Who does Eddie meet in the five people you meet in Heaven?
Who does the main character, Eddie, meet in the book The Five People You Meet in Heaven? In the book, Eddie dies in an accident and is transported to an afterlife where he meets five people who each teach him something about his life and his death.
Why did Eddie’s father save Mickey in five people you meet in Heaven?
Even though Eddie’s father in The Five People You Meet in Heaven had originally been chasing after Mickey with the intent to hurt him, maybe even kill him, he saved Mickey’s life. Eddie can only focus on what Mickey had done to his mother.
How does Eddie find himself in Heaven?
In heaven, Eddie surveys the ruined jungle and realizes this is the place that has long haunted his nightmares. Eddie hears a voice call to him from the trees. Suddenly finds himself in the trees with the Captain, whom he served under in the Philippines. The Captain confirms that he is Eddie’s second person in heaven.
Who is Eddie’s wife Marguerite?
The woman is his wife, Marguerite. She is the one Eddie expected to meet when he thought about the 5 people you meet in heaven. Marguerite and Eddie met at Ruby Pier on Eddie’s seventeenth birthday.
What does Eddie look like in Heaven?
Where did Marguerite and Eddie meet?
What does Eddie see in the tent?
Why did Eddie join the army?
Why does Eddie think the Blue Man told him this story?
How did Marguerite die?
What happened to Eddie in the book?
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Who all did Eddie Meet in heaven?
The 5 People You Meet in HeavenEddie's First Person: The Blue Man.Eddie's Second Person: The Captain.Eddie's Third Person: Ruby.Eddie's Fourth Person: Marguerite.
Who is the child Eddie meets in heaven?
A young Filipina girl named Tala comes up to him. Tala reveals that she was the little girl from the hut that Eddie set on fire. Distraught, Eddie breaks down both cursing and asking God "why?" Tala hands him a stone and asks him to "wash" her like the other children in the river are doing to one another.
Who does Eddie meet first in heaven?
Blue Man - The Blue Man is the first person Eddie meets in heaven. Eddie did not know the Blue Man when he was a child but his actions were responsible for the Blue Man's death. When Eddie was a child, he and Joe were playing ball outside. The ball bounced into the street and Eddie ran after it.
Who's the third person Eddie meets in heaven?
The Old Woman's Story The elegant old woman sitting in front of Eddie was not always old or rich. She was once a young working girl, forced to leave school at fourteen to work in a diner called the Seahorse Grill.
Who are the 5 person Eddie meets in heaven?
The people Eddie meets are- the Blue Man, the Captain, Ruby, his wife Marguerite, and Tala(read the book to know their stories). Surprisingly, out of all these five people, it is Tala- a young girl, who Eddie meets for the first time(in heaven, no less!), who had the most profound impact on him.
Who is the fifth person that Eddie meets in heaven?
The fifth person Eddie meets in heaven. Tala was the little girl who Eddie saw crawling into the burning fort during the war. Although he lived most of his life in denial, he finds out in heaven that he did kill her in the fire.
Who is the fourth person Eddie meets?
The fourth person Eddie meets in Heaven is his wife, Marguerite. She is one of the few people he meets whom he knew in his life.
Where does Eddie meet the captain in heaven?
Eddie meets the Blue Man, in heaven, at Ruby Pier. However, it is not the Ruby Pier where Eddie was killed at the start of the novel; it was the Ruby Pier Eddie remembers from his childhood.
Who does Eddie meet in the tree?
He finds his former Captain up in a tree. Eddie recalls when he was in the war and he, and four other soldiers, were taken as prisoners.
Who is the third person Eddie meets in heaven Chapter 8?
Chapter 8 Summary: “The Third Person Eddie Meets in Heaven” Among these diners is Eddie's father. Eddie tries to talk to his father, but his father cannot hear him. Eddie fought for his father's attention as a child, but his father was always busy working or playing cards.
Who is the third person Eddie meets in heaven quizlet?
Who is the third person Eddie meets? An old woman, Ruby. What did Eddie want from his father?
