Marvin Harris, a best friend of Ed, our protagonist and one of the main characters in ‘The Messenger’. He is nineteen years old and still lives with his parents and his fifteen year old sister Marissa. His other friends and the other members of the group are Ritchie and Audrey. He works with his Dad as a carpenter and has gathered $50,000 throughout the book. He does not tell why he doesn’t spend the money and why he is so tight about money, as shown by him never buying his own beer and host any night at his house. It is revealed later in the book why. Marv has thick blond hair that is almost in knots and wears old suit pants for comfort. He smokes cigars that he stole from his Dad regularly. His favourite group is the Ramones.
Marv also owns an old, worn-out, light-blue Ford Falcon that breaks down almost every time and is constantly mocked by his friends. He is very protective of his car and is ignorant to the fact he could finish it. Marv and his friends also tend to play a game called Annoyance, which Marv usually wins. One of Marv’s hates is Ed’s dog, the Doorman. When he was in high school, he dated a girl named Suzanne Boyd who he mucked around with, but her family rapidly fled when they found out Suzanne was pregnant. This is the reason why Marv is saving all of his money, to provide for the kid who is a two and a half year old girl. Additionally, Marv plays football in the winter and participates in the Sledge Game.
Marv is an argumentative person in general and is a loud-mouth. This is shown when the bank is getting robbed and he is exchanging words with the bank robber because he doesn’t want his car to get fined. He is oblivious to the fact that the robber had a gun, but that he did not want to pay the fine.
In ‘The Messenger’, Marv could also be seen as a thrifty person who could not be any tighter with his money. This could be seen in many instances in the novel. For example, his reluctance to do anything to fix his run-down car, even when the window is broken when Ed fires a gun at the gunman during the bank robbery. Also that he still drains his parents resources is an example of his thriftiness with him stealing alcohol and cigars from his Dad. Marv also never hosts the card games due to his tightness with money.
Though his imperfections, Marv could also be seen as a dedicated and caring person. Despite his thriftiness, the money he is saving was for his young daughter that he had not yet met. Another instance is when Ed needs his friends to help him out with the card involving Father O’Reilly, which involved violating public property and going to church.
“Marv’s smile, and the giant glass tears on his face are two of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen.”- Pg. 357. When Marv reveals that he has a kid with his high school girlfriend, Ed attempts to help Marv meet his daughter. After the not-so easy confrontation with Suzanne’s Dad in which Marv is beaten to a pulp, but Ed convinces the Dad to think Marv over. When Suzanne arranges a meet-up, Marv get some time with his daughter in which he plays with her at the playground for the first time. This showed the soft, unseen side of Marv that you never really see. For most of the novel, is just that arrogant, opinionated self, but meeting his daughter changed him and his relationship with Ed.
“‘Now hang on a second.’ Marv’s getting all offended again. ‘Since you’re holding up the bank, the least you can do is pay my parking fine, don’t you think?’ “Pg. 8-9. This is when the bank is getting robbed and Marv is worried about having to pay a parking fine for his car. He argues with the gunman, who calls his car ‘a piece of ****’. This shows the argumentative, humorous side of Marv and reveals his tightness for money.
" I don't know about Marv, but I feel a camaraderie as we kneel down and do the paint job. It feels like youth as we write the words. At one stage, I look across at my friend. Marv the argumentative. Marv the tight-arse with money. Marv with the girl who vanished."Pg.166. When Ed needs help getting the word out about the rave at Father O'Reilly's church, he turns to Marv, and the he steps right up. Even though Ed feels like he does nothing but walk away from Marv. It does not bother Marv one bit., showing that loyalty and friendship.
I think that the audience would generally like Marv in the way that he is an odd character that is not afraid to say what he thinks, but would kind of get annoyed by his thriftiness. Especially during the bank robbing and his confrontation with the gunman and his reluctance to ever pay for anything with the worst excuses. I would say that Marv is a static character as he does not change over the course of the text, but you do not know how he was after the meeting with his daughter. He still stays that argumentative, thrifty being with that secret. The message that Markus Zusak is likely trying to convey is that the people that we least expect to have that complex, soft and messy side are probably the ones that have it. I think that message was successfully communicated as you saw the side of Marv that you never saw when he talked about his kid and that moment in the playground.
