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Jean is Mentor's daughter. She's a young girl with curly hair who's about Matty's age, and she has a reputation for flirting with many different boys. She grows flowers and bakes bread, all of which she sells at the local market. Matty has a crush on her and spends time with her whenever he can. Though Jean appears flighty and childlike at first, she and Matty begin to connect in a more mature way when Jean becomes afraid of what's happening to her father as he trades his deepest self away to court Stocktender's widow. She shared Mentor's love of literature and learning, and she finds it disturbing that he's less interested in those things as he becomes more handsome. Jean kisses Matty before he leaves for his final trip through Forest.
Jean Quotes in Messenger
The Messenger quotes below are all either spoken by Jean or refer to Jean. 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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Chapter Eight Quotes
And now she was talking to him in a way that was not foolish and childlike, designed to entrance, but instead was human and pained and adult. He felt suddenly that he loved her, and it was a feeling he had never known before.
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Chapter Nine Quotes
"It was so important to him, and he made it important to me: poetry, and language, and how we use it to remind ourselves of how our lives should be lived..."
Then her tone changed and became embittered. "Now he talks of nothing but Stocktender's window, and of closing Village to new ones. What has happened to my father?"
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Chapter Eleven Quotes
Matty glanced over and saw that she was standing in front of the tapestry Kira had made for her father. Even from where he stood, he could see what Jean meant. The entire forest area, the hundreds of tiny stitches in shades of green, had darkened, and the threads had knotted and twisted in odd ways. The peaceful scene had changed into something no longer beautiful. It had an ominous feel to it, a feel of impenetrability.
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Jean Character Timeline in Messenger
The timeline below shows where the character Jean appears in Messenger. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter One
...because he's a patient and kind teacher, but he really wants to see Mentor's daughter, Jean. Jean is the girl who promised Matty a kiss, and she often spends time in...
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Chapter Two
...or Bragger. The narrator explains that in Village, life proceeds as usual. Mentor teaches, while Jean sells flowers and bread. Seer walks through Village checking on everyone, and a tall young...
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Chapter Five
As Matty and Seer unearth beets in the garden, Matty says that Jean's dog had three puppies and she's promised that Matty can have one. Seer teases Matty...
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As Jean leads Matty to the dogs, Matty looks around the house and doesn't notice anything silly...
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Matty asks where Mentor is, and Jean explains that he's at a meeting. With amusement, Jean says that she believes he just...
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Chapter Seven
...He joins a group standing near a platform and stands next to Mentor, hoping that Jean will come. Mentor greets Matty affectionately and when Matty says he has nothing to trade,...
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Chapter Eight
...time to pick up his puppy—it's becoming mischievous and Mentor wants it gone. He finds Jean in the garden and thinks that she looks unusually troubled. She says that Mentor wants...
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Jean says that it's about Mentor, and Matty says that he's changing. Jean starts crying, and...
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Chapter Nine
At the market, Matty buys bread from Jean. She tucks a flower into the paper wrapping and sighs that she's going to the...
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Chapter Eleven
Matty says he needs to go tell Jean he's leaving, but Leader keeps his arm around Matty's shoulder. Then Leader looks out the...
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...she'll already know. He also tries to assure Seer that Kira will want to come. Jean knocks on the door and offers Matty a loaf of bread to take with him....
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Chapter Thirteen
...and wishes he knew what some of the flowers are called so he could tell Jean about them. Kira appears in the door and greets Matty happily. She embraces him, and...
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Chapter Sixteen
...with the hem of her dress, Matty says she'll be able to borrow clothes from Jean in Village. Kira perks up at Matty's mention of a girl, and Matty is relieved...
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...block the smell. Though Matty's body feels weak, he leads them on and thinks of Jean.
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Chapter Eighteen
Seer sits alone at home, afraid. Yesterday, he started to dig Kira's garden and told Jean happily that Matty and Kira would arrive soon. Earlier this morning, however, Leader told Seer...
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Chapter Twenty-One
...dappled with sunlight. Matty feels as though he can hear and see everything. He sees Jean call to Mentor, who is once again stooped and holding a book. Matty hears him...
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