Noel Character Analysis in The Five People You Meet in Heaven

Eddie’s friend during his thirties, Noel runs a laundry business. Noel is obsessed with the racetrack, and frequently influences Eddie to indulge with him in their shared gambling habit. Noel is with Eddie at the racetrack on the birthday when Marguerite gets into a car accident. From then on, Eddie gradually stops seeing Noel, as Noel becomes a reminder of Eddie’s fault in causing Marguerite’s accident.

Noel Character Timeline in The Five People You Meet in Heaven

The timeline below shows where the character Noel appears in The Five People You Meet in Heaven. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Is it Eddie’s thirty-seventh birthday, and he is having breakfast with his friend Noel, who works for the park dry-cleaning uniforms. Noel mentions a fatal accident in which a... (full context)

Eddie is at the horseracing track with Noel on his thirty-ninth birthday. Eddie bets again after every time he wins, trying to double... (full context)

...are disconnected for a while, because of Eddie’s guilt and Marguerite’s resentment. Eddie’s friendship with Noel gradually ends, and he never returns to the racetrack. Over a few years, the couple’s... (full context)