Search advanced search
 
Books
Search:
x dismiss this message

Did you know you can edit this page?

Messenger
  • Rated 0 stars
Read Messenger
The Giver Quartet: Book 3

Messenger (2004) (edit title/settings)

by Lois Lowry (Author) (edit contributors)

Share this book on:
see page history

Description edit see section history

For the past six years, Matty has lived in Village and flourished under the guidance of Seer, a blind man, known for his special sight. Village was a place that welcomed newcomers, but something sinister has seeped into Village and the people have voted to close it to outsiders. Matty has been... read more

Summary edit see section history

Matty, a character Lowry introduced in Gathering Blue, is an energetic and impatient individual who begins the story at the awkward transition between boy and man. Matty lives with Christopher (now called Seer), a blind man whom the citizens of Village rescued years before. Struggling to... read more (warning: may contain spoilers)

Matty, a character Lowry introduced in Gathering Blue, is an energetic and impatient individual who begins the story at the awkward transition between boy and man. Matty lives with Christopher (now called Seer), a blind man whom the citizens of Village rescued years before. Struggling to overcome his habits of stealing and lying, Matty is desperate for his new name to be "Messenger", which he feels is what he is best at being.
Many of the people in Village are like Seer: cast out from their old communities and sometimes seriously injured, they have made themselves new homes in Village. Most of the Villagers are reasonably altruistic, and they are never lacking those to help a Villager overcome some disability. Matty is from a community where in people only know what the community tells them, and where those who do not fit the norm are usually put to death.
Outside the safe boundaries of Village is Forest, a foreboding realm which most of the Villagers fear. In spite of the lack of dangerous beasts, Forest itself is animated. It is capable of delivering "Warnings" in the form of injuries caused by such things as sharp twigs, stinging insects, or poisonous plants, all of whom attack with deliberate intent. If the person warned enters the forest again, it will kill them. Matty, whom Forest seems to favor, has gone through Forest many times without incident. Consequently, he has become Village's messenger, carrying word to the other communities scattered throughout the region. At one point, Jonas(Called "Leader" in this book)says that he received a barge full of books from the community, and that the community has changed.
Very early in the book, discord appears in Village. People who trade at a gathering called Trade Mart change from compassionate and generous to angry and impatient. The temperament of the Villagers changes, and they decide to close their borders, no longer permitting the displaced and unwanted of other communities to enter. Matty, in the wake of this sudden change, decides to travel through the Forest to retrieve Seer's daughter, Kira, who lives in a town several days away. The journey soon becomes gravely perilous, as the Forest begins to attempt to entangle Kira and Matty. Leader's ability of remote viewing, which the book often refers to as "seeing beyond", allows him to sense the danger. He enters the forest to save them, only to be captured himself. Kira, who has the ability to weave prophecy-like patterns in thread and cloth, uses her gift to contact Leader, who tells her to have Matty use his <Matty's> gift to save them.
This gift is a special ability which Matty possesses but hardly understands; a power of healing, which causes wholeness from the inside out. Matty puts his hands to the ground and manages to restore the integrity of Forest and people alike, at the expense of his own life. It is speculated that he had healed the entire world, including the communities of the previous books. Leader names Matty the Healer.
Near the end is a quotation of poetry, derived from To An Athlete Dying Young: "Today, the road all runners come,/Shoulder-high we bring you home/And set you at your threshold down/Townsman of a stiller town." This is spoken by the Village's schoolteacher, known as Mentor.
On a side note, in the previous book, Gathering Blue, when Matty was a tyke known as Matt, his nursing his dog Branch back to health could be a possible foreshadowing of Matty's healing powers.

Characters edit see section history

  • Matty: Matty was a very adventurous person even when he was a kid. Since Matty has the power to go through Forest without harming himself, he is tasked to deliver messages to different villages. He wants to be named Messenger when he comes of age (introduced in Gathering Blue).
  • Seer: A blind man who is helped by Matt. He is Kira's father from 'Gathering Blue.'
  • Leader: Jonas, from 'The Giver.' He leads the people in Village and makes wise decisions for the people. He has the ability to "see beyond" and gives people their true names.
  • Jean: Matt has a crush on her. She promises to and does kiss him. She has puppies, whom Matty helps and adopts. Daughter of Mentor
  • Kira: A girl who has a crooked leg and lives in a village where she is tasked to create wonderful things in 'Gathering Blue.', Seer's daughter.
  • Ramon: Matt's best friend. His family traded for a gaming machine.
  • Trademaster: He is in charge of the trading sessions in Village.
  • Mentor: Runs the schoolhouse and is Jean's father. Someone that Mattie looked up to
  • Forest: The Forest that surrounds Village and all the other places people come from. It is alive and acting strangely.
  • Macduff: Add a description of this character.
  • Vladik
Show all 11 characters
Popular Covers

Loading covers…

Choose your book’s cover

Setting & Locations edit see section history

A futuristic time.
  • The Village: A perfect cross between Jonas' old world and Kira's world.
  • The Forest: A forest that surrounds the Village.

First Sentence edit see section history

Matty was impatient to have the supper preparations over and done with.

Table of Contents edit see section history

Chapters 1 - 21

Themes & Symbolism edit see section history

  • Nature Is: Humans have an impact on nature, so nature is what we make it. Nature is in control.
  • Human Impact: The people of the communities are naive and they are governed as they are told to do so. A select few carry "gifts" and later they are the ones who bring about change. Just like in today's world. Those who have "gifts" need to know it's ok to stand up and over time change things for the better.
  • Christianity: Matt's power becomes similar to the power of Jesus Christ.
  • Human Nature is flawed: All 3 societies from this trilogy have serious problems which points to the fact that all human nature is flawed.

Series & Lists edit see section history

This is book 3 of 4 in The Giver Quartet. (standard series)

Preceded by Gathering Blue, and followed by Son.

This is book 3 of 4 in La trilogie du Passeur. (standard series)

Preceded by Gathering Blue, and followed by Son.

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

  1. Lois Lowry (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Original Language: English
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
Country: United States
Publication Date: April 26, 2004
ISBN: 0618404414
Page Count: 176

Notes for Parents edit see section history

Reading Level: Young Adults

Themes of violence and loss, but few explicit (See also Gathering Blue and The Giver)

More Books Like This edit see section history

   
  • Gossamer
  • Matched
  • The Sky Inside
  • Number the Stars
  • Life As We Knew It
  • Z for Zachariah
  • The Silent Boy

Books with Additional Background Information edit see section history

   
  • A Reading Guide to The Giver (Scholastic Bookfiles)
  • The Giver (Cliffs Notes)

Books That Influenced This Book edit see section history

   
  • Gathering Blue
  • The Giver

We’re hiding the organizations, errata, links to supplemental material, movie connections, books influenced by this book, books that cite this book and books cited by this book sections. If you would like to add content to them, you must first make them visible.

© 2006-2013 Shelfari | Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Copyright Policy

Close