Plot summary of The Time Traveler’s Wife
The novel relates the adventures of Henry DeTamble (born 1963), a librarian at Chicago’s Newberry Library, as he visits a kid who will eventually become his wife, Clare Anne Abshire (born 1971), an artist who crafts paper sculptures, using alternating first-person perspectives.
Henry suffers from a rare genetic disease known as Chrono-Impairment. This disorder causes Henry to travel across time uncontrollably.
When Clare, 20, meets 28-year-old Henry at the Newberry Library in 1991, he has never seen her before, despite the fact that she has known him her entire life.
Around the age of five, Henry initiates time travel, leaping forward and backward in relation to his own history. He has no control over when he disappears, where he goes, or how long his journeys last.
His destinations, though, are linked to his subconscious—he frequently travels to locations and eras relevant to his own background.
Some stressors, like stress, can cause Henry’s time travel; he frequently goes jogging to be calm and in the present. In the future, he looks for medications that will help him control his time travel. Dr. Kendrick, a geneticist, is also consulted.
Henry is unable to transport anything into the future or the past, thus he constantly arrives naked and struggles to locate clothing, shelter, and sustenance.
He does learn a variety of survival skills, such as lock-picking, self-defense, and pickpocketing. He learns a lot of stuff from older incarnations of himself.
Once their histories “naturally” cross at the library—their first meeting in his chronology—Henry begins to go to Clare’s childhood and adolescence in South Haven, Michigan, beginning in 1977, when she is just six years old.
On one of his first trips (from Clare’s point of view), Henry provides her a list of the days he will appear, which she records in a journal so she will remember to furnish him with clothes and food when he arrives.
During a subsequent visit, Henry unintentionally announces that they will marry in the future. They form a deep friendship over time. At one point, Henry assists Clare in frightening and humiliating a boy who has abused her.
Clare is last seen by Henry in her youth in 1989, on her eighteenth birthday, when they make love for the first time. They are then separated for two years until their eventual reunion at the library.
Clare and Henry marry in the end. Clare begins to have difficulty carrying a pregnancy to term soon after their marriage due to the genetic defect Henry is likely passing on to the fetus. Following five miscarriages, Henry decides to have a vasectomy to save Clare any additional agony.
Nevertheless, a former version of Henry pays Clare a visit one night and they make love; she later gives birth to a daughter named Alba. Alba possesses Chrono-Impairment as well, but unlike Henry, she has some control over her time travel destinations.
Henry travels to the future before she is born and meets his ten-year-old daughter on a school field trip. Regrettably, he learns during this journey that he will die when Alba is five years old.
Henry time travels to a Chicago parking garage on a chilly winter night when he is 43, during what is to be his final year of life, when he is unable to find refuge.
When he returns to the present, his feet are severed as a result of the hypothermia and frostbite he suffers while sleeping in the parking garage.
Both Henry and Clare are aware that if Henry does not have the capacity to escape when he time travels, he will very surely die within the next several jumps.
Henry time travels into the middle of the Michigan woods in 1984 on New Year’s Eve 2006 and is inadvertently shot by Clare’s brother, a situation foretold previously in the novel. Henry is transported back in time and dies in Clare’s arms.
Henry’s death has crushed Clare. She subsequently discovers a letter from Henry in which he tells her to “stop waiting” for him, but it also outlines a time in the future when she will see him again. Clare and Henry reconcile when Clare is 82 and Henry is 43.
The novel’s final scene has Clare, well into her old age, still waiting for Henry, as she has done for the majority of her life.
“The Time Traveler’s Wife” Themes
Audrey Niffenegger’s novel “The Time Traveler’s Wife” tackles various issues, including:
Love and Relationships: The novel is mostly about the love tale of Henry and Clare, who are separated by time but maintain a strong relationship. The plot delves into how love can overcome barriers and remain despite the passage of time.
Time is a major element in the work, as Henry is a time traveler who has no control over when or where he travels. The novel delves into the impact of time on relationships, showing how time can bring people closer as well as rip them apart.
Fate and Destiny: While Henry’s time travel appears to be predetermined and beyond his control, the novel explores concerns about fate and destiny. The plot delves into how the decisions we make and the courses we follow can affect our future.
Loss and Grief: When both Henry and Clare face the death of loved ones, the story explores the themes of loss and sadness. The plot delves into how death and grief affect relationships and how people deal with their emotions.
Identity: While Henry battles with his identity as a time traveler and Clare seeks to find her place in the world, the novel highlights questions about identity. The plot delves into how our experiences and relationships determine our identities.
Memory: Since Henry’s time travel allows him to recall memories from his past and witness moments from his future, the story addresses the concept of memory. The anecdote raises questions about memory’s dependability and how memories impact our lives.
“The Time Traveler’s Wife” Characters
Audrey Niffenegger’s “The Time Traveler’s Wife” features several prominent characters, including:
Henry DeTamble: The novel’s protagonist, Henry, is a time traveler with a genetic disease that allows him to travel through time unintentionally. He is madly in love with Clare, whom he meets for the first time when she is six years old.
Clare Anne Abshire: Clare is Henry’s wife and his true love. She first sees Henry as a child and hopes to see him again throughout her life. She is a sculptor who works with paper.
Gomez: Henry’s best friend and musician in the band “The Sixths.” When Henry travels to a new time period, he is frequently the first person he contacts.
Alba DeTamble: Henry and Clare’s daughter, born with the power to travel through time. Her parents adore her because she is a bright and smart child.
Henry’s mother, Charisse, is an artist and poet. She suffers from despair and drinking, which has a significant impact on Henry’s childhood.
Henry’s father, Richard DeTamble, is a librarian and scholar. He dies when Henry is a teenager, which has a profound effect on him.
Clare’s father, Philip Abshire, is a wealthy and successful lawyer. He is first opposed to Henry and Clare’s relationship, but gradually accepts it.
Henry’s first wife, Annette DeTamble, whom he marries while time traveling. She is a compassionate and sympathetic individual who accepts Henry’s predicament.
Henry’s mistress, Ingrid Carmichael, whom he meets while time traveling. She is a teenage artist who develops a crush on Henry.
Each of these individuals is important to the plot and concepts of the novel.