I Am the Messenger

I Am the Messenger

by

Markus Zusak

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Bernie Price Character Analysis

Bernie Price is the third person Ed helps for the Ace of Spades. He is an elderly man who owns an old theater that shows classic movies. He rarely has customers and frequently sleeps while working. He bought the theater because he used to love going to the movies on dates. Ed helps him by allowing Bernie to relive a part of his youth by seeing Ed and Audrey watch a movie together. It is in Bernie’s theater that Ed sees the film of his own actions, which helps him realize the extent to which the man with the cards is involved in his life.
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Bernie Price Character Timeline in I Am the Messenger

The timeline below shows where the character Bernie Price appears in I Am the Messenger. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Queen of Spades: The Bell Street Theater
Purpose, Success, and Meaning Theme Icon
...the card, an old movie theater. The theater appears completely empty, until he finds an old man sleeping in the back room and wakes him up. The man excitedly says Ed is... (full context)
Circumstance vs. Choice Theme Icon
Purpose, Success, and Meaning Theme Icon
Hope, Caring, and Beauty Theme Icon
Ed introduces himself to the old man , but the man says he already knows Ed’s name, because he was told Ed... (full context)
Purpose, Success, and Meaning Theme Icon
Hope, Caring, and Beauty Theme Icon
...any movie he wants, and Ed selects Cool Hand Luke. The man introduces himself as Bernie Price. (full context)
Hope, Caring, and Beauty Theme Icon
Ed introduces Audrey to Bernie, and they settle down in the theater for the movie. Ed hopes Bernie feels happy... (full context)
Purpose, Success, and Meaning Theme Icon
Ed asks Audrey if they can invite Bernie to watch the movie with them and Audrey agrees. Bernie initially refuses to interrupt them,... (full context)
Circumstance vs. Choice Theme Icon
Bernie falls asleep but the movie reel needs to be changed. Audrey wakes him and he... (full context)
King of Spades: The Last Reel
Circumstance vs. Choice Theme Icon
Hope, Caring, and Beauty Theme Icon
Audrey helps Ed back to his seat because he can’t walk. Bernie begins playing Cool Hand Luke again, but Ed can only think about the words “They... (full context)
4 of Hearts: To Feel the Fear
Hope, Caring, and Beauty Theme Icon
Two days after Christmas, Ed visits Bernie at the theater. He asks Bernie about the movie titles on the Ace of Hearts.... (full context)
Joker: The End is Not the End
Purpose, Success, and Meaning Theme Icon
Hope, Caring, and Beauty Theme Icon
...of Gavin and Daniel. He sees the Christmas lights, his mother’s disappointment and love, and Bernie’s old cinema. He sees all this in the mirror, as well as Ritchie by the... (full context)