very wealthy family. She has grown up knowing a man initially 6 times her age, and was told to keep a secret from everyone she knows. Most little girls would know not to trust strangers, but the magic of time travelling secured her trust. She knows the man she loves and will eventually marry him, however the man she thought she knew exist in an alternate time. She is immediately in love with Henry even at first glance. Will she be able to truly love him, even though he isn’t exactly who she grew up knowing?