The Swiftly Tiliting Planet is about Charles Wallace, a 15 year old boy, and a mysterious unicorn, Gaudior, traveling through time in order to stop a mad dictator, Mad Dog Branzillo. Charles Wallace must be sent “within” many different people, in another time period, in order that disaster is avoided. While Charles is within these people he will use an ancient rune in order to discover clues about Mad Dog so that they may thwart his attempts to start a nuclear war.
During one night, Charles Wallace's father receives a phone call from the President telling him of the threat that Mad Dog Branzillo made. He had threatened that he would start a nuclear war that could potentially destroy the world. During that same night, Calvin's mother, who was the mother-in-law of Meg, gives Charles Wallace a strange rune meant to help him along his mission to stop Branzillo.
Charles Wallace goes to his star-watching rock and says the first part of the rune. Immediately after a unicorn, Gaudior, appears to help Charles undertake the journey that lay ahead. In order to stop Branzillo, they must travel through time and change a Might-Have-Been, which are events that could happen or might have happened, and stop Branzillo. In order to change the Might-Have-Beens they must find out about Mad Dog's past. But they can only travel through time in that spot and cannot control where they go in time. Also, while they are traveling through time Echthroi, the source of all evil, will try to disrupt their travel and throw them into oblivion. Charles has the ability to go “within” people, which means he can become that person but can't control them. This would enable him to find out about Branzillo's past.
Charles and Gaudior travel through time and end up in a time where Charles becomes within a boy, Harcels, who was a Native American who was over a millennium ago. Charles also becomes Madoc, a man who traveled; he becomes Brandon Llawcae, a settler who was from Wales, Mrs. O'Keefe's brother, Chuck Maddox, which takes place during Mrs. O' Keefe's childhood. Lastly, Charles goes within Matthew Maddox, a talented writer during the Civil War who wrote a story about someone connected to Mad Dog.
All these people have connections with Mad Dog but a greater connection is discovered when two Welsh princes come to America to avoid civil war at there own country. During their stay at America, one of the brothers, Gwyddyr, turns on his brother, Madoc, and tries to conquer the land they had just found. When Madoc defeated Gwyddyr, Gwyddyr flees to South America, to a city were Branzillo is from, and settles there. Both of the brothers were married to natives and become part of the Indian culture. Hundreds of years later, descendants of both brothers marry and Branzillo comes from them eventually. However, thanks to Charles changing a Might-Have-Been, descendants of the Madoc line marry resulting in Branzillo being born in a peaceful environment, thwarting the nuclear threat.
This book contains stories which parallels to the story of Cain and Abel. Gwyddyr causes trouble when he grows jealous of his brother, Madoc, is in love with someone who is also loved by him. Gwyddyr fights Madoc but eventually losses the battle. Cain grows jealous of his Abel just like in the book. This theme repeats throughout the story, for example, the story about Chuck. Duthbert Mortmain loved Chuck's mother and was jealous of her husband. Once Chuck's father dies Duthbert marries Chuck's mother. Even though Duthbert didn't make an attempt on Chuck's father's life, which happened in the other stories, he did fight his opposition. His opposition was Chuck, who had always been against the marriage. He hits Chuck which results in Chuck receiving a mental disability.
The hero of the story, Charles Wallace, travels through time with Gaudior, but they can't control the “wind”, which is what controls their time travel. Oddly enough, whoever Charles Wallace goes within is similar to him which came from Gaudior saying to Charles, “You know, you are who you have gone within.” This plays into the theme that if you are around someone you can be influenced by that person. In this case, Charles is influenced by good a person which is why Charles matures throughout the story.
The rune in the story symbolizes a prayer which I think is St. Michael's Prayer. This prayer was developed to call on Michael to defeat the temptations of the devil which is what Charles is doing, he is calling for help. While “Goodman Higgins and Pastor Mortmain led Zylle across the dusty compound and up the steps to the gallows,” Brandon, who at the time was Charles, called “to Heaven and all its power….and the lighting with its rapid wrath.” Brandon is calling on Heaven (St. Michael) to save from Zylle from being hanged and Michael saves Zylle. This is one example of many examples of Heaven helping Charles, in fact, in every chapter.
In conclusion, this book is teaching us the power of prayer, in every adversity that Charles Wallace and Gaudior faced; they called “to Heaven and all its power”. The theme of jealousy was telling me what makes people avoid prayer; the jealous people will not take into consideration what can accomplish for them when you ask for their help like Charles did.
