Mitch Albom's The Five People You Meet In Heaven

What have you done with your life? Did you do anything meaningful to help others or the world? Would you regret not doing more if you were to die today? For Eddie, his death seemed like the only thing that meant anything. Mitch Albom, the author, lets us imagine what it is like to be dead and life after death. In The Five People You Meet in Heaven, Eddie enters the afterlife, then meets five essential characters who taught him how to forgive himself, understand what he meant to others and let go of the feeling of worthlessness. Mitch Albom is a creative author of many books, including The Five People You Meet in Heaven. On his website, he explains the inspiration behind writing this book was his uncle in real life who also died who once told …show more content…
There are two types that become apparent throughout the story where forgiveness for others, and for himself. For forgiveness of others, his father was a prime example. Told to him through Ruby herself, Eddie finds out the real reason for his father's death. He originally thought it was because he came home drunk one night and somehow got hypothermia, which Eddie never forgave him for. Although the real reason was much worse. His father came home to his friend trying to take advantage of his wife, then chased him out until they ended up in the lake, his friend drowning. Eddie’s father jumped in and saved him, but with the brisk air he became sick. He died and let Eddie take his job at Ruby Pier. Eddie’s father was neglecting and abusive to Eddie but after hearing the story of his death he forgave him. Another influential death was Tala’s. She was the last character Eddie met in the book and her’s might have been the most important lesson of them all; to forgive yourself. During the war, Eddie and his troop burned a building thinking it was empty. It was only after when he saw a figure in the flames, calling out to the mysterious figure he was convinced someone was there. His captain argued there was nothing and pulled him out of the fire, shooting him in the leg to do so. The figure Eddie saw was Tala, a little girl who burned in that building. He cries when he realized all these years he had been right, but this child who was killed was not mad in death. She forgave him, and in the book she told him he was suppose to be at Ruby Pier, that was the reason for his existence. “Children,” she said “You keep them safe. You make good for me” (pg. 191). Eddie now forgave himself for killing her and found meaning in his life working at Ruby