The Five People You Meet In Heaven

The Five People You Meet In Heaven

Author

Institution

Introduction

Humanity has been concerned about passing lessons from one generation to another throughout its history. Varied strategies for accomplishing this have been devised. However, one of the most commonly used strategies in the history of mankind is the use of stories, as is the case with “The Five People You Meet in Heaven”. This story, written by Mitch Albom, revolves around an overarching theme that no act in this life can be termed as accidental or random.

Characterization

The story comes with a number of key characters.

Eddie is the main protagonist in the story. He dies on his 83^rd birthday and rises up in heaven where he meets five individuals whose lives he discovers are interconnected with his in more ways than he would have expected.

The Blue Man- Also known as Joseph Colvelzchik, this is the first person that Eddie meets in heaven. The Blue Man had died of a heart attack as he swerved his car so as to avoid hitting the young Eddie who had run in the street to get his ball.

The Captain- this was Eddie’s commanding officer in the army. While recounting the events that occurred in the war, the captain teaches Eddie the importance of making sacrifices so as to save lives.

Ruby- this is the third person that Eddie meets in heaven. She turns out to be the woman after whom Ruby Pier was named. She teaches Eddie of the importance of forgiveness and releasing one’s anger.

Marguerite- this is the Eddie’s wife, the fourth person that she meets in heaven. She had died in her forties. On meeting in heaven, the two enjoy a number of weddings that are being held, which teaches Eddie that love does not end even with death.

Tala: this is the fifth person that Eddie meets in heaven. She is a young Filipina girl that Eddie sights in a hut razed down by fire. Her cinnamon complexion, flat nose, dark hair, gapped teeth, full lips and arresting eyes captivate Eddie.

Nicky: This is a young man who had visited Ruby Pier and is seen as the key reason for the death of Eddie. A great grandson to Ruby, Nicky had caused the gears of Freddy’s Free Fall ride to jam and snapped its cable after dropping car keys in it.

While these are the key characters, there are other supporting characters such as Eddie’s parents, a family friend named Mickey Shea, a coworker named Dominguez, Willie, Amy and Emile.

The setting and plot

The story takes place in varied locations as Eddie meets different people in heaven and recounts varied events in his life on earth. Eddie had been brought up close to the Ruby Pier where his father worked. In essence, Ruby Pier is a crucial setting for his flashbacks to his childhood. It is worth noting that Ruby Pier was not only the place where his dad worked, but also where he ended up working as a maintenance man, and even met his death on his birthday.

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