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Chapter Nineteen
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Messenger, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Selfishness vs. the Collective Good
Youth, Memory, and the Future
Humans and Nature
Identity and Difference
Summary
Analysis
Matty asks Kira what she sees, but she doesn't reply. He lies down and pulls Frolic close, feeling immensely sad that Frolic, a young puppy, will die so soon. He realizes he's sad for Village, Kira, and Leader, all of whom are suffering. Kira whispers that Leader is close.
Thinking of Frolic instead of himself again reinforces that Matty is a relatively selfless character who considers others before himself—especially since Matty is also very young and has his whole life ahead of him.
Themes
Leader stands still as the vine wraps around his ankle and looks beyond to Kira. He finds her in "the place called Beyond," and his consciousness meets hers. They both explain that they're hurt and lost, and then Leader is pulled back to the clearing. He reaches out for Kira again and tells her to ask Matty for help and to use his gift. Matty feels Kira move and leans close to hear her speak. He hears her say that they need his gift, and he falls backwards. He thinks it's too late to use his gift and that there's too much that needs help. He rolls off the blanket into the mud and waits to die. His fingers begin to vibrate.
Matty's fingers start to vibrate even though he doesn't think he can do what’s asked of him—he still has the power to help others, even if he isn’t aware of it. It's telling too that Matty is able to begin healing Forest even though he's not sure of what he's doing. This suggests that Matty's actions are innate and instinctive to him, rather than something that he needs education to be able to tap into.
Themes
