Her journey to where he has already been; future

Character analysis

I have chosen Clare Abshire from Audrey Niffenegger’s book the Time Traveler’s Wife for my character analysis. I chose her because she’s such a fascinating a character. I wanted to study more about her since she is one of the main characters of the book and she seemed so endearing, and I could really see myself in her situation. The story, from Clare’s point of view, starts when she’s a six-year-old girl playing in the meadow when suddenly Henry, in his fourties, emerges out of no where into her sight. This keeps happening until Clare’s eighteen, and a few years after that they finally meet in real time in Chicago. The whole book depicts the story of their love, that is unaffiliated by time, Henry’s time traveling journeys and Clare’s longing for him while he’s gone.

Clare is the protagonist, since she always waits for her husband and never leaves him though he’s involuntary not reliable. Clare is an artist, which already tells something about her charasterictics; she’s creative. She makes abstract paper art in a studio in their apartment. She’s gentle, caring and loving when it comes to Henry, she really loves him more than anything and would probably do anything for him. When they’re trying to have a baby, and it doesn’t work out instantly, Clare is stubborn and she insists on having a baby eventhough they had already had six miscarriages. From that I also presume that Clare is determined on getting what she wants, and rather used to then get it. She can also tolerate pain well, if she has already had six miscarriages and she still wants to try again. Clare is extremely beautiful with her long, red and curly hair, but that’s  not the reason why Henry has such an unbelievable love for her: she’s also captivating when it comes to her personality. My opinion of Clare is that, she’s a righteous and good woman all the way to her core, she has many positive characteristics, but also few negatives, like being frustrated with Henry when he’s time traveling.

I think Clare makes just choises in her life, though her choises are not always smart. For example, when she agrees to marry Henry she bonds her life to his unsteady, erratic lifestyle. It depends on the person whether that’s wise, but for Clare it is, since actually it wouldn’t be wise to fight against something that has already happened, in the future. Sometimes Clare feels like she can’t make her own decisions nor choises, because Henry has told her about their future together. Clare’s motivation to do anything that she does is due to Henry. When she was just a little girl, she already knew that she wanted and would marry him, so every move she made she made to get to him in real time. She always thinks about others and she’s not selfish at all. Clare’s behaviour effects on Henry and vice versa.

Clare is a round character, of course, because the book describes her life  in her childhood, adolescence and adulthood and when she gets older she grows physically but also mentally. She changes when she gets married to Henry and especially when she gives birth to her first-born, Alba. That’s when she really grows up to be an adult, a parent, and she becomes more liable. If I were Clare, I wouldn’t have made the exact same choises. For example I wouldn’t have tried to get a baby after six miscarriages! I adore the way she’s loving and caring with Henry and Alba and I’m sort of jealous about Clare’s characteristics. I find Clare a truly astonishing and lively person!

10 most challenging words

enmeshed           sotkeutunut

illuminated        valaistu

plausible            uskottava

bifocals             kaksitehot (silmälasit)

withdraw           vetäytyä

lather                saippuavaahto

chignon            nuttura

plow                 aurata

embalm            palsamoida

convexity         kuperuus

Henry and Clare.

Mindmap of Clare

Audrey Niffenegger. 2004. The Time Traveler’s Wife. London: Vintage.

Love unaffiliated by time

The Time Traveler’s Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger, is a breathtaking and one of the most engrossing books I have read in a long time. Henry DeTamble and Clare Abshire, the enchanting characters of the book, have invincible love for each other. As their relationship is second to none, the book is a poignant lovestory along Henry’s intriguing and intimidating adventures to either past or future of his own life, completely naked since he’s not able to bring any clothes with him.

The book alternates between Henry and Clare’s points of view, so you can easily get to the bottom of their aspects of life and the feelings they have for each other. Having read from Clare’s point of view while Henry’s involuntary away time traveling, you can really feel the aversion, anguish and the way she’s longing for her husband she met as a six-year-old.

I would say that the most fascinating thing is that Clare has known and loved Henry since she was six, but when they run into each other in their twenties Henry has never seen her before though she claims they’ve known each other all her life! Being married to Clare, in his fourties, Henry suddenly finds himself time traveling to her past and meeting Clare as an adolescent. This impassioned, sentimental and endearing lovestory will stay in my mind for good, and I highly recommend this book for everyone!

Cover of the Time Traveler's Wife