The Messenger by Louis Lowry
made by: Ellie Wiesen
Theme.
- The importance of generosity and selflessness in the world is the books ultimate theme. Forest is an illusion that reflects the negative and positive aspects on the town. In the beginning of the book, all was peaceful and forest hurt no-one, but towards the middle as the VIllage turned towards the worse, forest did as well. Mentor was highly focused on throughout the book. He used to teach and read poetry to his daughter Jean, was open and welcoming. Throughout the end of the book he had traded his inner foremost self and became selfish and greed. Forest begins to thicken and darken as the people trade their inner caring selves for meaningless things such as looks. It inflicts harm among those inside village as village has inflicted harm upon themselves. On the contrary, people such as Leader, Matty, Seer and Kira see the harm and attempt to prevent it. The four hero's will save Village and strengthen the Utopian bond within the community.
- Compassion for others is subjective in the ways it can be measured, but normally it is manifested through the willingness to help other, ability to stay honest, and the capacity to forgive. Matty sets out to get Kira and risks his own life. He does this out of love for Seer and the belief that things will get better. Leader helps Matty and Kira without their knowledge. Leader watches over them to foresee any problems coming too them. This is leaders gift, the ability too see beyond. Kira has the ability too see into the future and attempt to prohibit any bad happenings unto her and Matty, which she uses to connect with Leader and save the village at the expense of Matty. Matty's gift is the power of healing, in which he uses too heal the hearts of Village in the expensive of his life. The amount of compassion and willingness these three had was tremendous, Matty sacrificed himself for the well being of the town in hopes of a better future. That is a true hero
Characters
- Matty, the main character, a fourteen year old young adult had stumbled upon the village as a young boy at age eight and was welcomed with open arms. Matty eventually became the villages Messenger because he was one of the only few who had not yet been warned by the forest and wasn't scared. Matty had been welcomed by the forest because of his gift of healing. Forest knew one day Matty would save the village, in which he did. While saving the village , Matty sacrificed himself healing, which later gives him his true name, The Healer.
- Seer is also a comer of the Village, he was attacked in Forest and had gotten his eyes ripped out. Seer wise man and has the great ability of remembering things, and great hearing. Seer is Matty's guardian. Matty helps Seer get places and do things he couldn't normally do, Seer is like a father too Matty, as he is to Kira,
- Kira is Matty's childhood best friend, as well as Seers daughter. Kira is from Matty's old village. When the new law was put in place, Seer sent Matty to get his crippled daughter to the village before she no longer could. As Matty got to Kira , he realized she too had a gift. Kira's gift is the ability to foresee the future, which later comes in handy later in the book.
- Leader is in charge of keeping the village in check. Leader has the gift too see beyond the forest, the gift of futuristic sight. Leader presented his gift to Matty as he was preparing to retrieve Kira, explaining that something was wrong, that forest was thickening. Which in fact it was. Leader helped save Kira and Matty as well as the village.
- Mentor is the father of Jean , the flirtatious girl Matty liked, and the school teacher of those in village, Mentor was a kind, open, welcoming man. He was nice to everyone, payed much attention too Jean, helped Matty get back on track, gave lost children a home, compassion. All until he turned too trading. Mentor's wife had died a while ago , and he had gotten lonely. He wanted love again and he believed his appearance had complicated that. So he went to the traders mart and traded his innermost self to become more attractive.
Represents Mentor
Whenever mentor gets better looking he gets all the girls.😂
Represents Matty, Leader, and Kira
friendship
Climax
The climax of the story is whe Kira, Matty, and Leader combine all of their powers to save the village. Leader senses that Matty and Kira are in trouble through his power of seeing beyond and rushes too the rescue. Kira saw leader coming through her power of Weave Prophecy. Matty presents his idea of meeting Leader in the middle between their two powers, and Kira attempts to reach out too Leader. Through series of attempts, they finally connect and learn that they are all in trouble. Leader explains that the bad intentions of the people in village has given the forest the same bad intentions towards people. Kira and Matty did all they can to reach Leader, who was entangled in sharp vines throughout the forest, but failed. Then Leader told Matty it was the time to spend his power. Matty places his hands on the ground and uses his power of healing too restore the integrity of the forest and people alike, at the expense of his own life. The three had gotten together in the end and united all three powers of, Seeing Beyond, Seeing the Future, and Healing the Wounded, and saved a crumbling village. This was the most exciting, scary, sad, and interesting part in the book. The three outcasts, come together as one in the end,
Setting, Conflict, and Solution
- Setting/The Messenger takes place in a futuristic society in a little place called Village. The Village is a Utopian Society, so everything is in order, everyone has a role, a job, a place. Village is in a remote area with several other communities near. The other communities were different, they judged and tormented, so people who get chastised turn to village. The other communities are separated by a deep dark place, Forest. The newcomers had to run through this place. No-one knew what to expect, some days it was a happy place and others it wasn’t. No-one quite understood until recently. Seer, the blind, wise man, claims that Forest is an illusion, it reflects the attitude of the people. He was 100% right. If the people's attitude became greedy and grim, the forest became the same. If people were happy and caring then forest gave food and had animals, it was a happy place. As the attitude of the people became selfish and greedy, so did the forest which made it an unpleasant trip for Matty, The Messenger.
