Enhanced Understanding Through Intertextuality in 'I am the Messenger'

This essay analyzes the use of intertextuality in Markus Zusak's novel "I am the Messenger," focusing on how literary and cinematic allusions enhance the understanding of the novel's key themes. It examines references to films like "Ace of Hearts," "The Suitcase" (from Mad Men), and "Cat Ballou" to illustrate how these intertextual connections deepen the reader's appreciation of themes such as identity, love, and belonging. The essay explores the relationships between characters like Ed and Ritchie, drawing parallels to Don Draper and Peggy Olson, and compares Ed's friendship with Marv to the character of Catherine in "Cat Ballou." Additionally, the romantic elements are discussed through the lens of "Roman Holiday," highlighting the contrasting yet complementary relationship between Ed and Audrey. Ultimately, the essay argues that Zusak's strategic use of intertextuality enriches the text, providing readers with a more nuanced understanding of the characters and their journeys.

“I am the Messenger” is a novel written by Markus Zusak and the entire study is narrated
through the eyes of the main character named Ed Kennedy. This novel deals with the major
themes like identity, fear, love, fate and free will, disappointment, courage, and their themes
like life, consciousness and existence. The themes of this movie has been illustrated in a
elaborative manner and the presence of the references like Ritchie filmed in The Suitcase or
the Ace of heart or references to Marv filmed in the movie Cat Ballou adds to the essence of
the movie. The references of the movies and the novel represents the inter-textual nature and
they are employed in systematic manner for conveying certain meanings to the audiences.
Inter-texuality is a sophisticated concept that inter weaves different literary materials;
especially in the fictional writings it can make the reader feel connected to the real life. For
instance, the reference made about the 1921 movie named Ace of heart provides the reader
with the clue that the subtle theme behind its reference is reunion with the ones who have
been left out in the journey of life. As in the movie the dog named Ace reunites with its
owner, similar in the book too, Ed reunites with his mother and the friends with whom he had
been out of touch. Therefore, the theme of belongingness remains the common point of
references through the movie as well as the novel.
In this novel Ritchie and Ed are friends who has misconception about each other,
however so they realises that each one of them have misunderstood. Ritchie gets stunned
when Ed asks for tour in the radio station next time. Ritchie believed he has some kind of
chronic illness however later did he realise that it was the constant fatigued that was bother
his friend. A similar case has been portrayed in ‘The Suitcase’ which is the seventh episode
of the fourth season of the American Television drama series named Mad Men. The episode
centres the characters of Don Draper (Jon Hamm) and Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss) and
their relationship. Just as the way Peggy was in a figuring out stage where she was trying to
understand the relationship with Don, the same kind of reflection can be seen in the

relationship between Ed and Ritchie (Finlayson 2015). The plot develops in both the case
with an internal reflection of how appreciate each other’s life style. The plot differs to some
extent because not just the appreciation but also recognition of the each other’s actual driving
tendencies were also discovered. Ed finds out that Ritchie is lonely and vulnerable and
Ritchie learns the Ed do not suffer from boredom but “he realizes he’s just plain old lazy”.
The revelation of the characters were also similar because both of them came realises all they
wanted was to want something.
Cat Ballou is a movie released in 1965, based on the American western musical
comedy film. It starred Jane Fonda and Lee Marvin they also won Academy award for best
actor for his dual role. Ed and Marv are two friends and Ed describes his friend as the one
“who never shut up”. From the beginning of the Ed describes Marv as the one with bog
mouth and the audience is also convinced that Marv’s big mouth attracted the burglar’s
attention. However, when Ed wanted to seek help regarding the rave at father O’ Reilly’s
Church he turned to Marv and Marv stepped right into helping the person. This kind of nature
is quite similar to the character Catherine in Cat Ballou. She wanted to become a school
teacher and was returning home from the boarding school by train and thereon the prolonged
journey she keeps on assisting people in need. She even goes to extent of killing just because
she intended to assist people. The reader connect both the story line understand that they
converges both the character line. There is more to the “The girl who vanished”, Ed almost
chocked when he saw his friend with his family. Similarly, when Uncle Jed appears and cuts
the noose making Cat fall inside the trapdoor, the audiences too chokes with Joy.
Drawing similarity on the romantic genre, the mention of Roman holiday and the
Audrey as a part time lover in this novel has greater similarities (Kramer 2000). Just like in
Roman holiday the characters wee poles and best as complementary position, similarly in the
novel too Audrey is represented as opiated, wilful and a complete original quite in contrast to

Ed. Even though with vast difference both of them in both the text realises that they can be
together and the chapter ends in an optimistic notes.
On concluding line one can understanding how the intertexuality draws the reader for
better understanding the text and also give enriches the txt with the references.

References
Kramer, P., 2000. Audrey Hepburn, Roman Holiday and European integration. 100
Years of European Cinema: Entertainment Or Ideology?, p.195.
Finlayson, E., 2015. I Am the Messenger. The School Librarian, 63(2), p.127.