The Messenger by Markus Zusak - 3224 Words

THE MESSENGER By Markus Zusak Setting the scene: Ed Kennedy is a 19-year-old cab driver with no real respect for himself. He wishes he could be something greater, but feels there’s no way to accomplish this. He lives with a dog (‘The Doorman’) that â€Å"smells like death† in a shack owned by his boss (CEO of ‘Vacant Taxis’). Ed grew up in a less developed part of town and after graduating from high school, went straight into the work force, having not applied himself thoroughly enough to get into university. His mother, Bev, still lives in the house where Ed grew up, and has developed a strong swearing habit, a bad temper, and a penchant for hating Ed. Ed’s father died about six months before the timeline of the story and was the one who passed on ‘The Doorman’ to him. When not driving his cab, Ed spends most of the time playing cards with three close friends of his – Audrey, Marv and Ritchie. Audrey is about the same age as Ed and is also a cab driver. Marv is a stingy mate who owns a shitty car, and Ritchie is a quiet, lazy person who occasionally makes perfectly timed wise cracks at Marv. Ed is totally in love with Audrey, but too afraid to tell her so, as she is seeing another colleague of theirs and doesn’t want to ruin their friendship by admitting his feelings to her. Part One: The First Message The story opens with a bank robbery where Ed, Marv, Audrey and Ritchie just so happen to be there at the time. Neither Ed nor Marv take the gunman seriously. Ed justShow MoreRelatedAnalysis : The Messenger By Markus Zusak1056 Words   |  5 Pagescourageous acts, overcome great odds and defeat the forces of evil have always been prevalent in English literary texts. However, in The Messenger by Markus Zusak, the author positions the reader to view heroes that deviate from the normal black and white archetype. Through the use of themes such as deceptive appearances, small things can be big and morality, Zusak effectively constructs Ed as a reluctant hero and shows that people don’t have to sport spandex and flashy capes to be known as heroesRead MoreI Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak795 Words   |  3 PagesMarkus Zusak’s I Am the Messenger Many issues can influence the development of an author’s novel. Maybe the author wants to focus on historical matters, and place historical references into their novel. Maybe social concerns are the topic in their novel. Or maybe the author intends for their novel to be a political work. Regardless of what sort of influence they consider placing into their novel, all authors do tend to allow one thing to influence their writing, their own personalities and personalRead MoreThe Book Thief by Markus Zusak Essay1107 Words   |  5 Pages Best known for his book the Book Thief, Australian born author Markus Zusak has been writing for young adults since the age of seventeen(Grade Saver). Born in Melbourne, Australia to German and Austrian immigrants, Markus Zusak lived a very humble and quite life. However being the youngest of four, Markus sometimes was the forgotten child alongside his brother (â€Å" My Life†).Growing up in a family was the oldest two siblings were i dolized, led to some actions that his older brother and he gotRead MoreThe Book Thief And I Am The Messenger1288 Words   |  6 Pagesare going to die, is the opening line to Markus Zusak s The Book Thief and already it is evident his ability to captivate an audience. Despite the large population of quality writers and authors, Markus Zusak is my favorite for many reasons. To summarize, however, it s his writing style that is truly enticing and appealing, not to mention unique. This is exhibited and proven in his works, The Book Thief and I Am the Messenger. Within these two texts Zusak displays remarkable and admirable styleRead MoreThe Australian Native Markus Zusak532 Words   |  2 PagesAustralian native Markus Zusak shows how aboriginality, â€Å"mateship†, and the urban life are portrayed in a more or less typical Australian life. Through these novels Zusak describes how people embark on unexpected journeys to better others and most importantly their selves. Througho ut his novels, the reader will question life in poverty and how richness is not necessarily physical but only fully achieved through the mind. Zusak, through his cultural environment in I Am the Messenger gives readers aRead Morethe messenger themes essay1038 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Novel Essay The Messenger â€Å"Everyone can live beyond what they are capable of.† Discuss in relation to ‘The Messenger† The Messenger by Markus Zusak shows us that everyone can live beyond what they are capable of. As the protagonist Ed, helps those in need, he is challenged to do things beyond his capability. In the beginning, Ed is described as the ‘epitome of ordinariness’ and he is called a ‘dead man’. The reason for this is because he has no meaning to his life and nothing to live for, noRead MoreMonologue In The Messenger809 Words   |  4 PagesMarkus Zusak’s, The Messenger features the protagonist Ed Kennedy, and how he completed each mission of aces; diamonds, clubs, spades and hearts. The suit of spades was symbolic to Ed’s overall mission as Ed had to dig through truths about himself. Before the suit of spades Ed’s thought of himself was that he was worth nothing, evident through the narration of Ed’s monologue. The suit of spades saw Ed wanting more for his life, evident through the characterisation of Ed, the changes in his monologueR ead MoreGrowing Up During the Holocaust: A Look at the Other Side of World War II1461 Words   |  6 PagesHolocaust as a civilian onlooker to the war. In The Book Thief by Markus Zusak he tells the story of Liesel Meminger who travels to a foster home in Munich Germany, and experiences what it’s like to live in a war. She deals with rations, knowledge limited to the learnings of what Hitler wants the children to know, survival of the fittest, and the reality of death around her. With the Hubermann family, and her best friend Rudy, Markus takes us on a journey that shows that life as a child in Nazi GermanyRead MoreSummary Of All Sound Dies 1728 Words   |  7 Pagesoutline of the story, it is assumed that the audience has read The Messenger and that they also recognise that the messenger himself is the author, Markus Zusak. Zusak, in both the novel and this story, has created the town Ed lives in and that everyone, and all sequences of events are controlled by Zusak. In o rder to understand some aspects of the story, the reader must be familiar with Zusak’s family and the conception of the novel. Zusak has a wife name Mika, a daughter, and a son. I have taken advantageRead MoreAnalyzing The Writing The Size Of A Bible 1257 Words   |  6 PagesPatricia Reilly Giff, Markus Zusak, John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, these authors have great minds that create the most extraordinary writing pieces. They truly know how to capture one’s mind with the most intriguing writing styles and such creative stories that will leave impressions for lifetimes to come. Though I do not read as much as I used to, these were the books that got me into the art of reading itself. Most of the books I read in junior high school or less, the I Am the messenger book I read last