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9 of Hearts
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
Ed can’t sleep that night because he is still thinking about how Marv looked holding hands with his daughter and how afterward, Marv hugged him. Ed knows that now Audrey is his one remaining mission. He believes this is the most important message for him.
Ed’s memory of Marv’s affection for his daughter shows how helping others allows one to recognize the beautiful love of others.
Themes
Ed goes to Audrey’s house and watches it from the outside. For three nights, he watches Simon come over and listens to him and Audrey having sex. Ed still knows that Audrey loves him, not Simon, and he determines that Audrey needs to allow herself to feel that love for once in her life. He decides that tomorrow he will complete this mission.
Ed knows that love, not sex, is the secret to his mission, which shows how he has matured as a character. This change shows that caring for others will lead one to value love and compassion over traditional forms of success such as sexual conquests.
Themes