Where did Eddie meet Ruby?
Ruby - When Eddie meets Ruby, in heaven, she is elderly; however when Ruby was younger, she worked as a waitress at a diner in Eddie's town. Ruby met her husband, Emile, in the diner when he came in as a customer. When he proposed marriage to Ruby, they were sitting in the sand watching the ocean.
Who's the fourth person Eddie meets in heaven?
The fourth person Eddie meets in Heaven is his wife, Marguerite. She is one of the few people he meets whom he knew in his life.
Why do Eddie and Marguerite not have children?
Her primary goal is to have children, but she is infertile. Her attempt to arrange an adoption fails when she gets into a car accident that drains their financial resources. Marguerite is the central source of Eddie's happiness, and his life plunges when she dies of brain cancer at the age of 47.
Why do Eddie and Marguerite not have any children?
After the accident Marguerite was bed ridden but eventually healed. She and Eddie became too old to adopt a child and a silence fell between them; Eddie stopped betting on the horses and eventually stopped seeing Noel as a result of his guilt. Marguerite eventually was overcome by cancer and passed away at age 47.
How is Ruby connected to Eddie?
Eddie never met Ruby during his life, as she was much older and they weren't directly related, but the amusement park where Eddie works all his life, Ruby Pier, was built for Ruby by her husband. Ruby feels connected to Eddie, as she was present in the shared hospital room when Eddie's father died.
Who is the second person Eddie meets in Heaven?
Eddie’s former Captain from his war days is the second person he meets in heaven. The Captain answers the question “who is the second person Eddie meets in Heaven?” and also helps him see his life and past clearly.
What happens when Eddie's feet meet the ground?
When Eddie’s feet meet the ground, he finds himself surrounded by rubble and lifeless terrain. The sky is changing colors again, from deep blue to dark gray. He feels his body, stronger than before but less flexible. Then, the sky explodes and hot air whips him in the face. Once again, Eddie starts to run.
Why does the Captain tell Eddie he's been waiting for him all this time?
The Captain tells Eddie that he’s been waiting for him all this time because he has a lesson that Eddie needs to hear. He says that sacrifice is a part of life that we are meant to be proud of. The Captain wants Eddie to understand that he didn’t die for nothing. Because he stepped on that land mine, everyone else in the transport was able to go on living. When Eddie sacrificed his leg, it made him angry and full of regret. But the Captain tells Eddie that he gained something in that moment, too. He just doesn’t know it yet.
What does the Captain tell Eddie to think about?
The Captain tells Eddie to think about Adam and Eve. The first time Adam ever went to sleep, he thought it was the end of his existence. But he woke up the next day with a whole new day before him, and the memory of the day before. The Captain smiles and says that’s what heaven is for: To understand all your yesterdays. ?Who is the second person Eddie meets in Heaven?” is only a part of the question. The other question is why.
What happened to Eddie when Mickey slapped him?
When Eddie turned to look at him, Mickey slapped him across the face. Eddie was about to fight back, but he noticed that Mickey was drunk and close to tears. A few days later, Eddie left for war. When the rain stops, Eddie crawls out from under the bush.
Why does the Captain see it this way the whole time he's been in heaven?
The Captain has seen it this way the whole time he’s been in heaven because his idea of heaven is a world without war. Knowing that the Captain will be leaving soon, Eddie can’t help but ask if he was able to save the little girl on the pier. The Captain is sympathetic, but can’t tell Eddie what he longs to know.
What happened to Eddie and the others in the coal mine?
Eddie and the others were forced to mine coal under terrible conditions. Eventually, Rabozzo fell ill. One day, in the mine, he collapsed. Crazy Two shot him in the head right there in front of the others. From then on, Eddie stopped praying and stopped waiting. He and the Captain talked about escaping any time they were alone. Then, one day, Eddie saw their opportunity.
What chapter does Eddie see Marguerite in heaven?
