The third person Eddie meets in heaven is his wife, Marguerite. Marguerite was Eddie's wife. She was the person that Eddie loved.
Eddie's death reinforces the plot by saying that endings are also beginnings. By starting the story with Eddie's death, the story shows us that Eddie's death is not just an ending, especially since it is at the start of the book. When Eddie goes to heaven, this is the start of Eddie's death. Eddie's death is and ending, but it becomes a beginning since he goes to heaven. His death is the start of heaven, so all endings, like death, are beginnings. The book also shows how death is not just an ending. It shows how Eddie's going to heaven is a beginning that came from death.
The first person who Eddie meets in heaven was a man who Eddie never knew. The man was an exhibition in the ruby pier freak show. Everyone called him the blue man, from his odd, bluish grey skin color. His life was greatly effected and changed by a minor action on Eddie's part. The blue man's lesson was that strangers are family you have yet to know, that no life is wasted, except for the time you waste thinking you are alone, and that everyone can effect other people's lives and not realize it. This is what happened to the blue man. Eddie ran in front of the blue man's car, almost getting hit. This stressed and disturbed the blue man, who swerved and hit a parked truck in an alley. The blue man died in the accident and was pronounced dead that morning. The reason the blue man told Eddie this story was that Eddie, in a way caused the blue man's death. If Eddie did not run after a ball in front of the blue man's car, the blue man may not have died. The Blue Man's lesson was that every action you make, no matter how small, can effect everyone and anyone around you.
Before Eddie met the blue man, he was a very different person. In heaven, Eddie feels free of all pain and worry. On earth, Eddie was weakened and depressed by his wife's death, bored by his maintenance job at Ruby Pier, and lonely, with no one to talk to. He also thinks that his life is worthless, and a waste of time. Eddie becomes a very different person after he speaks to the Blue Man.
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