Symbols In The Messenger

Name of student : Aryan Dixit
Text Type - Title and Author : The Messenger, by Markus Zusak

In the novel “The Messenger” by Markus Zusak we are acquaint to Ed, a 19 year old cab driver who’s just an ordinary guy. He loves to play cards with his friends Audrey (the girl he's in love with) , Marv (the friend who drives a lousy faulty car and secretly has a two year old child) and Ritchie. Swiftly he begins to receive playing cards of the suit Ace, in the mail with tasks and locations to complete these tasks. This novel can resonate thoroughly with year 12’s because the message sinks deeper than many see it on the surface, essentially Ed Kennedy is the message of his tasks not the messenger initiating them. We tread upon cliff hangers throughout

Bullets firing in a bank robbery is our introduction of Ed Kennedy, the protagonist in the novel who receives a delivery in the mail of a playing card. This playing card has 3 addresses written on it with 3 different times to be present at each address. Ed is portrayed as a symbol in this novel he depicts the absolutely average to below average human being, who is youthful and directionless to walk the path of his future. Marv his best friend the one who’s stuck in the bank with him is always a cocky character with something to say, Audrey the girl who he’s head over heels for so basically the blonde bombshell he knows he can’t have and Ritchie the pathetic quiet guy with a weird tattoo on his right arm and drinks long neck beer. All these characters have distinct personalities and somehow they all fit as puzzle pieces in his friend circle. They become important as the story delves deeper into their personal lives, as Ed uncovers who his

How they were placed and how he did character building through it almost making them seem real. There were many serious turning points in the novel which brought depth and true colours out characters, with a good use of descriptive language and relatable use of words was powerful in terms of connecting with the storyline. As mentioned before Ed was used skillfully as a symbol in this text, he in a way represented all of us, how ordinary we are and how we often undermine our potential and lose vision of our purpose. Ed represented the emotional mentality of our youth, he desired wanting to be successful he desired wanting to “get the girl” he desired wanting to be a person others could look upto. I found this structure and symbolism inspiring because opportunity doesn’t always come knocking at our door, it’s our personal drive that takes us to go and get it. In Ed’s case he was constantly at crossroads he debated whether to go through with things or wait, as we face barriers all the time we are left to decide on what’s easy and what’s right. In the majority of cases what’s right is never is and what easy is usually never right, but that’s where we make the breakthrough a person when we give it that extra hint of