- Conflict/ The conflict in this book is that something is changing Village. Village has always been full of people who were nice and welcomed new people with open arms, but something has changed within the village. The village has this new dark feel too it. People are no longer nice and welcoming, it's as if something has blinded them as too the fact that they were once in the same situation as well. As the change in the people happened, the change in the forest began. The reasoning behind all of this was the Trade Mart. Trade mart used to be exactly what you would have thought, you trade trinkets for trinkets but that's not what it has become. It's become the opposite, you trade yourself for an item of your desire. So the people are trading away foremost selves for things such as appearance. This is ruining village and changing the ways of the forest, which is only hurting them.
- Solution/ The people of the village have made a law that prevents newcomers to the town, and Seer had a daughter , Kira , who lives in another village. Seer asks Matty , the messenger, to get Kira too Village before it was too late. Matty then presents Seer's request too Leader , and Leader says it's too dangerous, but Matty doesn't understand. Leader explains too Matty that he too has a gift, he can see beyond. He told matty that the forest was thickening and it would be a dangerous trip for him being only 14, that he needed to be cautious, but he gave approval. Matty set out on his long journey and immediately noticed a difference, paths had changed, bushes were thicker, less food, the animals were meaner, but he didn't quite understand. When he finally reached Kira, he tried to explain everything too her but she explained everything too him instead. She explained that she had a gift of seeing the future, she saw Matty coming, the changes in forest and their troubles ahead, this frightened Matty but he was determined too bring Seer his daughter. As they were on their way, Kira explained that the forest was changing because of the negativity of the people, and everything then made sense. The hidden paths, the rotten berries, the poking vines, everything. Leader saw them struggling on their long journey back, and he rushed to the rescue but only got caught himself. Matty told Kira to try and meet him in the middle with her powers, and she did and it worked. Leader explained that there was no getting out of this and that it was timefor Matty to use his power, the power of healing. Matty bent down and placed his hands on the ground and manages to restore the integrity of the forest and people alike at the expensive of his own life.
Tone and Mood
- The mood of the book was scary to me. It all started too portray as scary when Seer began to speak of the changes in the atmosphere and in the people. It all escalated when the deaths began too happen, and especially in the changes in the attitude of Mentor. The swift change in Mentor set off something too me like, " Something's happened here" Mentors behavior was the beginning to the scary, suspenseful feeling. Everything began to fall into place when Matty went to the Trade Mart, it was as if something had like taken their soles. It reminded me of The Little Mermaid when Ursula took Ariels voice in exchange for legs, you give something too get something in the end, and that's scary because no-one knows the outcomes. Whenever Matty spoke to Leader about his mission to get Kira and leader explained how the forest was thickening, it all fit in like puzzle pieces. I got super nervous for Matty as he set off through the forests and Lowry began to explain the changes, i was scared for him as if it was myself walking through those woods. I got attached too him, he felt pain , i felt pain, i just felt scared for his sake as if he were real, it gave off scary vibes. The book was suspenseful and scary but in a good way, a way that kept you reading. Made you wonder what happens next.
- The tone of the book was exciting yet suspenseful. Lowry wanted the readers to not be able to let down the book, and she did exactly that. There was the perfect amount of suspense, crave, jaw dropping moments to keep you just reading. The way she cliff hung chapters and her word choice were the things i believe expressed the suspenseful feeling. She started the book off with an exciting yet anticipating mood although that was soon destine to change. She started it off describing a perfect town with messed up people brainwashed into their own ideals, but that changed into imperfect sole-less humans. She gave off the exciting tone in the way she portrayed how everyone worked together and how happy everyone was, but the book would've been boring if you didn't add the suspenseful twist too it. The suspenseful mood added a whole new point of view because not only was it suspenseful, it was creepy to a degree. The author began to point out things in a different perspective using her word choice and layout which turned some new brain lights on for me. I love Lois Lowry books, i loved the Giver and i love this one all the same because of the suspense and mystery in each of them.
