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Eddie
Eddie’s father (whose name is never given) is the darkest character in the novel. A violent, misogynistic alcoholic who works a low-paying job as the head of maintenance at Ruby Pier, he neglects and physically abuses Eddie and his brother Joe throughout their childhoods. As a child, Eddie tries to win over his love, but his attempts are never met with anything but a total lack of affection from his father. The only times Eddie’s father shows any interest in his son is when Eddie wins fights, baseball games, or fixes equipment at the maintenance shop. Eddie’s father dies from pneumonia, which he caught while saving his friend Mickey Shea during an ocean storm. He represents extreme male aggression and toughness.
Eddie’s Father Quotes in The Five People You Meet in Heaven
The The Five People You Meet in Heaven quotes below are all either spoken by Eddie’s Father or refer to Eddie’s Father. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 20
Quotes
All parents damage their children. It cannot be helped. Youth, like pristine glass, absorbs the prints of its handlers. Some parents smudge, others crack, a few shatter childhoods completely into jagged little pieces, beyond repair.
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Eddie privately adored his father, because sons will adore their fathers through even the worst behavior. It is how they learn devotion. Before he can devote himself to God, or a woman, a boy will devote himself to his father, even foolishly, even beyond explanation.
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Chapter 24
Quotes
Religion? Government? Are we not loyal to such things, sometimes to the death? (…) Better to be loyal to one another.
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Eddie’s Father Quotes in The Five People You Meet in Heaven
The The Five People You Meet in Heaven quotes below are all either spoken by Eddie’s Father or refer to Eddie’s Father. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 20
Quotes
All parents damage their children. It cannot be helped. Youth, like pristine glass, absorbs the prints of its handlers. Some parents smudge, others crack, a few shatter childhoods completely into jagged little pieces, beyond repair.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Eddie privately adored his father, because sons will adore their fathers through even the worst behavior. It is how they learn devotion. Before he can devote himself to God, or a woman, a boy will devote himself to his father, even foolishly, even beyond explanation.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 24
Quotes
Religion? Government? Are we not loyal to such things, sometimes to the death? (…) Better to be loyal to one another.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
