The word
"devouring" is not to be taken literally in this particular context. Nothing is
actually eating Charles Wallace; but he's certainly been taken over by IT. Firmly in IT's grip
Charles is like a different person. The words he speaks are not his own; IT is speaking through
him. "Devouring" immediately establishes a mood of unease, as we sense there's
something not quite right about Charles. If you devour something, you eat it, and whatever you
eat becomes a part of you. And Charles has clearly become a part of IT.
That
Charles is firmly in the grip of IT can be seen when he extols IT's supposed virtues to Meg and
Calvin, telling them that he is the "Boss" and the "Happiest Sadist". For
good measure, he advises the children that they should turn themselves over entirely to IT
instead of wasting their time looking for Mr. Murry.
There are no prizes for
guessing that these are the words of IT, speaking through Charles Wallace. IT, using Charles
Wallace as a mouthpiece, advises Meg to stop fighting and relax. Essentially, what IT wants to
do is to devour Meg and Calvin in exactly the same way he's devoured Charles
Wallace.
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