Five Favorite Events
- I liked it when Matty picked up the frog in the forest. I think this had a bunch too do with the plot of the story. This part was interesting, informative, and intriguing basically without this one part, the whole story would have been different,so him curing the frog made you wonder what this meant. Matty being the young, dumb 14 year old that he was was basically shocked, wouldn't you have been as well if you picked up a frog that was hurt and you sorta reattached its leg? I believe matty knew he was special, he just didnt know what for. He knew he had a purpose in this world and the frog was acting as a door one for him.
- I thought the trading part was interesting. It intrigued me from the beginning because i'm in love with vintage things and you can get vintage things at old trade posts, ha, but it intrigued me as too how a small town could get such great things like a Gaming Machine. Once Seer began to speak about how trading was different, how it had changed, is when it drew me in. When i think about trading, i think about trading a chair for a table not trading your soul for a man. When Matty went to the trading center is when it became most interesting, listening to how Lois describes the feelings and the air really was interesting too me. If the trading post hadn't been in the book , nothing would have been the same.
- Matty heading into the woods to get Kira was intriguing. I loved this part because it began to show a side of Matty we hadn't yet seen, The Fiercest of the Fierce. I loved how it showed a bravery, hero aspect. "The young boy saves the crippled girl", thats why i loved it. It was intriguing because of all the swift changes in Forest, from the breeze too the berries, it all lured you in. As Matty took his journey and began to explain the difference in the paths is what had me hooked because everything clicked. All the berries and squirrels, the "Forest thickening" everything began to make perfect sense.
- Leader attempting to save Kira and Matty was unexpected. I understood why leader had been watching out for them, Forest was a dangerous place. It took me by surprise when Leader actually went out too help. It did because Leader was like the President per say, and usually they're the lazy bums who send other men out too save them they rarely go out themselves. But im glad that Leader did grind up some courage and head out for them. This part was disappointing too me, but also fascinating. I hated how Leader let Matty die, that part disappointed me. but too me it was absolutely fascinating how they all three saved Village as the power of one
- I loved the naming of Matty. I think this was the most important part of the book, the revealing of Matty's true name. Matty always wanted to be named Messenger because of his love for exploring and Forest's love for him, but leader said that wasn't his true name. Once matty discovered his new power, he didn't quite understand at all but he didn't try too either, he didn't do any research or ask anyone he just left it. That has a part too do with Matty's name. I believe he had the power of healing but he didn't know how to heal himself. I was also fascinated with the way he got his name, i think it was clever that he healed a whole village but lost himself as doing so. I just loved this part
Relate to a Character.
- I believe i can relate too Matty the most, we think the same. We both have fallen into bad habits and ours are mostly the same, fibbing and such. In the end though, we both met someone who taught us to stop lying, gain better manners, more respect. Matty cares a lot, he has a great big heart and is very open too newcomers, as he once was one. I personally care a lot and am willing to help nearly any and everyone in need, and i love to explore, just the same as Matty does. Matty was born to be a healer, and i want to do the same. I want to grow up and save lives, so yes i admire a fictional character for his name. Matty fell hopelessly in love with a flirtatious girl, which hinted me as to he got attached easily whereas i do the same. He had gotten close too Mentor because Mentor had helped him when everyone else said he was impossible , while others said he was hopeless Mentor believed in him, which tells me he had gotten attached too mentors attention, the same as he does too Jean. I do the same when i get attention, i get attached to attention as well as the person, which only hurts in the ends because everyone leaves in the end. I think Matty and i are quite the same in many ways, which is pretty cool because I've never found someone quite like me, even though he's only a fictional character.
Relate to a different setting.
- If this was in our time, nothing in the story would be the same. If this story were placed in 2015, Texas time, everything would be different. Society is so horrible nowadays, you get judged on everything from how tall you are , to the color of your hair, to the brand of your shirts, to the type of shoes you wear. If the forest thickens based off the towns attitude, well shoot the forest would be stacks and stacks and stacks of trees for miles upon miles. If this were in 2015, right now, no-one would even have thought of getting Kira because nearly no-one cares about anything but themselves and their own needs. It'd be hard to find someone who cares enough about saving a poor crippled girl unless you bribed them, so no-one nowadays would risk their own lives in the sake of someone else. Our society wouldn't be a utopia, it would be a distopia because of the constant judgement, blame, lies, horrible sins of our nowadays society. Too me it's sad, i wish our society could be as perfect as it's depicted in the future, but it's not. All it takes to change that though, is one girl who cares a whole lot about the greater good. That girl could make Hell , Heaven just like that, but if that girl loses hope, she loses everything.