Literature Analysis #2

I am the Messenger

By: Markus Zusak

1. in the story I am the Messanger it tells the story of Ed Kennedy who has to deliver messages and complete missions in order to help other people/families in need. It all starts when he prevents a bank robbery by putting the robber in jail. Later that day he recieces his first ace (as in cards). A series of tasks/messages are written on the card and Ed needs to figure out what they need help with or what they need to overcome. After the three tasks are completed Ed recieves three other aces and finally a Joker. Once he recieves the Joker it's himslef he needs to deliver the message  to. 

2. The main theme of the novel is to self discover or like find out what you are capable of doing rather that just giving up without even trying. I think that the author chose to write about this topic because it's something  that all teens nees to discover how to do. most teens now a days really don't take a chance to get to know what they can and can't do. They just give up right away. Just like Ed, he;s just a typical guy who doesn't really go outside the box. Then he is callled to this journey and takes on the various messafes and takes on dangerous risks just fulfull helping others and in the end to help himself. 

3. The protagonist is Ed; he is a dynamic character because he changes throughout the story with his personality and the way he goes about himself changes. In the beginning Ed a quiet, timid person. He really doesn't do things outside of the box and is best described as doing things inside of the box. Once he recieves his messages Ed starts to learn how to take risks in order to help people in need. In the end you can see that he's more easy going, free, and takes greater risks than he did before.

4. A significant symbol would have to be the playing cards that Ed recieves. The symbol fucntiins in the novel by how Ed recieves his messages and the "relationship" he has with the cards. Three to four times our of the week and his friends constantly play cards.  To Ed it's apart of hime and somehat so are the messages he's recieving. The symbol contributes to the work as a whole by realting the messages to his life and how in the end all the messages are going to lead up to his own self/ well being. 

5. I chose this book just out of nowhere. I really didn't  pay much mind to ehat I was chooing, but just took a risk and chose it. When it first came to my attention what appealed to me was the cover and the last sentence on the last page. They both seemed really interesting and mysterious. I would have to say the first message Ed recieved is what kept me reading. 

6. One event I could relate to my life form the story was when Ed was always so hesintent to go and do his next task. I could relate this to my own life because I feel like I'm more or less like Ed. He's really just quite and really doesn't say or so much. I feel like I'm exactly the same way. 

7. One idea from the book that I'll remember is when Ed said " I'm not the messenger at all. I'm the message." I chose this message because is shoes how Ed realized how him delivering all these messages proved that he couls do greater things  than he imagined. He leatned to have faith in himself and to believe that he could do great things. "If a guy like you can stand up and do what you did, then maybe everyojne can. Maybe everyone can live beyond what they're capable of. And that's when I realize I'm not the messener at all. I'm the message."