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Daniel Rose
Lua Tatupu is the first person Ed helps for the Ace of Spades. Lua’s family is Polynesian and lives in the poor part of town. Physically, he is very large and strong. Lua is very affectionate and loving to his wife, Marie, and their five children, including Jessie. These traits contrast with the brutality of characters such as the Edgar Street man and show both Ed and the reader that extraordinarily loving individuals exist everywhere, regardless of circumstance. Lua is incredibly moved when Ed gifts his family new Christmas lights because no one else in the neighborhood has ever helped the family, showing how one small act of kindness can deeply impact an individual.
Lua Tatupu Quotes in I Am the Messenger
The I Am the Messenger quotes below are all either spoken by Lua Tatupu or refer to Lua Tatupu . For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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4 of Spades Quotes
Four globes to brighten up the Tatupu house this year. It’s not a big thing, but I guess it’s true—big things are often just small things that are noticed.
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The Ace of Spades leads Ed to the house of a poor yet happy family and he realizes the way to help them is to buy them new Christmas lights for their home. Ed’s comparison of “big things” to “small things that are noticed” shows that one does not have to do extraordinary, heroic acts in order to help others. Instead, any ordinary person simply needs to observe what another person needs and then perform a realistic act of human compassion. This contrasts with Ed’s view at the beginning of the novel, which stated that the only people who live Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accus
6 of Spades Quotes
Lua and Marie are holding hands.
They look like they’re so happy, just inside this moment, watching the kids and the lights on their old fibro house.
Lua kisses her.
Just softly on the lips.
And she kisses back.
Sometimes people are beautiful.
Not in looks.
Not in what they say.
Just in what they are.
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Ed decorates Lua and Marie Tatupu’s family home with Christmas lights and Ed and the family stand to observe the beautiful lights. Lua’s actions, described here as “soft,” directly contrast with the violent and cruel abuse of the Edgar Street man toward his wife and child. This shows both Ed and the reader that while there are violent people in the world like the Edgar Street man, there are also beautifully loving people like Lua. Ed’s recognition that “sometimes people are beautiful” shows how Ed’s mission of helping others, which included string up the lights for the family, allows him Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Oc
7 of Spades Quotes
“You know, Ed, we’ve been living here close to a year now, and nobody—absolutely nobody—has ever lifted a finger to help or make us feel welcome.” He drinks. “We expect no more these days. People have enough trouble getting by on their own…But then you come along, out of nowhere.”
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Lua approaches Ed after Ed decorates the Tatupu family home with Christmas lights. Lua’s words that they “expect no more these days” of their community echoes Ed’s perspective on other people at the beginning of the novel, when he expected people to be selfish due to outside factors such as poverty. Lua’s praise of Ed shows how one can overcome this selfishness. However, Lua’s last comment about meeting Ed shows that Ed, by committing an act of kindness for them, has changed Lua’s perspective; now Lua sees that it might be possible to count on his community after all. This Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut o
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Lua Tatupu Character Timeline in I Am the Messenger
The timeline below shows where the character Lua Tatupu appears in I Am the Messenger. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
4 of Spades: The Benefits of Lying
The father introduces himself as Lua Tatupu. He takes Ed inside and introduces him to his wife, Marie, and their five...
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That weekend, Ed passes by Lua’s house and sees the Christmas lights hung up. The lights are old and faded, with...
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5 of Spades: The Power and the Glory
...the lights at the front door, a van pulls up in front of his house. Lua, Marie, and their children step out of the van and reveal that they looked Ed...
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Lua calls out to Jessie, who is still in the house. Suddenly, all the new lights...
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6 of Spades: A Moment of Beauty
The children dance in the Christmas lights and Ed watches Lua and Marie holding hands. He realizes how happy they are. Lua kisses Marie gently and...
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7 of Spades: A Moment of Truth
...Ed for the lights, and Ed replies that the family deserved to have new lights. Lua tells Ed that the family has lived in that house for almost a year, but...
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...to watch TV together and Ed takes the opportunity to slip out. Before he goes, Lua give Ed a special stone for good luck. Then he asks Ed if he really...
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8 of Spades: Clown Street. Chips. The Doorman. And Me.
...the year. His air conditioning is broken, and his customers complain. Ed remembers he has Lua’s lucky stone in his pocket and feels happy despite the annoyances. When Ed returns his...
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7 of Hearts: The Secret Marv
...he thinks she is his favorite mission. However, he also thinks Sophie, Father O’Reilly, and Lua’s family might be his favorite. He feels bad for reminiscing over these positive memories when...
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