The cacophony that Eddie turns out to be...

The roiling ocean is a recurring metaphor for mortality in The Five People You Meet in Heaven. It is vast and impossible to ignore, especially because it surrounds Ruby Pier on all sides. Hours before the end of his life, Eddie tries to lose himself in memories of his first movie date with Marguerite but the "cacophony of the crashing waves" (11) keeps mixing with the Judy Garland song from the film and bringing him back to reality.