Village a Place For Everyone

            Some might think that the communities of The Giver and Gathering Blue were ideal societies, but in Messenger the society is more realistic and closer to perfection because of its differences.  Village, the community of Messenger, is the land of “misfits”.  They were not really “misfits”, but they were welcomed in this community.  The people of Village aren’t really “misfits” but they are examples of differences among people.  Messenger shows how painful prejudice can be and shows how many people can accept their differences and thrive.

            In some societies people aren’t accepted because of physical appearances.  An example of this is the mentor, Village’s school teacher, has a birthmark.  Also Seer, the man who is from Matty’s community and the one who took him in, was beaten by people from his community because they were jealous of him.  Village took care of him and took him in when his community wouldn’t because he was left blind.  Both of them are important to Village in spite of their physical differences.

             Some communities don’t have a place for everybody.  Matty was a free spirited kid who was often seen as a trouble maker by his community.  In Messenger he plays an important role by delivering messages from his community to other communities.  He one day hopes to get his true name as messenger.  Jonas, the leader of Village, lives there because he escaped his village with Gabe, his “brother”.  He didn’t think his role in the other community was fair.  Jonas had to keep all the memories of the community’s past and he didn’t think it was fair that every one didn’t get to experience the memories.  When he escaped from the community all the memories would go back to the people and he did this knowing he would never be able to return.  Both Jonas and Matty who didn’t fit in their own community found a place in Village.

            The best example of accepting differences in others might be the village accepting Gabe. His previous community was going to release him because he wasn’t developing normally.  Village is accepting him even though at the age of 8 he is still learning how to speak.  Gabe’s disability didn’t make him a misfit in Village, but just a member with a difference.

            Village is an open minded place for everyone.  No one in the Village is a misfit because of differences.  Accepting our own differences and the differences of other will make a perfect society.