Death Has a Purpose
The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom centers around the life of Eddie, a man who spends his time alive fixing things. Over the course of the novel, Eddie’s past is told through birthdays and post-mortem teachings. The Five People You Meet in Heaven provides a philosophical look into the purpose of death, and what happens after it. The thesis of the book becomes clear with the first lesson taught: all lives are connected. This idea, that all life is connected by a touch, by an energy, is promulgated in all cultures and religions. The Five People You Meet in Heaven gives an insightful answer to the continuous question: what does society need in order to progress? Interconnectedness, along with the human capacity for love and compassion, and the
In Chinese mythology, it is said that a red string connects every life in the universe. In Judaism, it is belief and strength of a people, and in other cultures, it is the idea that all actions are deliberate. In Albom's novel, the first person Eddie meets tells him that “All the people you …show more content…
Eddie cannot talk when he first arrives in heaven, he can only listen. He has gone through life in violence and oppression, as well as repression, rarely speaking and rarely listening. However, the conflicts he had with himself in life are the ones he will be forced to solve in death. The third person he meets tells him “you will have peace when you make it with yourself” (182). This long forgotten woman is teaching him that only once he accepts his strife and tries to solve it, will he find the peace that he expects heaven will provide him. This idea of personal growth aligns with the idea of awakening that many religions strive to teach. Eddie must stop listening to his mind, and live in the now, if he wishes to find peace. The most important lesson, however, is that of forgiveness. Resolving personal, as well as interpersonal dissension, is
The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom centers around the life of Eddie, a man who spends his time alive fixing things. Over the course of the novel, Eddie’s past is told through birthdays and post-mortem teachings. The Five People You Meet in Heaven provides a philosophical look into the purpose of death, and what happens after it. The thesis of the book becomes clear with the first lesson taught: all lives are connected. This idea, that all life is connected by a touch, by an energy, is promulgated in all cultures and religions. The Five People You Meet in Heaven gives an insightful answer to the continuous question: what does society need in order to progress? Interconnectedness, along with the human capacity for love and compassion, and the
In Chinese mythology, it is said that a red string connects every life in the universe. In Judaism, it is belief and strength of a people, and in other cultures, it is the idea that all actions are deliberate. In Albom's novel, the first person Eddie meets tells him that “All the people you …show more content…
Eddie cannot talk when he first arrives in heaven, he can only listen. He has gone through life in violence and oppression, as well as repression, rarely speaking and rarely listening. However, the conflicts he had with himself in life are the ones he will be forced to solve in death. The third person he meets tells him “you will have peace when you make it with yourself” (182). This long forgotten woman is teaching him that only once he accepts his strife and tries to solve it, will he find the peace that he expects heaven will provide him. This idea of personal growth aligns with the idea of awakening that many religions strive to teach. Eddie must stop listening to his mind, and live in the now, if he wishes to find peace. The most important lesson, however, is that of forgiveness. Resolving personal, as well as interpersonal dissension, is