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Jack 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 waits outside Audrey’s house with a cassette player beside him. He knows he must suffer through another night of listening to Simon and Audrey have sex before he can complete this mission. At dawn, he hears Simon leave the house, and then Ed knows it is time to act. He knocks on the door and Audrey answers, asking him what he’s doing there. Ed says he is here for her. Audrey steps outside in her pajamas and Ed leads her down to the nearby garden.
Ed’s suffering through listening to Simon and Audrey being together suggests that part of the mission involves him overcoming his jealousy of Simon. This further suggests that one must give up superficial ideas of success in order to have a caring, meaningful relationship with another person.
Themes
Ed begins to play a specially selected song on the cassette player. He looks into Audrey’s eyes and holds her hands. Wordlessly, he pulls her close and she rests her head on his shoulder. They slow dance to “the music of hearts” and Ed hopes she can feel the love he has for her. They dance for three minutes and Ed waits for her to admit that she loves him back. All she can say is “Ed Kennedy, huh?” and that it’s only him. Ed pulls away, knowing that three minutes of love were enough.
Ed’s view that love is enough shows he has given up on the view that one deserves a reward for showing kindness to others. Instead, he recognizes that love and caring are valuable in themselves.
Themes
