Discuss the importance of time and space in Margaret Atwood's 'Cat's Eye'

From the very beginning of the novel, Atwood accentuates the importance of time and space, starting with the idea that 'time is not a line, but a dimension'. We are thus immediately made aware of Atwood's interest in these notions and her rather idiosyncratic approach to them. On the surface, this phrase is purely scientific, with Atwood suggesting that time is directly related to space and that it is a far more incomprehensible notion than simply being a linear phenomenon, however the underlying message can be read in a rather different way; one might see this as an analogy for the temporal development of personality. Thus, Atwood indicates that our own development of character is not a simplistic, linear matter, but it is far more complex and layered. The fact that she immediately discusses time raises the reader's awareness of this topic, which in turn points towards its importance in the narrative structure of the novel and towards the character development that becomes evident as the story progresses.