How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
"It's all right," Meg assured the Medium earnestly. "Truly it is, Mrs. Medium, and we thank you very much."
"Are you sure?" the Medium asked, brightening.
"Of course! It really helped ever so much because it made me mad, and when I'm mad I don't have room to be scared." (6.54-56)
What is it about anger that drives away fear? Is it just that, as Meg suggests, she only has room for one strong emotion at the time? Or is there something in the feeling of outrage that counteracts fright?
Quote #5
Charles Wallace looked steadily at Mrs. Whatsit. "Are you afraid for us?"
"A little."
"But if you weren't afraid to do what you did when you were a star, why should you be afraid for us now?"
"But I was afraid," Mrs. Whatsit said gently. (6.79-82)
This conversation reveals a blind spot in Charles Wallace – he seems to think that if you do something brave, it means that you're not scared, whereas Mrs. Whatsit explains that bravery and fear can go hand-in-hand. This suggests a more complicated view of heroism: perhaps the real hero is not the person (or star) who does something without fear, but the one who is scared but does it anyway.
Quote #6
Then the voice was directed to Meg. "To you I leave my glasses, little blind-as-a-bat - But do not use them except as a last resort. Save them for the final moment of peril." As she spoke there was another shimmer of spectacles, and then it was gone, and the voice faded out with it. The spectacles were in Meg's hand. She put them carefully into the breast pocket of her blazer, and the knowledge that they were there somehow made her a little less afraid. (6.89)
While the promised usefulness of the glasses might give Meg a sense of security, it may also be that just having a little piece of Mrs. Who makes her feel better, regardless of the power it might have against her enemies. Previously, Meg has felt better in scary situations when she had a sense that the people around her cared about her.