Welcome to Sage, Seonah, Eunice, and Matt's Website!

This is our group's website for The Five People You Meet In Heaven in Mrs. Johnson's class in fourth period on the date of May 20, 2010. Have a wonderful time looking at our website, as we know that you definitely will. Enjoy our presentation and website and please refrain from making rude remarks and/or offensive comments. Thank you and enjoy!

Meaningful Quotations

These are meaningful quotes found throughout the book.
Each has it's own significant meaning and teach Eddie yet another valuable understanding about life.



"Strangers," the Blue Man said,"are just family you have yet to come to know."



"All parents damage their children. It cannot be helped. Youth like pristine glass absorbs the prints of it's handlers. Some parents smudge, others crack, and a few shatter childhood completely into jagged little pieces - beyond repair"



"Life has to end," she said. "Love doesn't"

Philippine War

The Philippine War was a part of World War II. Just ten hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese launched a surprise attack on the Philippines on December 8, 1941. Aerial bombardment was soon followed by the landing of Japanese troops both in north and south Manila. The American forces under General Douglas MacArthur were in a pickle; air forces were destroyed, naval forces were ordered to leave, and it became impossible to reinforce ground soldiers with more troops. By January 2, 1942, the Japanese had occupied and invaded Manila.
Eddie was also in the Philippine War. But after a shot to the leg that crippled him for life, Eddie was pronounced no longer capable of serving in the war service and was forced to return back home.

Eddie v. Himself

The main conflict throughout the story is Eddie versus himself. Eddie felt that he had never done much in life except work at Ruby Pier, rarely leaving his home. He stored anger and depression inside because of this. Eddie only had one other job, which was being a taxi cab driver, but quit after his father died, leading Eddie to take over his father's position. This conflict is resolved after Tala explains his real purpose in life, which was to protect the lives of those who went to Ruby Pier.

Every Life Has Meaning

Every life has meaning
This was the main theme throughout the book. It shows the reader that each of our lives has an impact on the world, although we may not realize it at the time.
Eddie realizes that his life had meaning after meeting his fifth person in heaven, Tala. Before then, Eddie had felt that his life was a waste and regretted his working at Ruby Pier for most his life. Tala explains to Eddie that because he worked at Ruby Pier as a maintenance worker, he had saved countless numbers of lives, both born and unborn. It is at this point that Eddie sees the meaning of his true existence in life.

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.

Setting

The main setting is in heaven, although Ruby Pier is a recurring setting throughout the whole novel.
In heaven, Eddie meets the five people whose lives he had impacted greatly. The majority of the story takes place in heaven. The significance of heaven is that heaven was the place where Eddie learned valuable, important lessons.
The importance of Ruby Pier is greatly stressed in the novel. Eddie spends almost his entire life growing up alongside Ruby Pier. Eddie's father worked as a maintenance worker as Ruby Pier, but after he died, Eddie took over his father's job. As a result, Eddie felt angry and confined to Ruby Pier; he was angry with his father for dying, which forced Eddie to work at Ruby Pier, to help support his mother in place of his father.
Eddie moved back to his family's apartment, to take care of his mother, who didn't react well and seemed unable to take care of herself after Eddie's father died. Eddie permanently moved back into the place he had grown up in, and continued his work at Ruby Pier, which was exactly what he had been doing before he went off to war.

Characters

Eddie is the main character and protagonist in The Five People You Meet In Heaven. Eddie, who has always seen his life as a waste and insignificant, dies on his 83rd birthday in an accident while trying to save a little girl's life. Eddie travels to heaven and meets five people who show him that there was much more value to his life than he thought there was.


The Blue Man is the first person Eddie meets in heaven. Although Eddie only remembers him in his younger years as the "Curious Citizen" that travelled to Ruby Pier, Eddie had a much greater impact on the Blue Man. Because of a simple incident that resulted in Eddie almost being hit by the Blue Man, the Blue Man had died. But the Blue Man teaches him that everyone's lives are important; each life affects the next, in one way or the other.







The Captain is the second person Eddie meets in heaven. The Captain was Eddie's commanding officer in WWII. The men looked up to him because of one promise that the Captain promised to ensure to his soldiers: no man gets left behind. Eddie learns that his leg injury that was caused by a shot in the leg was actually caused by the Captain. Eddie then learns that the shot to his leg saved his life, when Eddie would not stop trying to get into a burning hut. The Captain teaches Eddie that "sacrifice is the noblest thing you can do." While Eddie was recovering, the Captain steps on a land mine and dies. But the Captain teaches Eddie that the Captain sacrificed his life to save the lives of his soldiers.


Ruby is the third person Eddie meets in heaven. From Ruby, Eddie learns that the amusement park he grew up by for nearly his entire life, Ruby Pier, was named after Ruby. Ruby recounts his father's last moments of his life to Eddie. Eddie, whose father had never shown love or affection for Eddie, was angry with his dad. Then Ruby shows him the importance of forgiveness and how hatred could significantly impact and consume you. Because of Ruby, Eddie is able to forgive his father for not being the parental figure that he should have been.


Marguerite is the fourth person Eddie meets in heaven. Marguerite was Eddie's wife and true love. While Eddie was betting on horse races, he calls Marguerite to share his good news. After an argument over the phone, Marguerite drives to the horse races to apologize. In an accident caused by teenagers messing with drivers on a bridge above the road, Marguerite is fatally injured in a car accident. After the tragic event, their marriage is not the same. The cost of her medical bills prevent the couple from adopting a child. Then, a few years later, Marguerite dies from a brain tumor. After her death, Eddie had felt that Marguerite left him too soon. In heaven, Marguerite teaches Eddie that life ends, but love goes on forever; in Eddie's case, love just took on a different form.


Tala is the fifth and last person that Eddie meets in heaven. Tala is a little Asian girl, about five or six years old. From Tala, Eddie learns that she was the figure in the burning hut that he thought he had seen; Eddie learns that he had burned Tala alive. From his mistake, Tala shows that Eddie's purpose in life was to maintain the safety of everybody who went to Ruby Pier. Because of Eddie, numerous accidents and tragic events had been prevented because of Eddie's maintenance skills and watchful eye. Countless lives had been saved, both born and unborn, because of Eddie. Tala teaches Eddie that every life has purpose.

Plot

On his 83rd birthday, Eddie, a WWII veteran and maintenance worker at Ruby Pier amusement park, dies while trying to save a little girl who is sitting underneath a ride whose cable has snapped. Eddie is revived in the afterlife, where he meets five people whose lives he had impacted in a significant way. These five people help him understand the meaning of his life, which until then, Eddie had thought was meaningless.

The five people that Eddie meets each teach him a valuable lesson about his life, and contribute to his understanding of his place on earth.

About The Author: Mitch Albom

Mitch Albom was born on May 23, 1958. He was born in Passait, New Jersey. He attended Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, where he received a bachelor's degree in sociology. Mitch Albom, who also wrote Tuesdays With Morrie, wrote The Five People You Meet In Heaven with most of the book's inspiration coming from his real life uncle, Eddie Beitchman. Eddie Beitchman was a World War II veteran, died at 83, rarely left his home city, and felt as if he didn't accomplish much in his life, just like the novel's fictional character, Eddie.

The Five People You Meet In Heaven

Written by Mitch Albom, The Five People You Meet In Heaven begins with Eddie, a simple, maintenance worker who dies on his 83rd birthday. In the process of saving a little girl's life in an accident at Ruby Pier, Eddie dies. Eddie then travels to heaven and meets five people who have significantly impacted his life in one way or the other. This story tells the life and times of Eddie.