Thread #1 characterization

[Allison]

Why do YOU think Albom described Eddie the way he did? How do you predict the characterization of Eddie at the "end" (meaning end of his life beginning of the book) affects the tone of the entire book?

[Maria]

Eddie seems to be a selfless man who is devoted to his job. He is older, has been diagnosed with shingles, and can barely walk, but maintains work at a job full of people that he can only half stand. I think that the tone is going to be more somber, however, because the audience already knows that Eddie's life sadly ends before the book is over.

[Cassie]

I think that Eddie seems almost disappointed with the way his life turned out at the pier. He goes about his monotonous routine lacking the childlike optimism that surrounds him. This is emphasized when he silently scoffs at his young co-worker's positive and lively attitude, and again when he thinks of "how strange it was to be growing old in a place that smelled of cotton candy" (6). Eddie's past is also mentioned, but in brief notes that lack detail which makes me think that as Eddie passes through heaven we will learn more about what made him the way he is. Also, like Maria said, I think it will be more of a somber tone, especially considering the book centers around the death of a kind, yet unhappy, old man.

[Michaela]

I feel that the somber tone pointed out by Maria is important and will contrast his journey from the end of his life through and will show that his life wasn't always so sad and the tone will change to be happier. This change could occur overtime while he looks back at his youth and life and show what changed him to be a different sadder soul.

[Maria]

I agree. I believe that the war played a large part in his change because of the way he spoke of it

[Cassie]

I agree too, and I was also wondering if anyone else thought that the fact that he doesn't like teenagers is significant. I may be over analyzing this, but like Maria pointed out he did go to war and maybe his hard feelings toward them are a reflection of a bad experience during his teenaged years. I was just curious what you guys thought.

[Allison]

Cassie wrote: "I agree too, and I was also wondering if anyone else thought that the fact that he doesn't like teenagers is significant. I may be over analyzing this, but like Maria pointed out he did go to war a..."

I believe that its not so much as a hatred for teenagers its more of a hatred for the generation. When he was their age he was working and then off at war, times were different back then. He grew up in a time where people respected their elders and what they had. If anything Eddy is just bitter his life didn't turn out exactly how hoped it would. His father was a worker at Ruby Pier and he ended up just like the one person he hoped not to be.

[Valerie]

I might be just be thinking too much but does anyone kinda find it weird that he has been through war and only walked out with a minor injury but when he had a job at an amusement park he is killed by a cart? I could just be making something out of nothing and I probably am but a war is such a large thing and for Eddie (and for the time period) resembles being deployed and becoming an adult. But he only walks out with a knee injure?? Then he works at an amusement park which is filled with teenagers and is for what we thought to be innocent. But He is killed by a cart. What are the odds? Just something to think about.
And also I think I agree that he is selfless because at the end of the chapter he is holding a little girl's hand in effort to try and save her. We can see that he risked his life for her and the other passengers.

[Cassie]

Val I think that is a really good point. It's pretty ironic that it is his job to keep the rides safe, yet a broken ride is what kills him. I'm not too sure what the significance is, but maybe it serves to emphasize the idea that after the war Eddie truly got stuck at the pier, and that was in fact where he was meant to be.

[Gillian]

I agree with both Cassie and Maria that the description of Eddie also creates a somber tone but also a strong one. As Eddie is described as someone facing so many challenges and conflicts and he overcomes all of them, like how he doesn't let his limp get in the way of living his life even if he is limited. And even though he went to war and could no longer go to school he still found a job afterwards and made a life for himself. I think that as the story progresses his flashbacks of his life with also show how strong he was, greatly enhancing the tone of strength.

[Gillian]

I also agree with Cassie saying how Eddie is portrayed as someone disappointed in his own life and this also creates the somber tone. This can be proven as true because time and time again Eddie mentions how before the war he wanted to go to school and become an engineer, but when he got back that dream died. Eddie had to work at the pier, and only did so because he needed a job, not because he wanted to.

[Sydney]

I believe the author describes Eddie's life in a depressed manner to show a contrast between life on Earth and the 'afterlife'. It is almost as if the author is trying to send a message to readers that life begins when you die and that life on Earth is almost trivial in the grand scheme of things.

[Allison]

Syd I love what you said. The Characterization of Eddie is so important to this story. It begins with us knowing little to nothing about him and pitying his situation. As the story progresses and we learn more about Eddie I found that I pitied him less and respected him more. The tone of the whole story is depressing obviously, but I’m sure all of us can relate in some way to the concept of heaven. However I believe the characterization of Eddie at the “end” is pivotal simply because it makes us see him one way (bitter) until we slowly chip away at that hard shell and see him with Marguerite or his father or his mother. His bitterness at the end of his life is such a contrast to his happiness in his own heaven, which is ironically Ruby Pier.