Nicky turns out to be the grandson of Ruby, for whom the amusement park was named. Nicky loses his car key on the ride “Freddy's Free Fall” a few weeks before Eddie dies. It is the key that falls into the gears and causes the ride to break, setting off the series of events that leads to Eddie's death.
How does he play a part in Eddie's death? What does he do with his car? Nicky is a teen who drops his keys into the ride that malfunctions, killing Eddie because of the dropped keys.
While escaping captivity, the Captain shoots Eddie in the leg because he believes it is the only way he can get Eddie to leave with them. During the escape the Captain is trying to clear a path for his unit to get out, and he is killed by a landmine.
Eddie's First Lesson
This is the first of The Five People You Meet in Heaven lessons. The Blue Man smiles and reassures him that he is only here to learn. He says that all five people that Eddie will come across in heaven have one lesson to teach him: that all lives are connected and nothing is completely random.
Marguerite - Marguerite was the love of Eddie's life; when he was young he met her at the pier and she then continued to be the happiness in Eddie's life. Marguerite was always there for Eddie and never stopped providing him with unconditional love.
In heaven, Ruby tells Eddie the true story of how his father died saving Mickey, and teaches him the lesson of forgiveness.
Ruby Pier is the amusement park on the ocean where Eddie works in maintenance for most of his life. A place of both great celebration and great pain for Eddie and others, the park represents the variety of experience in Eddie's life.
Eddie's fifth person in heaven, a little Filipino girl who Eddie unknowingly kills while he and his unit are escaping captivity during the war. Tala is affectionate, trusting, and wise. Following her mother's instructions, Tala hides from Eddie and his men in one of the abandoned village huts.
He feels a sense of peace as he floats above the boardwalk. He then comes to the big Ferris wheel, where Marguerite is sitting and waiting for him. Eddie hears the voice of God say: “Home.” Eddie finally achieves peace once he understands his purpose as well as his pain.
Redemption and Forgiveness
Throughout the novel, Eddie's encounters with the five people he meets in heaven teach him about the surprising ways in which life and death offer opportunities for redemption.
In the end, it shows that Eddie's Heaven is the Stardust Band Shell, where he met Marguerite.
It is also where Eddie learns to forgive his father. He tells his father that he forgives him for the imprints he left on his childhood glass, and this allows Eddie to finally let go of his anger and to move on.
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.
His unit is ready to leave but Eddie insists on saving the shadow. Then a bullet goes right into his left leg and while being semi unconscious Eddie is taken by his unit. The bullet, which later in the story turns out is shot by his own Captain to save Eddie's life, cripples Eddie's left leg.
Eddie saves the little girl - We find out at the end of the novel that Eddie did save the little girl from the falling amusement cart. It is important to note the symbolism of this child's rescue.
What is Eddie's last memory of being alive? His last memory is the tower cart falling, Amy/Annie crying and Eddie lunging and hitting pavement. Describe what Eddie sees when he dies.
Lesson 5: The purpose of life. From his own perspective, Eddie had a disappointing and unspectacular life. He thought he didn't live to his potential. And, he thought his life was a complete failure.
WHAT WAS THE LAST LESSON EDDIE LEARNED? TALA TAUGHT EDDIE THAT HE DID SAVE THE LITTLE GIRL. SHE ALSO TOLD HIM HOW HIS LIFE HAD MUCH IMPORTANCE, HE KEPT CHILDREN LIKE HER SAFE.
When Eddie meets Tala in heaven, she explains to him that by spending his life protecting the children on the rides at Ruby Pier, Eddie earned Tala's forgiveness. Tala shows her forgiveness by choosing to be the person who brings Eddie to heaven.
Who is Ruby in The Five People You Meet in Heaven? What does she teach Eddie in the book? Ruby in The Five People You Meet in Heaven is Eddie's second person. They never met in life, but Ruby's life affected Eddie's in ways he never imagined, and her lesson explains how we're all connected.
Lady Macbeth's hand-washing is the sign of guilt. It speaks of a contamination that can never be washed away. This scene at the beginning of the play's fifth act is Lady Macbeth's swansong – as Verdi realised in his opera, giving her a gloriously controlled aria at this point.
How long after Eddie's death does the park reopen? Three days. Who takes over Eddie's job? Eddie's assistant.
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.
Eddie spends his last years missing Marguerite and regretting that he never left Ruby Pier to make a life for himself elsewhere. He believes that his life was meaningless. In heaven, the last person Eddie meets is a little girl named Tala.
Eddie and Marguerite got married but never had children. Eddie's stubbornness ruined their chances at adoption - Marguerite got in a car accident while driving to reconcile with him after a fight, and the subsequent medical costs meant that they could no longer afford to adopt a child.