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Ed finally completes all of the assignments, but he is greeted with another card and letter in the mail. However, this time it is an ace of clubs with a saying, "Say a prayer at the stones of home" (113). He realizes that once again he must help three people. Ed ventures off and finds a rock near the riverbank with these three names carved on it:
Thomas O'Reilly
Angie Carusso
Gavin Rose
Ed returns home and begins his research where he might locate these people.
After pursuing the local phone book, Ed is able to find the address of Thomas O'Reilly. He is a priest in a small participation church. Ed visits the church and the loneliness of the church is apparent, "The church really only had about a dozen people in it besides us. The emptiness of it is kind of depressing"(149). Ed has an idea of getting people to attend the church by holding a party which is a huge success. In the end, the priest can't thank Ed enough for his generous gesture and act of kindness, "He only steps forward, places his hands on my shoulders, and looks very seriously into my eyes. I can see the feeling, shifting the skin on his face. He contorts in a very peaceful, very holy way. I think it's the first chance in a long time the father's had to say thank you. Usually it's people thanking him" (165).
Just as Ed thought that his missions were complete, he finds one last card in his mailbox,
"My hands reach in and my fingers take hold of one last envelope. My name's on it, and inside I can already see it. There's one last card. One last address. I close my eyes and fall to my knees on my front lawn. My thoughts stammer. One last card. Without thinking, I gradually open the envelope, and when my eyes find the address, all thought are cut down and left there to die. It reads: 26 Shipping Street. The address is my address. The last message is for me" (337).
A few weeks later, Ed is ready and prepared for the meaning behind the Joker to unveil itself. One night, a knock comes to his door, and he opens it to find a man in a suit, "Quickly he turns to business, handing me the envelope. 'Thanks.' I speak with trepidation. 'You going to open it?' 'Who sent you?' I shoot him through my eyes, and the man is taken aback for a moment. 'Open it.' 'Who sent you?' I can't hold myself any longer, though. My fingers work their way inside the envelope, and the familiar handwriting greets me.
Dear Ed, The end is near. I think you'd best be getting down to the cemetery" (346). Upon the presence of this man, Ed believes that his father was the creator of this mission, but he is startled to learn that it wasn't him.
Ed's next expedition is under the name Gavin Rose. Gavin has a difficult life: "He's about fourteen and wears old clothes and a permanent sneer. His hair is reasonably long and his flannel shirts all resemble rags. They stream down his back. He goes to school. He's teenage-smoker tough. He has blue eyes the color of fresh toilet water and a dozen or so freckles flung across his face. Oh, and one other thing. He's a complete bastard.... Mostly, I see Gavin Rose at home. He lives with his mother and older brother. His mother's a chain-smoking Ugg boot wearer who loves a drink, and his brother's just as bad as Gavin" (168). Gavin and his brother struggle as many siblings do by not getting along. Ed discovers that he must bring them together, by how? Ed decides to beat Gavin up, "My fists clutter on his face and I put a hole in his stomach. The boy cries and begs. His voice twitches" (175). After Ed is finished beating him up, he calls their house and soon finds Daniel, Gavin's older brother, helping him make his way back home. Later when Ed returns, the Rose boys are ready for his arrival and beat him up just as he did to Gavin. Ed's brave and risky actions bring the brothers together, creating a new and stronger bond.
The last name on the rock is Angie Carusso. Ed finds Angie and begins to observe her during her daily of routine picking up her kids from school, "She walks with them to the park, and they discuss which ice creams they're going to buy" (171). Ed can see and sense how overwhelmed Angie is each day. One afternoon Ed buys Angie ice cream, something that she would normally only do for her children, "She twists herself onto Angie's hand and says, 'Next week I'll give you a bite of mine, Mum.' In a way, I feel sad and empty, but I also feel that I've done what was intended. Just once, an ice cream for Angie Carusso. I'll always remember the color of it on her lips" (173).
