The Five People You Meet in Heaven Study Guide

Multiple Choice Study Questions Cont.

11. Who/what does Eddie kill in the fire during the war?
a. Tala
b. No one, he was hallucinating
c. A captor
d. A small animal he thought was a child

12. What served as most of Eddie’s happiness throughout his life?
a. The children at the pier
b. His father
c. Marguerite
d. Taffy

13. What was the cause of the amusement crash at Ruby Pier?
a. A cable which was not properly attached
b. A car key
c. A failed battery
d. A bottle stuck in the base of the amusement

14. How did Eddie become injured in the war?
a. A gunshot
b. He was burned in a fire
c. A fight with one of his fellow soldiers
d. He stepped on a land mine

15. Who’s life did Eddie save?
a. His father’s
b. Tala’s
c. Nicky’s
d. A little girl’s, at the pier

Answer Key

1.) c
2.) d
3.) a
4.) c
5.) b
6.) a
7.) d
8.) b
9.) a
10.) d
11.) d
12.) c
13.) b
14.) a
15.) d

Essay Topics

1. List the themes in the story and discuss how the author maintains them throughout the novel.

2. Describe each person Eddie meets in heaven, how they were relevant to his life on earth, and describe what they teach Eddie

3. Given the quote, “No story sits by itself. Sometimes stories meet at corners and sometimes they cover one another completely, like stones beneath a river” (10), describe what message, you feel, Albom is trying to convey and how its relevance to the novel.

4. Discuss Eddie’s relationship with his father throughout his life as well as in heaven. How has Eddie’s father influenced Eddie’s life?

5. Explain why Marguerite picked a place in heaven where there were only weddings. Why was Eddie angry with her for dying so young? What lesson does she teach Eddie? What kind of love did Eddie and Marguerite share? Consider those points and discuss her relationship with Eddie and the influence she shed on his life.

6. How does Eddie respond when Tala asks him why he is so sad? What was his initial reaction? Do you think this benefited Eddie? Also not whether or not you think his response was out of character.

7. What is the importance/significance to the flashbacks of Eddie’s previous birthdays? What did you learn about Eddie? How did this help in understanding the novel?

8. What is the predominant theme in the novel? How does the malfunction of Freddy’s Free Fall relate to this theme?

9. How did Eddie’s last act on earth relate to the different themes in the novel?

10. Discuss Tala’s character. Who is she and what was her significance in Eddie’s life?

11. Considering the Captain’s lesson of sacrifice, explain how Eddie exemplified this during his last act on earth. What does this act symbolize?