Marv also owns an old, worn-out, light-blue Ford Falcon that breaks down almost every time and is constantly mocked by his friends. He is very protective of his car and is ignorant to the fact he could finish it. Marv and his friends also tend to play a game called Annoyance, which Marv usually wins. One of Marv’s hates is Ed’s dog, the Doorman. When he was in high school, he dated a girl named Suzanne Boyd who he mucked around with, but her family rapidly fled when they found out Suzanne was pregnant. This is the reason why Marv is saving all of his money, to provide for the kid who is a two and a half year old girl. Additionally, Marv plays football in the winter and participates in the Sledge Game.
Marv is an argumentative person in general and is a loud-mouth. This is shown when the bank is getting robbed and he is exchanging words with the bank robber because he doesn’t want his car to get fined. He is oblivious to the fact that the robber had a gun, but that he did not want to pay the fine.
In ‘The Messenger’, Marv could also be seen as a thrifty person who could not be any tighter with his money. This could be seen in many instances in the novel. For example, his reluctance to do anything to fix his run-down car, even when the window is broken when Ed fires a gun at the gunman during the bank robbery. Also that he still drains his parents resources is an example of his thriftiness with him stealing alcohol and cigars from his Dad. Marv also never hosts the card games due to his tightness with money.
Though his imperfections, Marv could also be seen as a dedicated and caring person. Despite his thriftiness, the money he is saving was for his young daughter that he had not yet met. Another instance is when Ed needs his friends to help him out with the card involving Father O’Reilly, which involved violating public property and going to church.
“Marv’s smile, and the giant glass tears on his face are two of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen.”- Pg. 357. When Marv reveals that he has a kid with his high school girlfriend, Ed attempts to help Marv meet his daughter. After the not-so easy confrontation with Suzanne’s Dad in which Marv is beaten to a pulp, but Ed convinces the Dad to think Marv over. When Suzanne arranges a meet-up, Marv get some time with his daughter in which he plays with her at the playground for the first time. This showed the soft, unseen side of Marv that you never really see. For most of the novel, is just that arrogant, opinionated self, but meeting his daughter changed him and his relationship with Ed.
“‘Now hang on a second.’ Marv’s getting all offended again. ‘Since you’re holding up the bank, the least you can do is pay my parking fine, don’t you think?’ “Pg. 8-9. This is when the bank is getting robbed and Marv is worried about having to pay a parking fine for his car. He argues with the gunman, who calls his car ‘a piece of ****’. This shows the argumentative, humorous side of Marv and reveals his tightness for money.
" I don't know about Marv, but I feel a camaraderie as we kneel down and do the paint job. It feels like youth as we write the words. At one stage, I look across at my friend. Marv the argumentative. Marv the tight-arse with money. Marv with the girl who vanished."Pg.166. When Ed needs help getting the word out about the rave at Father O'Reilly's church, he turns to Marv, and the he steps right up. Even though Ed feels like he does nothing but walk away from Marv. It does not bother Marv one bit., showing that loyalty and friendship.
I think that the audience would generally like Marv in the way that he is an odd character that is not afraid to say what he thinks, but would kind of get annoyed by his thriftiness. Especially during the bank robbing and his confrontation with the gunman and his reluctance to ever pay for anything with the worst excuses. I would say that Marv is a static character as he does not change over the course of the text, but you do not know how he was after the meeting with his daughter. He still stays that argumentative, thrifty being with that secret. The message that Markus Zusak is likely trying to convey is that the people that we least expect to have that complex, soft and messy side are probably the ones that have it. I think that message was successfully communicated as you saw the side of Marv that you never saw when he talked about his kid and that moment in the playground.