Ed finally understands that he is just going to have to be patient in waiting for the message behind the Joker to unfold, "I've almost given up when I'm waved down by a young man in jeans, a jacket, and a cap on my way home from work one morning at dawn. He gets in the backseat. The usual. I ask him where to. The usual. Then I get the answer. '26 Shipping Street.' Not the usual" (349). When the mysterious man uncovers his cap, Ed is astounded to find the bank robber from the beginning of the story. He has Ed drive to all of the addresses he previously visited, and recalls all the good actions Ed has done in helping others.
Later that night, Ed is startled to find someone sitting in his house, "'Who are-' 'Hi, Ed,' he says. 'I'm glad to finally meet you.' 'Are you-' He nods. 'You sent-' He nods again" (352). Ed is surprised and intrigued about the back story to this man, "'I came to this town a year ago, Ed.' ...'Yeah, it was about a year ago, and I saw your father buried. I saw you and your card games and your dog and your ma. I just kept coming back, watching, the same way you did at all those addresses...'" (353). This suspicious man also tells Ed that he killed his father, arranged the bank robbery, told the man to brutalize his wife, as well as got Ed to do everything that he believed he couldn't do, "'And why?' He pauses, but he doesn't move back. 'I did it because you are the epitome of ordinariness, Ed.' He looks at me seriously. 'And if a guy like you can stand up and do what you did for all those people, well, maybe everyone can. Maybe everyone can live beyond what they're capable of.' He becomes intense now. Emotional. This is everything. 'Maybe even I can....'" (353).
When Ed and the bank robber are in the taxi, they have a very thoughtful conversation, "'Remember what I told you, Ed-at my trial?' 'I remember.' And for some reason, I feel a warmness in my eyes. 'Tell me.' 'You said that every time I look in the mirror, I should remember I'm looking at a dead man.' 'That's right.' The failed thief steps away and stands in front of me. A small smile lands on his face, and he holds the mirror up to me. I stare right into myself. He says, 'Are you looking at a dead man now?'... 'Well?' he asks again. 'Are you still looking at a dead man?' This time, I answer. I say, 'No,' and the criminal speaks. 'Well, it was worth it, then. . . .'" (351). This is a significant quote because it shows the main theme of the book. Ed changed his own life for the better, by helping other people in their lives.
"I'm not the messenger at all. I'm the message" (357).
Ed, Audrey, Ritchie, and Marv are caught up in a bank robbery. While his friends remain quiet, Ed chases after the man and shoots the gun, which hits his friends car, "I run out, picking up the gun along the way. When I cross the road, I lock eyes with the gunman. He attempts to get out of the car, but it's too late now for that. I'm standing at the Ford's window. I have the gun pointed at his eyes. He stops. We both do. He tries to get out and run, and I swear I have no idea I'm firing the gun until I've stepped toward him and hear the glass shatter" (10). After the police arrive at the crime scene, Ed is considered the "hero" of this event, "When we walk out of the police station, Audrey and Ritchie are waiting for us, but they're not alone. There are media people there as well, and a whole load of photos are taken. 'That's him!' someone calls, and before I can argue, the whole crowd is in my face, asking questions.... I imagine the headlines. Something like 'Taxi Driver Turns to Hero' would be nice, but they'll probably print something like 'Local Deadbeat Makes Good'" (13, 14).
On a Tuesday night, after a long day of work, Ed returns back to his house (shack) and checks the mail. He is surprised to find a small envelope accompanied by the usual load of mail. Ed simply ignores the envelope until a little later when he opens it and is flummoxed to find an ace of diamonds with three addresses and times, "There's something flowing between my fingers as I hold the envelope in my hand and begin tearing it open. The night's a cool one, typical of spring. I shiver. I see my reflection in the TV screen and in the photo of my family. The Doorman snores. The breeze outside steps closer. The fridge buzzes. For a moment, it feels like everything stops to watch as I reach in and pull out an old playing card. It's the Ace of Diamonds" (25).
