Symbolism In I Am The Messenger

1963 Words8 Pages

I am the Messenger is a novel written by Markus Zusak and published in 2002, it shows the perspective of Ed Kennedy, the main character, about different events that he goes through after his first encounter of a bank robbery, as the novel is displayed in the form of a first person omniscient narrative. Markus Zusak refers to Ed’s ideology when analyzing an event as he interprets what that character may be thinking of, he shows the role of the other characters through Ed Kennedy as he interacts with them and truthfully describes them as he also did when it comes to the addresses that he had to visit and supposedly help. This book provides many themes for the reader mainly through his creative use of symbolism, the most obvious theme is that of love which is shown in many different methods. This led to the question that will be encountered in this essay: How is the theme of love portrayed in Markus Zusak’s novel I am the Messenger through his use of symbolism? Ed Kennedy is a nineteen year old taxi driver who enjoys …show more content…

He questions his mother’s actions as soon as she gets home, he knows that this message involves him receiving the truth from his mother. Oddly enough, his mother explains to him that she treats him this way through her words: “Because, Ed – you remind me of him”, this refers back to his father who promised her to leave this place, yet she is still here and so is her son, who is also the only one still here. Yet, her love as a mother still exists to him except that this time, he can actually notice it, his mother ends the conversation when she says “it takes a lot of love to hate you like this.” During the night of Christmas, after most of the people gathered and celebrated, Ed goes to the cemetery to pay a visit to his late father, showing a connection and the existence of feelings, which in this case is love between the living and the