The Five People You Meet in Heaven By Mitch Albom

Journal #1 “It’s as if he knew he was going to die…”  Last words: If you were about to die, what would your last words be? Write a paragraph+ of your “last words.” This sounds easy, but you really need to think about it…

Story Journal #2 Homework…  What is the story of YOUR birth? Find out tonight!  One of your parents should write it in your journal after your first entry (“Last words”). You get credit for their work!

Journal #3: Predict  Question: How do you think Eddie will die? Write a paragraph that could be “lifted” out of the book that explains Eddie’s death.  Example: Suddenly Eddie’s radio chirped. The startling sound caused him to stumble and fall, landing on the hard surface of the boardwalk. It was then that…

Journal #4: The Blue Man  Think about those “freaks” in our world. All of us can think of someone who is “different,” whether it is appearance, actions, clothing, etc. How do we view those different than us? Do we try to understand them, or do we unite in our sameness against them?  Answer these questions, and make sure to include an example to clarify your opinion.

Journal #5  Considering the Blue Man’s death and Eddie’s role in it, think of an event in your own life that had at least two very different perspectives. What was your perspective?  Then, write about it from someone else’s perspective. How would it completely change if it was from that person’s point- of-view?

Journal #6  Think about your chosen war image.  What stands out to you? What are you thinking? What are some things Eddie must have experienced? What wounds does he carry as a result?

Journal #7  Ask someone older than you (parent, grandparent, etc.) about a momentous event in history.  What do they remember? Why did it happen? What were the after-effects?  [Ex: Vietnam War, Kennedy’s assassination, Gulf War, 9/11, etc.)

Journal #8  Does Eddie actually see something in the flames, or is he imagining it? Explain your perspective.

Journal #9  Discuss the idea of sacrifice. How can this be a good thing, as the Captain says, or a bad thing, like Eddie sees?  Then, what does this mean to you? What personal examples can you draw on/relate to? Explain how you can personally relate to this idea of sacrifice, either in your own life, by what someone has done for you, or what you have seen someone do for another person.

Journal #10  Who will you be as a parent (parental characteristics, parenting style, etc.)? What has influenced you in the way that you think you will parent someday?  What will be your “handprint on glass”?

Literary Term  Metaphor -

Journal #11  Write a letter to Eddie’s father. What would you say to him, if you had the chance?  Be descriptive and explanatory, listing examples from the novel to clarify your points.  This should be at least ½ page in length. Put some thought into it!

Journal #12  Story Journal: Ask one of your parents about their parents. What is their opinion of one or both of their parents?  Then, you should comment: Does this agree with what you know of your grandparents? Why/why not? What are your interpretations after hearing their story?

Journal #13  Write a prediction for Eddie's thirty-seventh birthday. What is going to happen??

Journal #14  “Holding anger is poison. It eats you from inside. We think that hating is a weapon that attacks the person who harmed us. But hatred is a curved blade. And the harm we do, we do to ourselves.” (141)  Journal: How can you relate to this idea? Explain in detail, listing examples to clarify.

Journal #15  People say they “find” love, as if it were an object hidden by a rock. But love takes many forms, and it is never the same for any man and woman. What people find then is a certain love. And Eddie found a certain love with Marguerite, a grateful love, a deep but quiet love, one that he knew, above all else was irreplaceable. Once she’d gone, he’d let the days go stale. He put his heart to sleep. ( )  Journal: Brainstorm a list of the five most important qualities in the person you hope to love someday, and then write a few sentences elaborating on what your expectations are for love.

Journal #16  “Love, like rain, can nourish from above, drenching couples with a soaking joy. But sometimes, under the angry heat of life, love dries on the surface and must nourish from below, tending to its roots, keeping itself alive.”  Journal: Reflect back on what you said in your partner discussion for #6 regarding love and how to make it last. Pretend you are on your death- bed and you have been asked for advice. What will you say about love?  Write a paragraph that shares your opinion about what you learned in your life about love.

Journal #  Story Journal: Either write about yourself, or ask someone older than you…  What is one small event that now, looking back, had a huge effect on the way the rest of your life turned out, or who you ultimately became as a person?

Journal #17  Consider what the attorney thinks to himself as this section ends. Did Eddie live a “successful life”? Why/why not?  What marks “success”? What, to you, will make a successful life? Explain.

Top 10 List: My Legacy What I hope people will remember about me/what qualities are important:

Journal #18  In the last pages of the novel, we find out that Eddie did, in fact, save the little girl at Ruby Pier and that the hands he felt were actually Tala’s hands “keeping him safe” and taking him to heaven.  Pretend you are the little girl who was saved. You’ve grown up, had a successful life, and have now passed away. YOU are in heaven, and one of the people you meet is Eddie, who tells you the story of that fateful day. Write the story from his perspective, narrating what happened, why that day occurred, and what the LESSON is in Eddie’s death (and life)… You may wish to write it as a conversation, just like the other chapters in the book, or you may wish to just tell the story from Eddie’s point-of-view.

 Annie opened her eyes, and she was standing in the Stardust Band Shell at Ruby Pier. Standing in front of her was an old man she didn’t recognize, but when she got closer, he opened his mouth and said…