When Ed builds up enough courage to venture off to the first address, he is startled by a rape case, "I'm driving my cab, thinking, It has to get better than this-my first message and it's a bloody rape case" (43). After he watches and observes for countless nights, the same incident happens each time. Ed has no idea what he should do about it, but he knows that he must act soon, "The voice is mild but unmistakable. It's the voice that calls to the night for help when she's slumped down on the bed, being raped by a drunk with a libido like Kilmanjaro.It's the voice of the woman who quietly sobs on her front porch in the silent, uncaring night....I'm there and we stare and I say, 'You okay?' She nods and lies. 'I'm okay.' I have to do something soon" (44).
While brainstorming for a solution to the previous address, Ed decides to progress to the second address on the card, 13 Harrison Avenue. At the second destination, Ed meets an older lady, Milla, who instinctively begins to call Ed, Jimmy. During the days Ed spends at Milla's, he begins to unwind her past and learn the back-story to "Jimmy". He works his way through this case by bringing Milla joy through his presence and company, "'You were always so handsome,' she tells me. She even touches Jimmy's face on the photos, and I see what it is to love someone like Milla loved that man....'You were the best wife I could have ever-'" (57). "I've given Milla the companionship she's been needing, but it's time now to either move on to the next address or go back to Edgar Street" (58).
After completing the last three cases, Ed expects it, and knows it's coming! He's eager to get his hands on yet another card, " What will the next card be? I wonder. I expect it to be hearts. I wait. For daylight and the next ace. This time I want it to be fast. I want the card right now. No obscurity. No riddles. Just give me the addresses. Give me the names and send me there. That's what I want" (184). However, this time the card doesn't come in the mail, Ed must work for it. It begins at the annual Sledge Game, "It's always a bit of an event, the Sledge Game. It's held the first Saturday of December every year, and I think this is the fifth time it's been put on. As for me, this is my third year" (190). As normal, The Doorman accompanies Ed on his trip to the game, and rapidly finds a new "friend" to keep him company, a young boy. After the game has ended, Ed makes it back over to where the Doorman was sitting, but this time he isn't there, "I stand and turn frantically in a circle, trying to find my dog and that kid" (197). "She sees me. It's a youngish sort of woman, and when she finds my glare, she quickly kneels down and grabs hold of the kid. She gives him something, speaks, and heads off immediately in the opposite direction. 'It's the next card,' I say to Audrey, and I take off. I run harder than I ever have before" (198). Eventually, Ed catches up with the kid and finds that he has the card. The kid is skeptical about handing the card over, and the only way Ed can get it from him is by bribing him with twenty dollars. The next card is the Ace of Spades that reads:
Graham Greene
Morris West
Sylvia Plath
Ed is prepared to begin.
Sophie is a dedicated young runner who lacks self-confidence. For the last address on the ace of diamonds, Ed watches this young girl as she gets up each morning and runs her heart out. Ed notices that when she runs barefoot, you can see the confidence in her step, "Just after five thirty, a lone figure comes from around the side of the house. I think it's a girl but can't be sure because the figure has a hood over its head. It wears red athletic shorts, a hooded gray sweatshirt, but no shoes. It's about five nine" (61). "One morning rain pours down, and still she's there" (65). Ed decides to attend one of her races where he finds Sophie struggling alongside a strong opponent. She just barely loses the race, and Ed comes up with a magnificent idea, giving the gift of an empty shoebox! The next race Ed is glad to see Sophie running barefoot. He can tell that she gained both speed and confidence in her ability, "She almost smiles from the pain-from the beauty of it. She's out of herself. Barefoot. More alive than anyone I've ever witnessed. They run at the line. And the other girl wins. Like always. As they go over the line, Sophie collapses, and down there, on the ground, she rolls onto her back and looks up at the sky. There's ache in her arms and ache in her legs and heart. But on her face is the beauty of the morning, and for the first time, I think, she recognizes it: 5:30 a.m" (73).
