When jealousy takes over Cain and leads him to murder his Brother, God questions his involvement. Cain replies, “I know not. Am I my Brother’s Keeper”(Genesis 4:1-8). The concept of social responsibility and looking after one another first addressed in the bible story of Cain and Abel, was also addressed by Mitch Albom in his novel The Five People You Meet In Heaven. The protagonist in the novel, an elderly maintenance worker at an amusement park, begins his journey of self discovery with his own death. When Eddie dies in an attempt to save the life of a young girl at the park, known as Ruby Pier, he is brought up to heaven to meet five people who have been waiting for him to arrive. Each of these five people tells Eddie a different story,
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As Eddie enters his third step in heaven, he is met by a woman whom he perceives as a stranger. He asks himself, “why a stranger?” (Albom 111). However, this “stranger” turns out to be no stranger at all to Eddie’s life. Her name is Ruby, and she is the reason that Eddie’s father was employed, and why Eddie felt dissatisfaction with his life; she was the reason Ruby Pier was built. The relationship between Eddie and Ruby was nonexistent, yet despite this, Ruby’s existence proved to dictate almost every aspect of Eddie’s life. The Pier was where Eddie’s father worked all of his life, and where Eddie grew up and ultimately worked all of his life. As well as having great influence on his life, Ruby also had great influence on Edde in heaven. In heaven, she served as an emotional keeper, mending the relationship between Eddie and his father. After her husband fell ill, Ruby found herself in his hospital room, alongside her husband and another terminally ill patient. Ruby witnessed the other man’s last moments of life, as he pleaded for his wife and sons. The man was Eddie’s father, whom Eddie had despised throughout his life. Despite the abuse his father inflicted on him, he had ultimately valued his family above all else. Ruby recognized this in the hospital room, and when Eddie reaches her in heaven, helps him to find closure in his relationship …show more content…
As Eddie reflected on his life, he came to the realization that the impact of his actions was far greater than he had imagined. Through lessons from the Blue Man, The Captain, and Ruby, Eddie was able to understand that he was connected to all other individuals, and that the actions of everyone affected him, regardless of his relation to them. People he once perceived as strangers turned out to have life-altering affects on him. As Albom threads the theme of connection throughout the story, he suggests that the principles of being “My Brothers Keeper” must be exercised by all members of society, because connections between people are ever present. No matter what level the relationship with the other person is, the concept of interconnectedness proves that a relationship always exists. The lessons Albom provides regarding social responsibility can be directly applied to how one treats others on a daily basis. Like The Blue Man, The Captain, and Ruby, those whom an individual may encounter throughout their life are all a part of the web of human connections. Because of these links, it is the obligation of each member of society to practice social responsibility for the advancement of
As Eddie enters his third step in heaven, he is met by a woman whom he perceives as a stranger. He asks himself, “why a stranger?” (Albom 111). However, this “stranger” turns out to be no stranger at all to Eddie’s life. Her name is Ruby, and she is the reason that Eddie’s father was employed, and why Eddie felt dissatisfaction with his life; she was the reason Ruby Pier was built. The relationship between Eddie and Ruby was nonexistent, yet despite this, Ruby’s existence proved to dictate almost every aspect of Eddie’s life. The Pier was where Eddie’s father worked all of his life, and where Eddie grew up and ultimately worked all of his life. As well as having great influence on his life, Ruby also had great influence on Edde in heaven. In heaven, she served as an emotional keeper, mending the relationship between Eddie and his father. After her husband fell ill, Ruby found herself in his hospital room, alongside her husband and another terminally ill patient. Ruby witnessed the other man’s last moments of life, as he pleaded for his wife and sons. The man was Eddie’s father, whom Eddie had despised throughout his life. Despite the abuse his father inflicted on him, he had ultimately valued his family above all else. Ruby recognized this in the hospital room, and when Eddie reaches her in heaven, helps him to find closure in his relationship …show more content…
As Eddie reflected on his life, he came to the realization that the impact of his actions was far greater than he had imagined. Through lessons from the Blue Man, The Captain, and Ruby, Eddie was able to understand that he was connected to all other individuals, and that the actions of everyone affected him, regardless of his relation to them. People he once perceived as strangers turned out to have life-altering affects on him. As Albom threads the theme of connection throughout the story, he suggests that the principles of being “My Brothers Keeper” must be exercised by all members of society, because connections between people are ever present. No matter what level the relationship with the other person is, the concept of interconnectedness proves that a relationship always exists. The lessons Albom provides regarding social responsibility can be directly applied to how one treats others on a daily basis. Like The Blue Man, The Captain, and Ruby, those whom an individual may encounter throughout their life are all a part of the web of human connections. Because of these links, it is the obligation of each member of society to practice social responsibility for the advancement of