Time-Travel, Love & Tragedy: Essay Sample on Henry's Journey of Hope

Introduction

The Time Traveler's Wife is a story of a man called Henry, who has a genetic disorder, which makes him time travel unpredictably. His wife is then forced to cope with dangerous experiences and frequent travels. Henry experiences the tragic death of his mother, which makes a big impact on his life. Having the abilities to time travel does not help him forget what has happened to him in the past until he meets Clare and things start to change for Henry for the better. The relationship of Henry and Clare that they develop over time demonstrates that theme love and time and the way love is patient and the use of the character Henry DeTamble shows how the surrounding shaped him.

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In The Time Traveler's Wife, love existing between Clare and Henry is expressed in different ways. For instance, in the way, Clare waited and longed for the return of Henry, in physical lovemaking among the two, and considering the sacrifices made by the two in ensuring that the relationship works. In the world of Clare and Henry, love is an essential value, and it even surpasses death. The love between the two is evident when Henry says, "This is why I love to be drawn by Clare: when she looks at me with that kind of attention, I feel that I am everything to her" (Niffenegger 103). The statement made by Henry is an indication to feel loved entails getting the attention of your partner, being together, and with no distractions.

In the relationship between Henry and Clare, time is an important subject in the perception of an individual. Since Henry is a time traveler, he jumps from the future to the past while his partner Clare lives exclusively chronologically. Even though Clare experiences the present time only, for Henry, present, future, and past occurs at the same time. When Clare is waiting for Henry, time moves slowly but when she is with him, time moves so fast. At some moment in The Time Traveler's Wife, Clare tells Henry, "You made it impossible for me to find you in the present; you said it would just happen when it was supposed to happen" (13). Regardless of Henry's advise to Clare of waiting for him until they unite naturally, Clare went on looking for him by trying to cheat time since she could not wait longer.

As a character, Henry travels a lot, and in several instances, in the story, it is evident that stress is the main cause of his time travels. Dr. Kendrick reveals that Henry has no stress tolerance. Some of the things that stress Henry include getting married, having kids, drinking too much, loud noises, watching TV, conflict, and blinding lights. The only time Henry relaxes is when having sex. In the story, it is like Henry is not trying much. He leaves his marital responsibilities to cause trouble, get high, go womanizing, and live the bachelor's life. It is evident when Clare remarks, "since I met you here in the present, you've hardly time traveled at all" (227). It is an indication that Clare is suspicious of Henry's habit.

Conclusion

In conclusion, time is an essential tool in every relationship, just like love. Clare and Henry love each other, and that is why Clare patiently waits for Henry to return. For Clare, love is an essential value that even surpasses death, and Henry believes that time would always make them together. Also, the main cause of Henry's time travels is stress, and that is the reason he causes trouble, get high, and go womanizing when he travels.

Works Cited

Niffenegger, Audrey. The time traveler's wife. Simon and Schuster, 2014.