43 pages • 1 hour read
Audrey NiffeneggerThe Time Traveler's Wife
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2003A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Character Analysis
Henry DeTamble
Henry is one of the novel’s two main characters. He is a Chrono Displaced Person, meaning he time travels. Others see Henry’s reality as chaotic and unbelievable. Over the course of his life, he develops predilections in line with the deviance of his time travels. He likes punk music, and as a younger man consumes alcohol and drugs.
Annette’s death is the pivotal moment in his life. Without trying to, he frequently revisits the scene of the automobile accident. This reflects how people experience trauma. In memory, we often return to visceral events, even when we don’t want to. Henry, being a time traveler, does so literally.
For Henry, time is nonlinear. He visits himself as a child, and meets his daughter well after he dies. Seeing the future frees him from the uncertainties others might feel when thinking of the future. At the same time, he is restricted by the knowledge that he can’t change his fate.
Clare Abshire
As the novel jumps around in time, we see different versions of Clare. However, her patience and idealism are generally constant. At times, this may seem like denial, such as when she miscarries and refuses to face Henry’s death.
Clare’s life presents the conundrum of Fate Versus Free Will. The tension between agency and destiny is evident when she tries to have a child.
In spite of present-day Henry’s warnings, Clare perseveres. However, the novel raises the question: Is this agency, or is it predetermined that she will have a child? The novel raises these questions without providing a clear answer.
Clare’s perspective gives readers insight into The Nature of Time and Memory. Though not a literal time traveler, Clare travels through her memories.
Through Clare, Niffenegger shows how love can transcend death.
Richard DeTamble
Richard is an accomplished violinist and Henry’s father. He illustrates The Impact of Grief and what happens when there’s no hope of reuniting with a dead loved one. In this way, he is Clare’s foil. Clare knows that she will see Henry again. In contrast, Richard must come to terms with his wife’s absence, a task which he fails at.
After Annette dies, Richard’s relationship with his son becomes tense and complicated. Because he has mismanaged his grief, he tends to see Henry as somehow responsible for his wife’s death. Through Richard, Niffenegger shows how people navigate random tragedies. Richard tries to make sense of the accident and give it meaning; he blames Henry (and himself) as a means of giving it some kind of sense.
Henry’s engagement to Clare provides possible redemption, an opportunity for Richard to renew his relationship with his son. When his granddaughter Alba is born, Richard shifts away from despair. While it is unclear whether Richard substantially overcomes his trauma, he sees in Alba the value of love.
Alba DeTamble
Alba is Clare and Henry’s daughter, conceived by Henry during one of his trips in time. Like Henry, Alba has CDP and time travels. She is a source of light for her parents. Her presence in the book, though limited, provides other characters— particularly Henry and Richard—a source of hope and promise.
Alba also becomes a source of hope for Dr. Kendrick. As the doctor pursues a cure for Henry’s condition, it becomes increasingly unlikely that he can help. With a sample of Alba’s DNA, Dr. Kendrick is able to continue studying her genetic condition, offering the potential for a cure in future.
