Messenger

Teenage Matty is the protagonist and hero of the story. He is an orphan from a different village who lives with a blind man called Seer. Despite being raised in a cruel and unforgiving village, Matty was always gentle and kind, even to those who did not meet his village’s standards of usefulness. This kindness and gentleness set him apart. First, the reader sees his kindness as a young boy, when he nurses an injured dog back to health and stands by Kira, the blind man’s daughter, when the village turns against her. Though he had nothing to gain from it, he repeatedly went out of his way to help Kira to the point of venturing into the dangerous woods and finding her father.

The selflessness that characterized Matty as a child becomes his most valuable tool as a teenager. Though he is interested in fishing, gaming machines, and pretty girls, he still maintains his gentle kindness. He lives with the blind man and helps him whenever necessary and loves to run messages for Leader. The reader can also see his kindness in the way he interacts with the frog at the beginning of the story and the compassion he feels for Jean’s sick dogs.