Setting

There are two main time frames in The Time Traveler’s Wife. Because Henry, one of the main characters, is a time traveler there is a past and present setting.

Present: In the present time of the novel, Clare and Henry meet in the city of Chicago where both are living at that time. They create a life together in this city. This setting is significant because the author, Audrey Niffenegger was originally from Chicago and grew up here. She added a personal piece of information to the novel connecting her to the characters.

 Past: The past is where Henry travels to while he is mid time travel. He tends to go to places that he is most comfortable. He travels to a main setting in the book, the meadow. This meadow is a significant place because it is where Clare spent most of her childhood and where Henry and Clare meet and grow together. It connects these two characters through a simple environment. Henry also travels to the place of his mother’s death over and over again. He was five when this event occurred this setting brings henry back to his childhood and the memories of his mother. A simple setting brings back an overwhelming flow of memories that can slowly him all over again.

The setting changes plenty of times throughout each chapter because it is skipping from the preset to the past back to another place in the past and to the present again. This book is unique setting wise because it doesn’t have a specific main setting, rather many settings, each with a different story.