Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in I Am the Messenger, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Circumstance vs. Choice
Heroism, Sainthood, and Ordinariness
Purpose, Success, and Meaning
Hope, Caring, and Beauty
Summary
Analysis
Alone with only the dog to help him, Ed struggles to stand up. He picks up the envelope from the floor. Hesitant at the knowledge that the next mission could be uplifting or horrifying, he slowly opens the envelope. Inside, he finds the Ace of Clubs and a letter. The letter tells Ed that he did well with the last assignment, and that the letter writer knows Daryl and Keith told Ed about knowing the abusive man is not dead. The writer compliments Ed on handling that situation well. The writer reports that the abusive man has fled town.
The letter’s ability to predict what happened between Ed and the men suggests an omniscient force dictating Ed’s life, which further emphasizes the idea that an individual does not have control over their own fate. The letter writer’s approval of Ed not killing anyone suggests the writer also subscribes to the nonviolent form of heroism Ed practiced with the man.
Themes
The letter writer asks Ed if he is ready for the next card, but then says it doesn’t matter. Ed completed the last card even though he wasn’t ready for that one either. The writer concludes the letter by telling Ed that his life depends on his choice to “keep delivering.” Trembling, Ed picks up the card. Instead of addresses, written on the card are the words: “Say a prayer at the stones of home.” Ed has no idea what this clue means. He falls asleep and is still bleeding when he wakes up. Ed attempts to ignore the card, but he cannot enjoy his usual hobbies of reading or watching TV. He can only sit there and bleed.
The letter writer saying that it doesn’t matter if Ed is ready for the next mission suggests that an individual does not need to feel ready to help others; they simply must see an injustice and then choose to rise to the occasion. Ed’s life depending upon the mission could be interpreted as a death threat, raising the stakes of Ed’s choices. These words also suggest that one’s purpose in life depends (perhaps literally) upon their ability to care for others.
Themes
