A Wind In The Door

“I happen to care that you’ve been in school for two months now and not a single week has gone by that you haven’t been roughed up. If you’ve been talking about dragons in the garden or wherever they are, I suppose that explains it.”

In this passage, Meg is speaking with Charles Wallace. She is frustrated that he keeps getting bullied by other kids at school, and part of her thinks that it’s because he won’t stop talking about things other kids won’t understand, such as dragons, mitochondria, and farandolae. This passage also illustrates how much Meg cares about her brother, as she gets angry when she’s afraid and is deeply concerned not only about his treatment at school but also about his declining health.

“Like the dragons in the garden, their father’s visits to the White House were something best not talked about at school. Unlike the dragons, these visits were real.”

There is an air of mystery surrounding Mr. Murry. He plays a role in the plot without actually being a part of it, similar to his role in A Wrinkle in Time. Now, however, he often travels and tries to work on the novel's central conflict from a different angle. Mr. Murry’s absence also creates a sense of anxiety in Meg, who wishes both of her parents could be present with Charles Wallace’s health in danger.

“His end-of-summer tan could not disguise his extreme pallor, nor his shadowed eyes; why hadn’t she noticed this? Because she hadn’t wanted to. It was easier to blame Charles Wallace’s paleness and lethargy on his problems at school.”

This passage describes that Charles Wallace is not well. He can’t be active without getting short of breath and is constantly pale. Meg has a strong emotional connection to her brother, but she is also afraid that there is something seriously wrong with Charles Wallace.