The Time Traveler’s Wife: Can History Be Changed?
This article contains spoilers for The Time Traveler's Wife episode 2.
Henry believes time cannot be changed in The Time Traveler's Wife, but that may not be the case. Time travel is a theoretical science, and any fiction dealing with the idea must develop its own rules. Precious few franchises actually do so in a consistent manner, largely because temporal mechanics usually serve as a plot device and are therefore secondary to character arcs. HBO's new TV series The Time Traveler's Wife, based on the best-selling novel by Audrey Niffenegger, is a classic example; as integral as time travel may be to the plot, the focus lies upon the relationship between Henry and Clare.
But, of course, Time Traveler's Wifedoes have a time travel model. It's not stated in conceptual terms, but rather in experiential ones, because for Henry time travel is a lived experience. According to Henry, time is fixed and it is impossible for him to change anything. He learned that at an early age when, as a grieving child, he desperately attempted to save his mother from a fatal car crash by warning her what was about to happen. And yet, for all that's the case, the truth may be more complex than Henry believes.
Related: Does The Time Traveler’s Wife Steal Plots From Doctor Who?
The core problem lies in Henry's first attempt to save his mother's life. She angrily rejected it, an event that would clearly leave a grieving child even more traumatized. Correct or not, a belief in destiny becomes core to Henry's understanding of time, and to the problematic relationship of The Time Traveler's Wife. It is effectively self-reinforcing, precisely because Henry's future self imposes this lens upon his younger iteration. In functional terms, it's a time
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