Part Five: The Joker I AM THE

MESSENGER
Ana Laura, Antonio, Alicia,

Angelo
 J
The Laughter
Even though it is silent on Ed's street, he can hear

the Joker laughing at him. In case someone is

waiting for him inside his home, he is afraid to

return there. He looks through the entire house,

but only his dog is there. Ed arrives at work feeling

Analysis
After nearly crashing his automobile, Ed
numb and unable to strike up casual conversation

feels as though the Joker is making fun of

with his clients as he usually does. Two days go by

him, indicating that he thinks the card is

affecting his luck. This demonstrates how

in this state of limbo when Ed nearly wrecks his taxi

someone will return to believing that fate

after failing to realize the automobile in front of

controls their life when they are in a

him had abruptly stopped. Just as the Joker starts to

difficult situation, as Ed does in this

chapter. In terms of feeling like he can giggle from the passenger seat, Ed slams on the

control his situation, Ed has gone a long

brakes.
way, but he still feels burdened by the

things he can't change.

 Weeks go by, and Ed is still waiting for
Summary of Chapter J
someone to show up at his place. He feels
The Weeks
overburdened. One day, just Audrey enters

the building. She questions Ed about why he

has recently been so aloof from their pals.

Ed claims to have waited. He displays the

deck to Audrey and says that all but the

Analysis
Joker are complete cards. He begs Audrey
In this scenario, Ed feels

to explain that she sent him the cards

hopeless since he cannot know

because she wanted him to better himself

whether the forces influencing

and assist others, but she admits she didn't,

his life are good or evil, as

Audrey candidly denies her

so he is left to believe that.

involvement.
 Summary of Chapter J
The end is not the end
One late night, someone rings Ed's doorbell. Ed inhales deeply before opening the

door. In front of him is a mustachioed, balding man wearing a suit. He knocks on

Ed's door and, after getting permission to enter, sits down at the kitchen table.

He pulls a letter out of his briefcase after opening it. Ed asks who sent him instead

of opening it, despite his insistence. Of course, the man had no idea. Ed finally

opens the letter and follows the instructions to visit the cemetery. Analysis
Ed discovers Keith and Daryl standing by his father's grave. According to Keith, Ed and his

father are so similar that Ed was sure to pass away underachieving as his father did. Daryl
According to Daryl's remarks

explains that Ed didn't genuinely become like his father since he and Keith were hired to
regarding Ed's father, while

oppose him. Keith clarifies that Ed's father wasn't the one who hired them, though. parents have a significant

Ed imagines Milla, Sophie, and Angelina. He recalls the laughing of Father O'Reilly, Angie's ice
impact on a person's life, the

cream, and the sibling affection between Gavin and Daniel. He observes the holiday decorations,
bad sides of this influence can
his mother's love and disappointment, and Bernie's vintage movie theater. He can see Audrey
be mitigated by using life's

during the three minutes they danced together, as well as Ritchie beside the river, Marv in the park, problems to spur personal

and all of this in the mirror. If Ed still notices a deceased person in the mirror, the man inquires. As
growth, as Ed did with the cards.
Ed responds negatively, the man remarks that the entire plan was worthwhile. The man bids Ed

farewell and instructs him to enter.

 Summary of Chapter J
The Folder
As Ed comes home, he discovers another man seated on his couch next to the Doorman. Ed tries unsuccessfully to
ask the man if he is who he claims to be, but the man just nods. The man says that when he arrived in town a year
prior, he witnessed Ed playing cards with his dog and spending time with his deceased father. Like Ed, he kept an
eye on all the addresses on the cards. He admits that in addition to planning the botched bank heist and sending
Daryl and Keith to assault Ed, he also murdered Ed's father. He claims that he did all of this to demonstrate that,
even though Ed was entirely ordinary, anyone may perform remarkable deeds for the sake of others.

Ed pauses, unsure of his reality. The man eventually gets up and leaves a folder on the couch behind him. He
explains that the folder has notes on everything Ed did and everything he planned for Ed to do, including their
current conversation. Whether he is real, Ed queries. He should check the folder, the man instructs. Of course
you're real is scrawled inside Ed's envelope. Ed begs the man to explain what he should do next as he starts to
depart. He claims that Ed must now lead a life of his own.

The stranger stays for a short while longer as Ed struggles to process what he has just learnt. Ultimately, the
stranger walks away without ever introducing himself to Ed. Ed observes the man getting a notepad to write in as
he walks up the street. Ed feels that since he done all of the work, he should perhaps be the one to write about it. He
restrains himself from obsessing over this. Ed checks the contents of the folder to make sure they are all true. Days
go by as he waits before recognizing that he is anticipating life following the events in the folder.
 Analysis
The man has no name, so the reader must decide if

he represents God, the author, or just another

character in the novel. This demonstrates how there

are several ways to view the forces that shape

people's life. Ed's opinion that he should write down

his experience emphasizes this point even more

since, even though he cannot alter the events

themselves, he can alter how they are seen.

 Summary of Chapter J
The Message Analysis
According to Audrey's statements, Ed must now take

responsibility for his own actions and carry on living his life

independently now that the man has let go of that authority.

Audrey raps on Ed's door one day. She enters and begs Ed if she may

This underlines even more the notion that, up to a point,

stay permanently. Ed and Audrey embrace and kiss one another.

circumstances can direct a person's life, but after that, that

Together, they collapse to the ground, and the doorman joins them
person is responsible for their own choices. The folder's

there. Audrey is given the full account of the man and the cards by Ed. He
conclusion also symbolizes the end of the book's influence

over the characters.

understands there is something else he has to know after he is done. He

rushes over to the folder and quickly starts looking through it. When

Audrey inquires as to what he is seeking, he replies that he is seeking

their reconciliation. This time, according to Audrey, is only for the two of

them. Ed's admission that he is the message

demonstrates how choosing to be kind to others

On the front porch, Ed, Audrey, and the doorman are

might inspire other people to do the same. This

seated. Ed reflects on the man's assertion that

highlights Ed's intention to demonstrate to the

anyone can perform remarkable acts of compassion

reader the need of pushing oneself to help

for others if they are average like Ed, which means

others even when one doesn't feel particularly

that everyone can. He comes to the realization that

he was not a messenger who brought others

brave or outstanding.
information and significance. In essence, he is the

message.
 Favorite Quote

"I am not the messenger at all.

I'm the message."

We choose this quote because is perfectly

describes the book.

THE END