IMPORTANT: Comprehension questions will be in chronological order as you read through the story. Page numbers are approximate, and will vary with different editions of the book.
Section 1: Chapters 1-3
Vocabulary
- antagonistic: showing or feeling active opposition or hostility toward someone or something
- assimilate: take in (information, ideas, or culture) and understand fully
- belligerent: hostile and aggressive
- inadvertent: not resulting from or achieved through deliberate planning
- indignation: anger or annoyance provoked by what is perceived as unfair treatment
- morass: a complicated or confused situation
- prodigious: remarkably or impressively great in extent, size, or degree
Comprehension Questions
- The unusual thing about Charles Wallace is that he didn’t start talking until he was four years old. Pg. 13
- Mrs. Whatsit confirms the existence of a tesseract and that stuns Mrs. Murry. pg. 27
- Meg gets sent to the principal’s because she was rude to her teacher. Pg. 30
- Charles Wallace wants Meg to go visit Mrs. Whatsit with him. Pg. 34
- Charles Wallace knows the tesseract is something big because his mother gets upset when the tesseract is mentioned by Mrs. Whatsit. Pg. 34
- Calvin says he came to the cabin to get away from his family. Pg. 38
- Charles Wallace decides that he believes Calvin. Pg. 40
- Meg’s fears were calmed by Calvin’s strong hand at her elbow and Fort pressing against her leg. Pg. 41
- Calvin makes Meg angry by asking questions about her father. Pg. 57
- Mrs. Whatsit reveals that Mrs. Who is a few billion years old. Pg. 63
- Meg became good at math because she and her father used to play with numbers. Pg. 50
- The government says that Mr. Murry is in on a secret and dangerous mission. Pg. 59,60
- Mrs. Which doesn’t fully materialize because it’s too tiring to do so. Pg. 63
Section 2: Chapters 4-6
Vocabulary
- aberration: a departure from what is normal, usual, or expected, typically one that is unwelcome
- ephemeral: lasting for a very short time
- inexorable: impossible to stop or prevent
- myopic: lacking imagination, foresight, or intellectual insight precipitous-dangerously high or steep
- propitious: giving or indicating a good chance of success; favorable
- sonorous: a voice that is imposingly deep and full
Comprehension Questions
- Mrs. Whatsit explains that Mrs. Who uses quotes because she has a hard time verbalizing. Pg. 69
- Meg is told she must learn patience in order to see her father. Pg. 71
- The children are shown a dark shadow in the darkened sky. Pg. 81
- Mrs. Whatsit tells the children they will be helping their father do something difficult. Pg. 84
- After leaving Uriel, the children can’t stop at the first planet, because it was a two dimensional place and they couldn’t breathe there. Pg. 90
- Mrs Whatsit is exactly 2,379,152,497 years, 8 months, and 3 days old. Pg. 95
- The Happy Medium doesn’t want the children to see the earth because it is covered by the dark Thing. Pg. 99
- Seeing Meg’s mother made Meg feel mad and that helped her to not be scared. Pg. 109
- The final planet did not seem frightening to Meg because the landscape and town looked familiar. Pg. 111
- Mrs. Whatsit warns Charles that pride and arrogance could betray him. Pg. 114
- All the Children were playing in an identical way and that was very strange. Pg. 115
- The mother on Camazotz describes an aberration as a child dropping a ball. Pg. 118
- Charles Wallace thinks the children should go to Cental Central Intelligence to learn about Camazotz. Pg. 123
Section 3: Chapters 7-9
Vocabulary
- bilious: affected by or associated with nausea or vomiting
- bravado: a bold manner or a show of boldness intended to impress or intimidate emanate-originate from; be produced by
- miasma: a highly unpleasant or unhealthy smell or vapor
- oblique: neither parallel nor at a right angle to a specified or implied line; slanting pedantic-of or like a pedant
- pinion: the outer part of a bird’s wing including the flight feathers
Comprehension Questions
- The man who speaks to the children’s minds, claims to assume all the pain ,and responsibilities ,and burdens of thought and decisions. Pg. 135
- Charles Wallace quotes nursery rhymes to try and prevent his mind from being controlled. Pg. 135, 136
- Meg made the voice angry by tackling Charles Wallace to the ground. Pg. 140
- Charles Wallace can’t tase the food like Meg and Calvin because he is able to completely shut out the man from his mind. Pg. 144
- Charles Wallace is suddenly able to taste food because he gave over his mind to the man. Pg. 148
- On Camazotz people who are sick are just put to sleep. Pg. 154
- The little boy with the red ball was at Central Central Intelligence because they were reprograming him to never desire to deviate again. Pg. 158
- The voice from Charles Wallace tells Meg that she must go to IT in order to save Mr. Murry. Pg. 162
- Calvin tries to reach Charles by quoting Shakespeare and staring into his eyes. Pg. 162
- Meg uses the spectacles that Mrs Who gave her to rescue her father. Pg. 164
- Meg recites the Gettysburg Address to keep her mind from being controlled by IT. Pg. 176
- Meg fears that all the people including Charles Wallace would be destroyed if IT was destroyed. Pg. 178
- Mr Murry, Meg and Calvin tesser out of the room to escape from IT. Pg. 179
Section 4: Chapters 10-12
Vocabulary
- despondent: in low spirits from loss of hope or courage
- pungent: having a sharply strong taste or smell
- relinquish: voluntarily cease to keep or claim; give up
- spasm: a sudden involuntary muscular contraction
- tic: a habitual spasmodic contraction of the muscles
- trepidation: a feeling of fear or agitation about something that may happen vestige-a trace of something that is disappearing or no longer exists
Comprehension Questions
- Mr. Murry and Calvin are able to hold out against IT because IT isn’t used to being refused. Pg. 181
- IT offered Mr. Murry complete rest and he almost gave into IT. Pg. 181
- Charles was susceptible to IT because he thought he could go into IT and come out again. Pg. 182
- Meg accuses her father of leaving Charles Wallace on Camazotz. Pg. 188
- The Beasts want to know if people on Earth were used to visitors from other planets. Pg. 195
- Meg finds it difficult to explain eyesight to the creatures of Ixchel. Pg. 199
- When Meg is comforted by Aunt Beast she has a feeling that the beast would be able to love her no matter what she said or did. Pg. 202
- The creatures of Ixchel find Earthly language utterly simple and limited. Pg. 206
- Meg realizes that it has to be her to go rescue Charles Wallace because Charles understands Meg. Pg. 216
- Meg’s solution for rescuing Charles was to go directly to It. Pg. 225
- Mrs Whatsit compares life to a sonnet and says people are given the form but have freedom within it. Pg. 219
- Mrs. Which gives Meg the gift of knowing she has something IT does not have and Mrs. Who gives Meg a passage of scripture. Pg. 222
- Me finally realizes that she has love and that IT does not. Pg. 228