After Ed has visited all three of the addresses, he makes one last visit to the first one-the rape scene. Ed offers the drunk rapist a ride in his taxi, and takes him down to a place called The Cathedral. Ed threatens the man by saying that he will kill him if he doesn't stop raping his wife. In the end, the man disappears from the town and doesn't come back, "A moment of peace shatters me and I pull the trigger. The noise of it burns through my ears, and just like the day of the bank robbery,he gun now feels warm and soft in my hand" (91). "I've been down to Edgar Street, and the house is dark. The woman and the girl are asleep, and there's still no sign of the husband" (103). "If my instincts serve me well, they probably also let it slip that we know you didn't kill the man from Edgar Street" (112).
The first name, Graham Greene, leads him to a house on Glory Road. He watches the family, and is touched my their friendliness, but notices that they're struggling, "'Yeah it's a pretty shoddy old place'-he motions with his hand-'but it's the best we can do right now'... We go on awhile longer, and in the end, the man asks me a surprising question. He moves back, thinks, then says, 'Hey, would you like to come in to look around? We're about to have dinner. You're welcome to stay'... I follow the man onto his front porch and into the house. Before we go in he says, 'My name's Lua. Lua Tatupu'" (219). The family is very generous, and not one bit skeptical of Ed. Jessie, one of Lua's children asks if Ed will come back and look at the Christmas lights. There is no way that Ed would decline, and when he takes a trip back, he notices that the lights are very old and faded. Out of Ed's first instinct, he goes to Kmart and buys a brand-new set of lights, sets them up, and is greeted with the families faces at his shack. They are so thankful for Ed's kind gesture and Ed is rewarded by the happiness that fills the family, "Sometimes people are beautiful.
Not in looks.
Not in what they say.
Just in what they are" (224).
Next, Ed visits a restaurant on Clown Street, Melusso's. He observes the atmosphere in the restaurant, "There are people gorging themselves, others sipping wine, while a young couple kiss over the table and share their food. The only person of interest is a man on the same side of the restaurant as me. He's waiting for someone, drinking wine but not eating. He wears a suit and has wavy combed-back hair, black and silver. Soon after I get the meatballs and spaghetti, the night's significance comes to fruition. I nearly choke on my fork when the man's guest arrives. He stands up and kisses her and puts his hands on her hips. The woman is Beverly Anne Kennedy. Bev Kennedy. Otherwise known as Ma" (239). Ed is beyond shocked to see his mother right before his eyes. After Ed finishes his dinner, he gets up and walks over to his Mom's house and waits for her. When she gets home, he confronts her, and his Ma tells him to mind his own business. It demonstrates a tense relationship between she and Ed, and Bev doesn't end the conversation there, "'...you could be as good as any of them. As good as Tommy, even...But you're still here and you'll still be here in fifty years.' She sounds so cold. 'And you'll have achieved nothing.' Fade to silence.... Carefully now, her statement comes out. 'Believe it or not-it takes a lot of love to hate you like this'" (245). Although Ed is a little hurt on the inside from the brutal words his mom declared, he believes that she did the right thing in sharing with him her opinions.
After some investigating, Ed figures out that all of the words on the Ace of Hearts are movie titles. He asks Bernie, the man from the movie theater, some details about them that might help him come to a conclusion. For each of the of titles, Ed finds his best friends' as the names in either the description, cast of characters, or director of the movie. Starting with Ritchie, Marv, and ending with Audrey.
Ed starts off by visiting Ritchie's house where he is surprised to witness and learn about a whole different side of Ritchie. He learns that all Ritchie wants is to be able to want, "'Ed?' Ritchie says later. We're still standing in the water. 'There's only one thing I want.' 'What's that, Ritchie?' His answer is simple. 'To want'" (305).