Chapter 28. Eddie is stunned to see Marguerite in heaven, and insists that it can’t be her. He... (full context) Marguerite tells Eddie that she also met five people in heaven, and learned things, and that she has... (full context) Chapter 29. Eddie is at the horseracing track with Noel on his thirty-ninth birthday.
What chapter does Eddie appear in?
The timeline below shows where the character Eddie appears in The Five People You Meet in Heaven. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance. Chapter 1. ...unnamed, omniscient narrator counting down the last sixty minutes until the death of the protagonist, Eddie.
What was Eddie the ride man called?
His plans never worked out (…) Like his father before him, like the patch on his shirt, Eddie was maintenance – the head of maintenance – or as kids sometimes called him, “the ride man at Ruby Pier.”
What is Eddie's story?
The novel’s protagonist, a lonely, elderly man who has spent his life working in maintenance at Ruby Pier, an amusement park by the ocean. Eddie is from a working-class family of Romanian origin, and he is tough, hardworking, and concerned about the well-being of others. Abused by his father throughout his youth, Eddie learns to keep his emotions inside. As a young man, he works at Ruby Pier with his father to save up to study engineering elsewhere. When WWII begins, however, Eddie enlists to prove his masculinity, and is sent to an island in the Philippines. When he returns, he marries his sweetheart, Marguerite. After the war, Eddie spends the rest of his life fighting depression. His depression worsens as everyone he loves dies before him. At the beginning of the novel, Eddie dies and begins a journey through heaven, where he travels through endless colors, and meets five important people who will each teach him a lesson.
Where does Eddie work in the movie?
As a young man, he works at Ruby Pier with his father to save up to study engineering elsewhere. When WWII begins, however, Eddie enlists to prove his masculinity, and is sent to an island in the Philippines. When he returns, he marries his sweetheart, Marguerite.
Where does Eddie wake up in the afterlife?
In the mysterious afterlife, Eddie wakes up alone in the Ruby Pier of his childhood. Surprised at how young and... (full context)
How old is Eddie from The Ball Rolls into?
Eddie is seven years old, playing ball with his older brother, Joe. The ball rolls into... (full context)
What does Eddie's father see in the Five People You Meet in Heaven?
Eddie’s Father in The Five People You Meet in Heaven. Walking along the silent ridge toward the flickering light, he notices that it is the sign of a diner. Looking in through the glass door, he sees many different kinds of customers that appear to be from many different time periods and walks of life.
What does Eddie see in the snow outside the diner?
Now sitting in the snow outside the diner, Eddie looks in on his father in the diner booth and realizes that he’s still being ignored, even in heaven. Suddenly, he hears a woman’s voice tell him not to be angry because his father can’t hear him. Looking up, Eddie sees an elegant, old woman standing above him.
How does Eddie see Mickey?
Eddie can see Mickey stumbling toward the farthest edge of Ruby Pier. Mickey lays at the edge of the pier with his face up to the pouring rain. Then he drunkenly rolls off the edge and into the sea. Eddie’s father reaches the edge of the dock, still holding his hammer. Searching the water, he begins to take off his shoes and tool belt. He jumps off the pier and into the water after an unconscious Mickey. Eddie sees his father fighting hard against the sea, kicking with all his might to get Mickey back to shore. Finally, they arrive on the sand. Eddie’s father collapses in exhaustion. He lies there on the beach with his mouth open to the rain.
Why does Ruby tell Eddie that silence was a refuge for his father?
Ruby tells him that silence was a refuge for his father, a way to hide his shame for everyone involved. In the hospital, Eddie’s mother stayed by his bedside every day, until one night she went home to rest. That next morning, the nurse found Eddie’s father dead, halfway out the window.
Why does Ruby feel connected to Eddie's family?
Her husband Emile was the other patient in the room. Ruby felt connected to Eddie’s family because of their connection with Ruby Pier. She thought that the park had cursed their lives, and her wish that Ruby Pier had never been built followed her all the way to heaven. That’s why Ruby’s heaven is a diner.
What does Eddie want to know about the old woman?
