THE MESSENGER ESSAY How does Zusak use the cards to reveal Ed’s role as the message, rather than the messenger? The Messenger is a 2002 multi award winning book written by Australian born Mark Zusak. The novel begins with an introduction to the main character Ed Kennedy an under aged cab driver with low self-esteem and a crush on his best friend Audrey. Ed finds himself in the middle of a bank robbery where he accidently stops the robber from escaping. When it’s all over and hype of Ed’s success has died down he receives an ace of diamonds in the mail listing 3 addresses on it from an unknown source. Throughout the novel Ed is faced with huge difficulties that would normally be out of his comfort zone but with determination he solves these problems. With …show more content…
these cards ed shows up in people lives at their time of need delivering hope.
What he comes to realize at the end is that it’s what his teaching these people along the way which is more important than what he does for them. The first card ed receives is the ace of diamonds. A young girl named Sophie is first on his list of people to help. She has a passion for running but the essence of competition and racing has ruined it. This is because when Sophie runs by herself in the morning she does it in barefoot but in competition she has to use shoes. ed helps her by giving her dad an empty shoe box and claiming to have bought her new shoes. He does this to help Sophie connect to nature and recapture her love of running. In the next athletics meet Sophie runs her 1500m race in barefoot. Although being tripped over and stepped on Sophie finishes the race. “She smiles from the pain- from the beauty of it. She’s out of herself. Barefoot. More alive than anyone I’ve ever witnessed. Though this act seems
insignificant to ed and doesn’t understand what he has done, he strengthens her passion for running. On the ace of diamonds card ed is also sent to 45 Edgar street where a husband comes home from the bar rapes his wife almost every night shaken by the situation ed wonders to himself why things like this happen in the world. He also begins to realize that maybe there’s a reason behind the cards “it’s like I’ve been chosen. But chosen for what?”. Ed must overcome his fears to help the woman and her daughters suffering. In the beginning he isn’t sure how to help but he knows its his job to help those in need “how do people live like this? How do they survive? And maybe that’s why I’m here. Because they can’t anymore?”. After nights of procrastination ed final builds up the courage to confront the savage drunk. With the help of a mystery man ed threatens him with a gun and tells him to never come back. By removing the violence in their lives ed has allowed them to rebuild their lives. The second card, the ace of clubs doesn’t have any addresses on it but has a message that leads ed to some stones where him and his brother used to hide. After ed finds the stone he realizes it has three names on it. the first name is that of a priest whose church is in strife. The church lacks followers and so it is up to ed to find congregation and bring life to the church. The priest tells ed “You know, they say that there are countless saints who have nothing to do with church and almost no knowledge of God. But they say God walks with those people without them ever knowing it” although ed doesn’t believe the priest it is clear that ed is more than just a messenger.
Ed learns to face all of his fears, and he was able to rise above his feelings of incompetence as he helps others in areas where they need the most help in. Some of the messages that Ed receive are as simple, for example, buying an ice cream cone for a single mother, a church that needs congregation, but others put Ed in real danger. Ed’s last message, delivered on the joker card, it's for Ed himself. During the delivery of this message, Ed realized that “he was not the messenger, but rather he was the message itself.”( Zusak, p. 357). This quote shows that even ordinary ones, can rise about their perceived ability to make a difference in the world. Through his journey, Ed discovers that he has now become “full of purpose rather than incompetence, he also becomes more confident, and also improved him as a human
In the book, Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand, it follows a Olympian named Louie Zamperini, and his journey. Louie Zamperini was born in Olean, New York, his family later then moved to Torrance, California. Louie is: rebellious, resourceful, among many other things. Louie is who he is because of how he grew up, and the obstacles he overcame. Louie Zamperini shows rebellious and resourceful characteristic traits through his actions.
Due to the lack of free will, he recognizes that no person can change fate. As well as a
A huge part of this book was that Zusak used deus ex machina to reveal a big aspect of the story so that instead of answering the novels big question according to the rules of its world, Zusak cleverly brought in an all-powerful outside force. Rather than making the answer to the novels question, Zusak creates a twist by placing himself in the book as a character and using himself as the central plot device. Zusak revealed himself as the solution to the mystery of just who was putting Ed up to all this. At this point in the book Ed realizes that “I am not the messenger, I am the
What would happen to the world when the Government and the drug producers create a partnership that benefits each side? This is reality in The House of the Scorpion, by Nancy Farmer. The drug producers are given land between Mexico and the United States, known as Aztlán, that is theirs to do whatever they want, without the interference of outside government, as long as they make sure no illegal immigrants come to the U.S. In the middle of all of this, there is Opium. This is the largest exported drug from Aztlán and the center of young Matt’s life.
