Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Time Traveler’s Wife, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
The Here and Now
Love and Absence
Free Will vs. Determinism
Language and Art
Self-Love
Summary
Analysis
Wednesday, June 28, 2006 (Henry is 43, and 43). When Henry regains consciousness from his most recent time-traveling journey, he finds himself lying on concrete. Below his ear is lump from some kind of impact. He realizes while looking at the metal grating before him that he has been transported into the Cage in the Newberry’s east stairwell. He tries to quash his terror. When someone finds him, he knows that he will have to tell his coworkers the truth about his condition. Henry waits alone for many hours before his least favorite security guard, Kevin, finds him.
Henry has long feared that he would get stuck in the Cage, leaving him locked inside and with no chance of escaping on his own. That his fear has finally come true further indicates that his condition is worsening. And indeed, readers (and Henry) know that he will die in less than a year. The narrative builds tension as Clare’s love and support and Henry’s self-love fail to be powerful enough to stop Henry’s condition from progressing.
Themes
Henry feigns unconsciousness so he doesn’t have to answer Kevin’s questions. Kevin radios Roy, another guard. When the men begin debating whether they should call for an ambulance, Henry decides to sit up. He asks them to bring him some coffee, a straw, and clothes from his desk. Roy and Kevin return with the items Henry requested with Matt and Roberto in tow. They feed the clothing and straw through the gaps in the metal grating; Henry dresses quickly. Roberto asks everyone else to leave so Henry can finally tell him the truth.
Tension continues to build as readers are left to wonder whether Henry’s supervisor, Roberto, will believe that Henry is telling the truth about being a time traveler. Though Henry can take steps to manage his condition as best he can, ultimately his self-care only allows him to control himself—he can’t force others to believe him or extend compassion to him.
Themes
Meanwhile, present-day Henry arrives to work late because Alba didn’t want to get dressed that morning. When Henry gets to his desk, Isabelle chastises him for being tardy; Matt, however, is shocked to see Henry out of the Cage. He asks him how he escaped. Once Henry’s panic settles, he asks Matt to take him to where he saw him. On their way, they pass Henry’s other supervisor, Catherine, and he invites her to follow them as well. When they enter the stairwell, Roberto is in the middle of accusing Henry of lying about time traveling—the arrival of a second Henry silences him abruptly. Present Henry explains the specifics of the condition to his coworkers, who finally believe him. Future Henry disappears before everyone’s eyes.
Though Henry can’t directly force others to react to his condition in a certain way or even believe that it exists in the first place, he can take advantage of his ability to time travel to influence their opinion with the help of past, present, and future versions of himself. Here, present-day Henry’s appearance alongside the version of Henry stuck in the Cage gives Roberto the physical proof he needs to believe Henry that he can indeed time travel, as unbelievable as the claim might seem in the abstract.
Themes
Friday, July 7, 2006 (Henry is 43). Henry sits in Dr. Kendrick’s office. The doctor explains that Henry’s age, compromised immune system, and complex genes will prevent him from being able to treat him. Kendrick apologizes to Henry, who hardly reacts to the news. He asks the doctor if it’s too late for Alba. Kendrick responds that that’s beside the point because Clare refuses to let him access her DNA. Henry asks if it’s possible for him to acquire a sample of Alba’s DNA for Dr. Kendrick to begin working on in hopes that he will make progress before Alba turns 18 and can decide for herself if she wants to go through treatment. The doctor agrees.
As with any other condition, the natural wear that the body incurs with age complicates Henry’s ability to manage his condition. Henry’s lack of a response to Dr. Kendrick’s news could indicate the healthy self-acceptance he has finally reached through years of self-care and other personal work. But despite Henry’s seeming maturity, he continues to behave dishonestly toward Clare, here scheming to get a sample of Alba’s DNA without Clare’s knowledge or consent.
Themes
Get the entire The Time Traveler’s Wife LitChart as a printable PDF.
Friday, July 14, 2006 (Clare is 35, Henry is 43). Clare is in her studio making delicate, almost transparent paper. Alba runs in to show Clare her the new ruby slippers Henry bought her. Henry follows behind Alba. Clare notices a bandage on Alba’s arm. Not believing Henry’s weak excuse, Clare peels off the bandage and sees that Henry has had Alba’s blood drawn. She understands what he has done, and they argue. Henry tells Clare it’s too late for him to be treated, but he wants to make sure that Alba had as much of a head start for treatment as possible before he dies. Despite her sadness about Henry’s inevitable death, Clare agrees to let Dr. Kendrick study Alba’s DNA until Alba can make her own decisions.
In the book, the color red symbolizes the struggles that cause strife in Henry and Clare’s relationship and make it hard for them to exist in the here and now, together. Alba’s ruby slippers build on this symbolism. They are a nod to the famous ruby slippers of film The Wizard of Oz, in which the protagonist Dorothy clicks ruby slippers together to transport herself home from the magical world of Oz. In the context of Henry and Clare’s story, the slippers suggest Alba’s (and Henry’s) time traveling. Perhaps Henry bought them for Alba as a symbol of comfort to Clare to remind her that Alba will always return to her. But in order to return, Alba must first travel away from Clare, making the slippers as much a symbol of Clare’s struggles and worries as a symbol of comfort. Perhaps this is what motivates Clare to agree—albeit reluctantly—to Henry’s request to let Dr. Kendrick study Alba.
Themes
Saturday, October 27, 1984 (Henry is 43, Clare is 13). Henry describes the occasion of his death, which he is now sure of. He knows he will be sitting in the Meadow; Clare won’t be there because he won’t put it on the list of dates he provides her for his visits. Philip and Mark will come out to hunt. As Henry waits in the clearing, something else will move in the grass. Clare’s brother will shoot at it, and the target will scream Clare’s name, waking her. Mark, Philip, and Henry will run toward the source of the shout, but there will only be a spot of red blood left behind. Clare will arrive; Henry will motion to her to keep quiet as her father sends her back to her bed. Henry will watch it all happen while carrying the knowledge that he is dying in some other time.
Finally, readers learn the details surrounding the tragedy of Henry’s death—presumably, the target that Mark and Phillip shoot is in fact Henry. Another version of Henry travels to this moment to be with young Clare to ensure that she isn’t there to see his dead body. Though Henry can’t prevent the ultimate outcome of his death, he does what he can to ensure that the death doesn’t hurt and damage Clare any more than it must. This way, Clare doesn’t incur the trauma of witnessing the death—or, worse, of knowing about it and yet not being able to do anything about it for the rest of her and Henry’s life together.
Themes
