Eddie v. His Father

One conflict in the story is between Eddie and his father.
The silent, unloving relationship between Eddie and his father left a huge impact on his life. Eddie's father never gave Eddie the love that he wanted, even as a little boy. As a result, Eddie always strove to gain his father's approval and acceptance, and was often neglected. Eddie's father mistook Eddie's post-war depression as laziness and criticized Eddie more. After an incident that left Eddie and his father on non-speaking terms, Eddie's father was brought into a long battle with pneumonia. Eddie's father shared the same hospital room with Ruby's husband, Emile, which allowed Ruby to explain Eddie's father's last moments with Eddie. Eddie is able to finally forgive his father after Ruby shows him that to move forward into heaven, he had to forgive his father, and that holding in hatred, bitterness, and anger would get him nowhere. The conflict is resolved in Ruby's heaven, where Eddie sees his father drinking coffee in a diner; although Eddie's father seems not to notice Eddie, Eddie forgives his father and is able to move on in heaven.