Lit TWM Final

8/4/2019 Lit TWM Final

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An old man, a young man and lifes greatest lesson.


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Author: Mitch AlbomCountry: United StatesGenre(s):Biographical Philosophical NovelMemoirPublisher: Random HousePublication date: 1997


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Tuesdays with Morrie-a 1997 non-fiction

novel by American writer MitchAlbom

-The story was later adaptedby Thomas Rickman into a TVmovie of the same name directed

by Mick Jackson, which aired on 5December 1999 and starred JackLemmon and Hank Azaria.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-fiction_novelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-fiction_novel


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SettingThe novel takes place during 1995, in

Morries study, in West Newton,

Massachusetts. Mitch and Morrie meet every

Tuesday, in his study, to discuss the meaning of

life.

Morrie was a college professor for most

of his career, and Mitch took all of his classes

offered, when he was in college. When Morrie

taught small classes, he would often hold themin his study.


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CharacterMajor Characters

Morrie Schwartz - The novel is centeredaround him; Morrie is Mitchs former

college professor who wasdiagnosed withALS (Lou Gherig's disease); he meets withMitch in his home every Tuesday to teachhim about the meaning of life.

Mitch Albom- Morrie's former student; he

has since become a journalist and leadsa very fast paced life; findsMorrie afterhearing he is sick on "ABC's Nightline" andvisits him every Tuesday.


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Minor Characters

Ted Koppel - a famous televisionnewsman/personality; he interviews Morrie threetimes for the ABC's Nightline show; he eventually

describes Morrie as his friend and is almost in tearsduring his last interview with Morrie.

Charlotte -Morries wife, who is also a collegeprofessor; she keeps her job as a professor evenwhile Morrie issick because it is what he wished forher.

Janine -Mitchs wife; she takes a phone call fromMorrie, whom she had never met


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ConflictThere are two conflicts in this novel:

the major conflict is Morrie vs. ALS and thesecond, minor conflict, is Mitch vs. himself.Morrie must come to terms with his illness

and accept his coming death from ALS. Inthe meantime, Mitch, his former collegestudent, visits him every Tuesday. Mitch hasbecome very disillusioned with his fast-paced life and constant strive for

materialistic possessions. He struggles tofind meaning with his life and to change theperson he has become in the sixteen yearssince he had last seen Morrie


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ClimaxMitch visits Morrie for the last

time, when he is very close to his

death; after years of trying to getMitch to open up, Morrie finallysucceeds at doing so by seeinghim cry.


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SynopsisMorrie Schwartz was Mitch Alboms favorite

college professor. At the start of the novel Albomrecalls a memory from his college graduationday: he is saying goodbye to Morrie and giveshim a tan briefcase with his initials on it. Theyhug and when Mitch steps back he sees thatMorrie is crying. Mitch promises to stay in touchwith Morrie but he never does after college.

Since his graduation, Mitch has become anewspaper reporter and husband. He leads a

very fast paced life and is constantly workingand traveling. He has become so engrossed inhis work that it consumes his life.


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The novel recommences about sixteen

years after Mitchs graduation day; Morrie hassince been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateralsclerosis, or ALS. Since Morries diagnosis, hebegan jotting down ideas and thoughts onto

scrap paper, yellow pads or even envelopes. Healso wrote philosophies about living knowingdeath was very near. One of his friends was sotaken with his writing, he sent them tothe Boston Globereporter, who wrote a featurestory about Morrie. The story intrigued one of the

producers of the show, Nightline, who then dida feature story about Morrie. Mitch happened tosee the Nightline show and recognized his oldprofessor. He called him to set up a visit.


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Mitch began visiting Morrie every

Tuesday. Their discussions ranged fromthe world, regrets, death, love andmoney; the purpose of their meetings

was to discuss Morries view on themeaning of life. Mitch became sointrigued by Morries philosophies thathe began taking notes and evenrecording Morrie.

Morries philosophies includedrejecting popular culture morals andfollowing self-created values, lovingothers, and learning to accept death.


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With each lesson, Morrie becomes

increasingly sick; during their last meeting,Morrie was bed ridden and near death. As he andMitch hugged for one last time, Morrie noticesMitch is finally crying.

Morrie dies a short time after. At his funeralMitch tries having a conversation with Morrie, ashe had wanted. Mitch feels a certain naturalnessand comfort to this conversation and realizesthat it happens to be Tuesday.

After Morries death Mitch regains contact

with his brother who lives in Spain and is battlingcancer.


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ThemesSchwartz and Albom's

conversations canvas acceptance,communication, love, values, openness,and happiness. Albom emphasizes the

importance of forging a culture of one'sown to transcend the tyranny of popularculture, suggesting that the media ispreoccupied with death, hatred, violence

and depression. Quoting his favoritepoet, W. H. Auden, Schwartz insists wemust "love each other or perish".


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Throughout the text Albom's character

changes as Schwartz's stories inspire him.Albom brings food to Schwartz at every visit, anaffirmation of life and health. It is the only giftbesides company that Albom is able to provide toSchwartz in his suffering.

Love each other or die (pg. 163) -

Throughout the book, Morrie recites a quote byhis favorite poet or thisvariation in his ownwords. This is one of the most important lessonshe wishes to teach Mitch and express onNightline. Morrie feels that love and

compassion are necessary for a person to befulfilled. Morrie says that when love abounds,there is no higher sense of fulfillment one canexperience.

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