Anne Frank a young girl who died believing that people are good at heart. ‘’You could not do this you could not do that.’’ A quote from Anne Frank. Found in the collection book page number 283. In this essay, I will be showing you why Anne might feel certain ways during this hardship. Also what it reveals about her character. Anne is a brave young girl who always does what she feels is right and her way of taking on life and its challenges is taught for a person to do in that time and she managed to take on so much. In advance to Anne hard life, she keeps a diary to share her thoughts and option on life in hiding during the dreadful event called World War Two. This dairy was a miracle to the world. They now know the hardship and struggles that the Jews had two indoor. Anne dairy opened so many doors for journalists and many others. They have a diary of a real end of the Holocaust in their hands.
In the year of 1994 and estimated eight-hundred thousand Rwandans were killed between April and June. There was not a day were the Tutsis was not being killed by the Hutus. Imagine one-hundred days of straight killings of your friends and family. It would leave you in a never-ending nightmare and you would be scarred for the rest of your life. Imagine if you were stuck in a bathroom so small that it could barely fit two people in there but you had five or six more people in there. It would be hot, it would smell, and it would be uncomfortable. Immaculée Ilibagiza had to go through the entire Rwandan Genocide in this type of situation. She barely ate and barely went to the bathroom because if the Hutu heard Immaculée or any of the other girls
Ed gave the card his all and truly worked toward understanding these people’s situations and enhancing their lives. The aces have given Ed a purpose in life, something to wake up to in the morning, and Ed feels proud and confident after achieving his missions. After finishing all three missions, Ed reflects on his experience and current thoughts, “Later that night I look in the bathroom mirror. Two black eyes. Swollen jaw. A blood stream flowing to my throat… Well done, Ed, I tell myself, and I stare for a final few seconds at my broken and bloodied face”(180). Ed would have never expected to feel this way but he can finally say that he has “done something” with his life and has truly made a difference. Ed has taken risks, put his safety on the line, and gone out of his comfort zone to complete the ace of clubs
Imagine that everything you knew about where you resided turned out to be a big lie and that you were the only person that knew about it. Jonas the main character from The Giver by Lois Lowry, is a kid in a perfect community or so he thinks. Jonas receives the job of The Receiver of Memories. He receives many memories to ascertain that his "perfect" community is a fraud. He then plans an escape plan and succeeds. The novel The Giver by Lois Lowry shows its readers the basic truth that in life choices are a huge part in our lives and that sometimes it’s good to make our own choices but sometimes it's isn't. People have strong desires and with the ability for us to choose the scenario sometimes gets worse, and as people we also
Even being fully aware of the certain outcome, he still does absolutely everything he can to save everybody he can before himself. With every person he saved, he was slowly getting closer to dying, “he watched everything in the world move away from him, and he deliberately let it happen.” The man in the water did not get discouraged in the way that most would if they knew they were going to die. He took on the impossible challenge of saving those people, and although in some ways he lost, he also won in an even bigger way. He could have chosen to save himself, but instead he chose the other people. He chose selfless over selfish, he proved that human nature has the capacity to be completely and utterly selfless rather than caring for themselves more than everything
(1.2.14). Ed was a “dead man” and denied every commendation. During Ed’s journey through each of the suits, Ed grew personally and invested his time in purposeful issues. Towards the end of the novel, Ed is asked to face a mirror and describe what he sees. Ed no longer saw a dead man, he saw a man full of life and prospect.
He sees a man among thousands of people who are pushing closer to him.... ... middle of paper ... ... When people realize that they are capable of knowing the truth, they are able to overcome the illusions and help others break their own boundaries.
*Hassan was crying because of the shame he felt after the encounter with the soldier who said he had slep with his mother at some point.
He thus strives to teach his kids a courage where you stand up and protect those in adversity, to never give up and doing everything until the end.
Death TO MARS NOTES WHAT WORKS: Overall, the script is structured around a unique idea, good humor and great perspective from a diverse group of characters throughout the narrative. The inclusion of such a wide range of personalities and satire political views when it comes to how to handle this unidentified "threat" that Mars now holds following the reanimation of the land rovers. It also gives the script versatility and a strong sense of unpredictability that's entertaining for the reader/audience. The manipulation and filtered spin of the media on top of the power of social media as the news broke across the world felt realistic which strengthens the reader/audience's empathy toward Midge's character. Unlike the others whole were eager to gain awareness and social fame from the unexplained phenomenon and excitement, she was the only person who tried to take an objective and well-thought-out approach to the situation.