Eddie wants to know if he can see Earth from here, or if he can go back to his life. The old woman tells him that he can’t. This frustrates Eddie, and he begins to rant. He tells the woman that he doesn’t feel like an angel and that heaven doesn’t make any sense to him. He tells her that he can’t remember his own death, and that he just wants peace. The woman tells him that he will only have peace once he makes it with himself .
What did Eddie feel when his father died?
When his father died, Eddie felt empty and angry. A drunken fall into the ocean was hardly a heroic way to die. The only thing he kept of his father’s was a deck of cards.
Who are the people that Eddie meets in the carnival freak show?
The five people Eddie meets include the Blue Man , a character from his childhood who was an unhappy member of the carnival freak show; the Captain, his commanding officer when he fought in the Philippines during the war; Ruby, a woman who lived before his time and for whom his workplace was named; Marguerite, the beloved wife who had been taken from him far too soon; and Tala, a Filipino child he had unknowingly killed in the midst of a firefight during his deployment overseas. From each of these people, Eddie learns a lesson that brings him to an understanding of his own life's significance. The Blue Man, whose death Eddie inadvertently caused by the simple act of chasing a ball into the street as a young boy, teaches him that everyone is connected and that no life is a waste. The Captain, who inflicted a crippling leg injury on Eddie but saved his life in doing so, helps him see that sacrifice is worth aspiring to and that in every loss there is gain. Ruby shows Eddie that people who lived before one's lifetime can affect one's life as profoundly as contemporaries can and that some of his own actions had an effect on people not yet born; she also draws him to an understanding of the father who could not love him, which in turn allows him to forgive. Marguerite, Eddie's cherished wife, shows him proof that love lasts forever. Tala, in addition to revealing to Eddie that he did save the life of the child for whom he died, helps him realize that "the simple, mundane things [he] had done in his life" made all the difference to a host of others whom he never even knew. In the end, Eddie finds peace, having learned the secret of heaven:
Who is Eddie's wife?
Marguerite, Eddie's cherished wife, shows him proof that love lasts forever. Tala, in addition to revealing to Eddie that he did save the life of the child for whom he died, helps him realize that "the simple, mundane things [he] had done in his life" made all the difference to a host of others whom he never even knew.
What is the story of the five people you meet in heaven?
The Five People You Meet in Heaven tells the story of Eddie, a bitter, crotchety, nondescript maintenance man for a carnival at the fictional Ruby Pier. He feels he has wasted his life in a dead-end job that "required no more brains than washing a dish." On his eighty-third birthday, he dies...
Why did Marguerite choose weddings for her heaven?
Marguerite has chosen weddings for her heaven because she loves their constancy and the possibilities they represent. The five people she met in heaven “made all the difference” in enabling her to understand her life; she knows how much Eddie loved her and has been waiting for him.
What does Ruby show Eddie?
Ruby shows Eddie that people who lived before one's lifetime can affect one's life as profoundly as contemporaries can and that some of his own actions had an effect on people not yet born; she also draws him to an understanding of the father who could not love him, which in turn allows him to forgive.
What does Eddie learn from The Blue Man?
The Blue Man, whose death Eddie inadvertently caused by the simple act of chasing a ball into the street as a young boy, teaches him that everyone is connected and that no life is a waste.
Why does Eddie think he is being reunited with the Blue Man?
He supposes that he is being reunited with the Blue Man so justice can be served. The Blue Man, however, says he is there simply to help Eddie understand that “there are no random acts...all lives intersect.”. Each life affects others in ways unrecognized at the time, and “birth and death are part of a whole.”.
How We Are All Connected
Eddie was isolated and lonely in his life. Faced with the loss of his wife early, and estrangement from family, Eddie became bitter, and stopped asking him important questions like are we all connected. In the afterlife, Eddie learns important lessons about how we are all connected.
The End is the Beginning
This story begins at the end, on the day that a man named Eddie dies. Like most endings, Eddie’s death is also a beginning, even though he doesn’t know it. He’s about to find out how we are all connected.
