How is the circle of life used in this story?

The structure of the novel represents the cyclical nature of life and death. It starts at the end of Eddie's life, but we later learn that Eddie's death is a new beginning for "Amy or Annie," the girl he dies saving. Additionally, as the Captain later informs him, Eddie's life on earth may be over but his eternity is just beginning. At the end of the novel, Eddie is able to shed all of his earthly burdens and emerge into eternity - as if he has been baptized and reborn. Finally, he spends eternity on a Ferris wheel, a physical symbol that underlines the allegory.