Next up is Marv, "What is it that Marv intends to do with forty thousand dollars? Yes. I have it. The money. What does Marv need to do with the money? That's the message" (308). Ed believes that the message is hidden somewhere with his money, so Ed asks if he would be willing to lend him some, "'Why not, Marv?' I step forward and face him. 'Why the hell not?' 'I spent it.' His voice is somewhere else. It doesn't come from his mouth. It seems to show up from somewhere next to him. Vacant" (315). This is when Ed uncovers some of the truth and back story involving Marv, "The words stagger slowly from Marv's mouth. Half his face is trodden with darkness, covered, but I can still make out the outlines, the forms. 'When her family left town,' he says, 'there was a reason they just disappeared...'...Marv speaks one last time. When he moves, a streetlight stabs him, and the words flow out like blood. He says, 'The kid's about two and a half'" (317). That is when Ed discovers what must be done, so Ed and Marv take a trip to find Suzanne Boyd, his old love, and his daughter. Marv had retrieved her address from some of her old friends, but never had the courage to venture out and find her. Ed figures it out and decides to take Marv to visit her. Sadly, Suzanne's father greets Marv with a beating, "As I cross the street, Marv is splayed on the front yard like a frozen starjump. He gets kicked. By words. He gets shot" (323). They leave, but a week later Ed receives a phone call from Suzanne, requesting a taxi ride. He takes her to a playground where Melinda Boyd, Marv's daughter, is playing, then quickly goes to find Marv, "When Marv turns to look at me, I see fear crouch down in his eyes. He walks slowly to the play equipment, where Suzanne Boyd waits. Melinda sits on one of the swings...Marv's smile and the giant glass tears on his face are two of the most beautiful things I've ever seen" (330).
Last up is a deserted movie theater, "This place must have died years ago when the new Greater Union was put up across town. It's deserted" (248). When Ed asks for a ticket to Casablanca, the employees are thrilled to have their first customer in weeks! During the production, the movie suddenly stops as they forgot to change the reel. Bernie, the owner, offers a free showing, and Ed returns with Audrey.
When they come for their free showing, the reel, once again, ends, when it isn't changed. Ed notices someone up in the booth, "I run up the aisle with my eyes gripped to the shadow in the projection room. It sees us, and its movements quicken accordingly. It exits the room almost frantically when we're halfway to the cinema door.... 'He gave me an awful surprise,' he says. 'Nearly knocked me over as he was running out,' He sits down. 'I'm fine, Ed.' Soon he points over at a pile of reels" (258). Bernie notices that the one on the top isn't one of his reels and they play and watch it from the balcony, "When it comes alive, the scene is dark and I see the feet of some young men. They're walking. Ahead, they approach a lone figure on the street. It's a street of this town. The figure is also of this town. I stop walking. Immediately. Audrey goes a little further until she turns and sees me with me eyes transfixed on the screen. I only point at first. Then I say, 'That's me Audrey'" (260). Once the video is finished, Audrey and Ed return to their seats, trying to contemplate what all just happened. When they return, Ed finds what he has been waiting for, the Ace of Hearts.
Last, but surely not least, is Audrey. Ed is madly in love with her even though he knows that Audrey doesn't share his feelings. Ed decides that his last mission is to dance with Audrey for three minutes, "She let herself love me for three minutes. Can three minutes last forever? I ask myself, but already I know the answer. Probably not, I reply. But maybe they last long enough" (336).
CHARACTERS
QUOTES
AUDREY
Setting
ED KENNEDY
This novel takes place in Australia. Although the author never straight out states the setting, a reader is able to figure it out using quotes that included addresses, descriptions, vocabulary, and dialogue.
Quotes Used to Determine the Setting
"I'm typical of many of the young men you see in this suburban outpost of the city-not a whole lot of prospects or possibility" (6).
"Even my best mate, Marvin, knows it, and he's more useless than the gunman" (3).
I AM THE MESSENGER
"Looks like you got an ice cream as well today, Mum" (172).
Audrey is one of Ed's best friends, as well as his true love. Ed is absolutely star-struck over her, but she doesn't love him back. "She has yellow hair, wiry legs, the most beautiful crooked smile in the world, and lovely hips, and she watches a lot of movies. She also works as a cabdriver" (15). Audrey is a faithful friend to Ed, standing by him throughout his entire mission, and helping him when he needs it the most.
