Messenger

Seer is Matty’s adopted father and mentor and acts as his moral compass. Though his given name is Christopher, he received the true name Seer when he came to Village after his eyes had been slashed in a brutal attack in his home village. His true name reflects his ability to see past the ordinary. Since he lost his sight, Seer uses his other senses to locate himself in his surroundings, giving him a confidence that even those with perfect vision do not have.

He teaches Matty simple things like cooking and cleaning and encourages him to learn, read, and think for himself. He challenges Matty to question things and urges him to be aware of the changes that are happening in Village. Though he has no familial bond with Matty, Seer treats him like a son and cares for Matty as deeply as he cares for his daughter.

Seer also represents the values Village was founded on. When many townspeople attend Trade Mart, Seer senses something wrong and refuses to go. When the petition is first introduced, Seer is alarmed because he realizes that the values of Village are slipping away. When the meeting to close Village arrives, Seer speaks about the care and selflessness that the people once showed him and tries to remind everyone what makes Village different. And finally, even when the townspeople vote to close the borders, Seer’s first thought is not for himself but for his daughter who will be trapped outside (96). When the values of Village begin to crumble, Seer remains a pillar of the kindness, compassion, care, and selflessness that Village was founded on.

The leader of the Village, appropriately called Leader, is responsible for making Village what it is at the start of the novel. Though he appears older, Leader is a young man in his twenties with “piercing” blue eyes (26). He arrived in Village many years ago on a red sled, which tells readers that Leader is Jonas, from the first book in the series, The Giver. He leads the village in being fair, honest, kind, and caring for others. He firmly believes in honesty and sharing information, saying that secrets inevitably cause sadness and that ignorance causes suffering (26).

Leader also has a special ability to “see beyond,” which allows him to see things going on outside his immediate vision, even miles into the thick underbrush of Forest. However, he cannot see beyond the shadows that exist in Forest, which worries him. Like Seer, he is acutely aware of the changes going on in the town. He feels unable to stop these changes because of the systems under which Village operates, which allow the citizens to decide what to do with their home. Leader has good relationships with everyone in Village including Matty. Though Matty is young, Leader listens closely to what he says, speaks to him as an equal, and trusts him to deliver messages within and outside Village.

At the beginning of the book, Leader is more reserved, observing the activities of Village from his home. As the story progresses, he becomes more involved, welcoming newcomers and handling situations with Mentor and his supporters. Though he seems to be an unbiased observer who exists to mediate disagreements, he is passionate about keeping Village a safe place for all. By the end of the book, he sacrifices everything to save Kira and Matty from Forest.

Mentor is the local schoolteacher. Matty remembers him being kind, patient, and eager to help his students, especially those who had never been to school before. He is characterized by a bright red birthmark that stretches across his face, stooped posture, and balding head. However, Mentor has begun to change in the weeks before the novel starts. The readers are first introduced to him as the writer of the petition to close Village, a selfish move for a supposedly selfless man.

Mentor’s internal and external changes are the first hints that something strange is going on in Village. Throughout the story, his birthmark gradually lightens, his posture improves, and his bald spots grow hair again. These physical changes coincide with character changes Matty notices. Mentor becomes less patient, louder, and ruder. As his birthmark fades, posture improves, and bald spots disappear, Mentor’s daughter confesses to Matty that Mentor has “traded his deepest self” at Trade Mart to become more attractive to Stocktender’s Widow (48). By the time Mentor’s birthmark is completely gone, he is yelling at his fellow wall-builders and being rude and impatient (140).

Matty’s sacrifice at the end of the book returns Mentor to his original self. His birthmark returns along with his stoop and bald spots, and his love of poetry and language is renewed. The changes Mentor goes through make him one of the most dynamic characters. Though he acts as the antagonist to Matty for most of the story, he is redeemed by the end.

Kira is Seer’s biological daughter and the protagonist of the novel Gathering Blue¸ which takes place before Messenger. She lives in the same town where she and Matty were born, about a week’s journey from Village. She was born with a crooked leg that causes her to walk slowly and with a limp. She is a skilled weaver with a special gift allowing her to see into the future. Therefore, she is not surprised when Matty visits her and tells her to return with him to Village. She always planned to join her father and Matty but wanted to make changes in her community before she left. Matty can tell that she succeeded in her mission because she could now read, which women were not permitted to do before (121).

Though Kira does not enter the novel until halfway through, she is very important. She is a strong, independent character who refuses to allow Matty to “heal” her leg, claiming that her twisted leg is a part of her—to change it would be to change who she is. By using her gift, Kira communicates with Leader and gets his message to Matty, which changes the course of the book and all the characters’ lives.

Jean is Mentor’s daughter and friend of Matty’s. She is a young girl with curly hair who grows flowers and bakes bread, which she sells in the market. She has a reputation for flirting with the boys in town and appears to be a shallow character at first. However, as Matty gets to know her, he sees great depth and sensitivity in her character. Jean confides in Matty about the changes she sees in her father, and how they scare her.

Jean is Matty’s primary romantic interest in the story. While she is a relatively static character, she is the catalyst for Matty’s new understanding of what is happening in Village. She describes in detail the changes in her father’s personality and physical appearance, helping Matty see that the growing selfishness in Village is rooted in people’s trades at Trade Mart. Over time, she and Matty develop a more mature relationship, and before Matty leaves on his journey into Forest, Jean kisses him.