Ritchie is lazy, unambitious and lonely. He's all alone and doesn't have anything going for him, and though he doesn't exactly try to do anything to improve his situation, he also clearly wishes things were different, this was aid by Ed " to imagine his face as he sits there, listening. I remember Christmas Eve and Ritchie's words. I don't feel like going home tonight. I see the eyes that dragged themselves toward me, and I see now that anything would be better than sitting alone in his kitchen."
When Ritchie's name appears on the card, Ed is confused, with all the other cards Ed found it easier to be involved because he knew that he could walk away but with his friend it was different, Ed however feels that he needs to try. When Ed talks with Ritchie and ask what he wants in life Ritchie responds with "to want"(p.101). This shows that Ritchie is aware of the position his life is in and also that he wants to make a change. After this Ritchie starts looking for a job, all he need was the push that Ed was able to give him.
Though Ritchie eventually decides to start looking for a job, we never see him land one. Sure there's the promise of it, but with the other characters, we get to see their lives dramatically changed. I feel this a message that Zusak was trying to send with Ritchie because he is still a work in progress when the book closes, and we know that the only way he'll find his happy ending is by continuing to work hard on himself and his life.
Throughout most of the novel Ritchie is a static character, he does not change until the very end of the novel. I feel that Ritchie isn't meant to be loved by the audience but that he should make the audience feel for him, making the audience hope he takes that step to upgrading his life, in many ways Ritchie was like how Ed was, but you could say even worse, but with Eds changing the audience would want the same for Ritchie, Zusak shows that you can change how your life is going by doing simple things and that a simple push form a friend or family can mean a lot. I feel that this message was very successfully communicated.