The first chapter not only establishes the tone of the narrative, but foreshadows several important events that will take place over the course of the novel. The description of the moon in the first sentence alludes to the celestial battle between the shadowy Thing and the stars, witnessed by Meg and her fellow travelers in Chapter Four: "Every few moments the moon ripped through [the clouds], creating wraithlike shadows that raced across the ground." Meg's mother's remark that Meg needs to learn to find a "happy medium" prefigures Meg's encounter with a creature by this name in Chapter Six. Finally, Mrs. Murry tells Meg that she just needs "to plow through some more time" before things will get easier for her, which is indeed literally what Meg will do when she travels through a wrinkle in time.