What does Eddie experience in the book Heaven?
Eddie experiences the physical changes of time as he moves into his memories of young adulthood. In the world of the novel, heaven is touched by all aspects of life, not just the beautiful, as memories of violence and destruction must also be explored in making sense of one’s life.
What does Eddie hear in Heaven?
In heaven, Eddie wakes up on a familiar battleground in a decimated jungle during a storm. He hears explosions and thunder, and starts to run. He realizes he feels strong like a soldier, and no longer limber like a child. He is also surprised to realize he can feel fear in heaven.
What does the Captain tell Eddie about the second person in heaven?
The novel then flashes back to all of the lessons Eddie learned in war—such as how to appear unbothered when witnessing the desperation of others, how to pray silently, and how to live efficiently with hunger, cold, lack of shelter, and illness.
What does Eddie feel about Ruby Pier?
The unit then decides to burn the place down. Both in death and life, Eddie often feels that his life at Ruby Pier has lacked meaning or purpose. Yet, it turns out that he and his men are able to make a nearly impossible escape all because of the trivial-seeming juggling skill Eddie learned at Ruby Pier.
What does battle teach Eddie?
Battle teaches Eddie another male social ideal —that of emotional toughness, which he has already learned from his father’s example. Eddie also experiences the fact that battle forces people to be intimately aware of their own and others’ physical and emotional vulnerabilities. Eddie and his men are connected, even silently, through their shared violent deeds, suffering, and closeness to death. After the war, Eddie cuts those connections, demonstrating that war brings death and darkness so close that it affects one for a lifetime, and colors all other human relationships.
Where does Eddie find himself in the jungle?
Eddie hears a voice call to him from the trees. Suddenly finds himself in the trees with the Captain, whom he served under in the Philippines. The Captain confirms that he is Eddie’s second person in heaven.
Who are Eddie and his unit?
Eddie and his unit— Rabozzo, Morton, Smitty, and the Captain —are in the Philippines and are being held captive by enemy soldiers. While Rabozzo screams in the night, Morton chatters constantly, and Smitty stays quiet, Eddie focuses on his anger.
Is everyone connected?
Everybody is connected and there is nothing you can do to change that
Does Heaven believe in Ruby Pier?
Heaven. He doesn't believe it . He didn't want his heaven to be Ruby Pier, he was angry
What does Eddie look like in Heaven?
When Eddie first arrives in heaven, it looks like the Ruby Pier he knew as a boy. He gets up to look around and finds that his body and mind feel young again. He is able to run and he feels no pain or worry. He hears a voice beckon him into a tent he recognizes from the freak show in his youth.
Where did Marguerite and Eddie meet?
Marguerite’s Story. Marguerite and Eddie met at Ruby Pier on Eddie’s seventeenth birthday. They fell in love, and she waited for him when he went away to war. They were married in a small Chinese restaurant and lived in Ruby Pier for their whole lives together.
What does Eddie see in the tent?
He hears a voice beckon him into a tent he recognizes from the freak show in his youth. Inside, he sees a man with blue skin. The man used to work at Ruby Pier when Eddie was a boy, but they never met.
Why did Eddie join the army?
Eddie enlisted for the war thinking that it would make him a man. He learned a lot of lessons from his time in the military, especially from his time in captivity.
Why does Eddie think the Blue Man told him this story?
Eddie is worried that the Blue Man only told him this story to make Eddie pay for his part in Joseph’s death. But the Blue Man assures him that the lesson to take away from his story is that that all lives are connected and nothing is completely random. We shouldn’t waste any time thinking that we are alone.
How did Marguerite die?
When Marguerite was 47, she was diagnosed with cancer . Eventually, she died in the hospital. Eddie couldn’t help but feel angry that he lost his love so early.
What happened to Eddie in the book?
In the book, Eddie dies in an accident and is transported to an afterlife where he meets five people who each teach him something about his life and his death. For Eddie, the answer to the question, who are the 5 people you meet in heaven? is not what he expected.