Summary
I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak shares the journey and growth of a young man, Ed Kennedy. At the beginning of the book, Ed has no prospects or hopes of turning his average and ordinary life around; that is until he single-handedly stops a bank robbery. After he heroically helps catch the thief, and becomes the hero of the case, an ace of diamonds playing card mysteriously shows up in his mailbox. On the card three addresses and times are written. Ordinary Ed ventures off to each address to uncover new cards and unique stories. Each card entails an incident which he must provide help. Through the course of the book, Ed works his way through each predicament and completes all of the aces. As the story wraps up, he learns and gains new knowledge about life, and valuable lessons that he will carry with him forever.
Ed Kennedy is a nineteen year-old cab driver and the protagonist of this novel. As the story begins and unfolds, Ed describes himself; "I'm typical of many of the young men you see in this suburban outpost of the city-not a whole lots of prospects or possibility" (6). "Then there's Ed Kennedy, also nineteen. . . . Just prior to the bank holdup, I'd been taking stock of my life. Cabdriver-and I'd funked my age at that. (You need to be twenty.) No real career. No respect in the community. Nothing" (15). Ed lacks self confidence at first, however, when his mission is complete, he has gained new self esteem and flourished into a completely different and more interesting person. He is a very important character because he exhibits during his adventures that anyone can help make a difference to other people's lives, even by doing the simplest things.
Works Cited
By: Markus Zusak
Presentation by: Ella Hirata
Books:
Zusak, Markus. I am the Messenger. New York City: Alfred A. Knopf, 2002. Print.
Pictures:
I took the pictures on pages: 1, 93, 181, 263, 339.
RITCHIE
"'I did it because you are the epitome of ordinariness, Ed.' He looks at me seriously. 'And if a guy like you can stand up and do what you did for all those people, well, maybe everyone can. Maybe everyone can live beyond what they're capable of.' He becomes intense now. Emotional. This is everything. 'Maybe even I can..." (353).
MARV
Ritchie is quite the character. His ambitions are limited (if he has any at all), he's unemployed, and doesn't have any hopes or plans of becoming employed. Similar to Ed and Marv, throughout the course of the novel you see his character morph as he strives to become a better person by making positive changes to his life. Even though Ed and his friends don't witness it, Ritchie has a rather challenging life.
Marv is another one of Ed's best friends. He is an opinionated and argumentative young man who has an immense amount of money, which he saves when he gets any chance. Even though he has more money than he knows what to do with, Marv still drives an old and beat up Falcon. Throughout the course of this novel, a whole different side of Marv emerges, and the reader begins to appreciate him more.
"Marv's smile and the giant glass tears on his face are two of the most beautiful things I've ever seen" (330).
BEV KENNEDY
The DOORMAN
"Sometimes people are beautiful.
Not in looks.
Not in what they say.
Just in what they are" (224).
Bev Kennedy is Ed's mother. She is very honest with Ed, and isn't afraid to share her opinions. She's very tough on Ed and comes across cold-hearted, "...my ma's one of those tough women you couldn't kill with an ax. She's also developed a bit of a swearing habit..." (19). You could say that Bev is Ed's worst critic. She is constantly picking out Ed's flaws, and nagging him about his life, "'And your father-he promised me that one day we'd leave this place. He said we'd just pack up and go, and look where we are, Ed. We're still here. I'm here. You're here, and just like your old man, you're all promise, Ed, and no results. You'-she points at me with venom- 'you could be as good as any of them. As good as Tommy, even....But you're still here and you'll still be here in fifty years.' She sounds so cold. 'And you'll have achieved nothing'" (245).
Ed's dog, also known as "the Doorman", is a stinky seventeen year-old Rottweiler-German Shepard. The Doorman is Ed's constant companion, and one of his family members. The Doorman always assists Ed, especially when he needs it the most. Occasionally, the narrator (Ed), includes little short phrases as if the Doorman is talking back to Ed using telepathy. The Doorman use to be his father's, and is a significant character and friend to Ed as this dog has spent most of his life with him. The Doorman is Ed's true companion always being there for Ed, through good and bad.
"It's not a big thing, but I guess it's true-big things are often just small things that are noticed" (221).
"My arms are killing me.
I didn't know words could be so heavy" (212).