Essay Questions

Why is Kira reluctant to accept Matty’s offer to heal her stiff leg?

The reader finds it ironic that Kira is not ready to have her leg cured for free by Matty's healing gift. Kira is keen on preserving her identity because she feels that the healing will interfere with her true-self, and people might not be able to identify her. For instance, if Kira gets healed, she will transform into a different person, and she finds this as improper. Many people are ready and willing to change themselves into what they aspire to be, but it is not the case for Kira.

Is the forest emblematically used in the ‘Messenger’?

The forest symbolically represents the villagers' ravenousness and egocentricity. The forest first starts by warning the people against particular interests, and those who go against are killed by it. The only person who is spared by the forest is Matty because he is ready to sacrifice his life for others' sake. Matty uses his hidden gift to help others without demanding benefits. Therefore, Matty is the only person who can pass across the forest without being killed because his interests are genuine at all times.

What is the significance of the character, Seer?

Seer is Matty's blind guardian, who has taken good care of him. With the help of the selflessness of the villagers, Matty is raised to be a decent gentleman. Due to his gift of overcoming the forest furry, he is responsible for being a messenger to crisscross the forest to deliver messages to the people living on the other side. Seer is significant in this story because he shows the real picture of humanity. Matty is a refugee, but Seer raises him as his biological son. The moral lesion depicted by Seer is that nobody should be underestimated in society.