Theme Analysist

Theme analysis

An analysis of theme in Markus Zusak’s book “I am the Messenger”

                To give or not to give, that is the question. To give and not receive to the biggest theme explored in the book I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak. This theme is found throughout the book and is the main basis of the entire novel. Ed’s main goal in this story is to complete twelve tasks, all of which are tasks in which Ed is made to give something to a person or a family, whether that be advice, an ice cream cone, Christmas decorations or acceptance. I said the theme is to give and not receive because I believe that’s how everyone should think. I believe everyone should act like Ed and not think about how it’s going to help you or what it is going to do to your life. All you need to do is just think of the other person and just do what is right. For instance, in the book, one of Ed’s first challenges is to help a younger girl gain self confidence. The girl, Sophie, always went running alone at the crack of dawn. She ran without shows because she felt more comfortable. Her dad made her run in her running shoes when it came to competition time. One way Ed helped boost her confidence was by ringing her doorbell with a box in his hand. When the father opened the door, Ed handed him the box and told him to let Sophie wear these shoes. When the dad opened it, it was just an empty box. This does not benefit Ed in anyway, yet he still is able to give her the gift of advice to help her gain her self confidence back. This is a form of advice giving. Ed didn’t give Sophie a tangible item. She was only able to take what advice Ed gave her and use it to gain her confidence back. I can relate to Ed when it comes to giving out advice. I myself have given out more advice than anyone in the world can count. I have dealt with many people who felt suicidal, people with depression, anger issues or even just a little problem that got on someone’s nerves. Words are on of the best weapons are a person can use. This is why I try my best to talk to someone when they are having an issue. I find words help someone much more than any object can. Another example of the theme in the book is when Ed has to buy an ice cream cone for a woman who can’t afford her own. A woman who works part time and has three children goes to an ice cream parlor every time she gets paid. She brings her three children with her and buys them all an ice cream cone since that is all she can afford. Ed buys her an ice cream cone because he believes she deserves one as well. The woman tears up and thanks Ed while she walks her kids home. This shows me that everybody deserves a little treat once in a while and they might not be able to get it for themselves because they have other people to support, such as children. This is why it is better to give than receive because you can give that person a smile, you can give them happiness which will make their day get by faster and make them happier. I have experienced similar situations that Ed faces in the novel. One day I was walking down the street with my girlfriend, Evelyn. We were making our way downtown when we saw a homeless man sitting on the street, cold and tattered away. Feeling bad for the man, Evelyn and I searched our pockets frantically for changed but could not find any. We walked away feeling even worse.  Down the street, we saw a little piece of paper on the ground. It turned out it was a ten dollar bill. We retrieved the bill and walked a little further down the road to the candy store where we had originally planned on going. We thought about buying some candy with the ten dollars we had just found, but then we thought about the man on the street. We quickly left the candy store and rushed down the street to see if the man was still there, he was. We walked over to him and handed him the bill. His face froze with joy as he shook our hands and proclaimed “Thank you so much, God bless you! I hope you have a wonderful day!” The smile on his face was uplifting for me, and it brought me happiness. Although it was just a small deed, you can see how giving the man the ten dollars was a much better idea than spending it on junk. Overall, I think Markus is able to convey his theme very well, and not only that, but he is able to get his point across with his well developed theme. I think Markus wants us, the reader, to realize how we can change the world and other peoples’ lives with a simple gesture. He wants us to give and not receive so we can make the world a better place, just like Ed did, and be someone else’s unexpected hero.