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1. Did your opinion of Mitch change as the book went on? Why or why not? How did your opinion change?
At the beginning of the book I found Mitch to be an aggressive white collar worker. He was extremely career driven, and spent most of his life working. He strived for bigger and better constantly, never feeling satisfied. As the book progressed Mitch became filled with compassion. The Tuesday meetings provided him with insight on the meaning of life, and how to achieve happiness without material possessions. At the end of the book I found Mitch to be relatable, and to have a great understanding of mortality.
2. Who do you think got more out of their Tuesday meetings, Mitch or Morrie? In what way? How do you think each would answer this
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Morrie was given the opportunity to discuss his fears regarding his impending death. He was granted love and company in his final days. He was able to reach to Mitch to show him the importance of living. Mitch is shown life in a new perspective, without having to suffer the consequences of being terminally ill. He is given the knowledge of what it means to live a successful life. I believe both parties think they benefited themselves more than the other.
3. Discuss Morrie’s criticisms of Mitch throughout the book. Do you think Morrie should have been tougher on him? Easier?
Morrie’s criticisms of Mitch were never harsh or inaccurate. I believe impending death dims one’s filter of projecting their opinion. If Morrie was tougher on Mitch he may have weakened their relationship. If he was easier the reality of mortality would have never have been accepted by Mitch. The balance of being caring and concerned allowed for Morrie to reach Mitch deeply.
4. Do you think Mitch would have listened if Morrie hadn’t been dying? Does impending death automatically make one’s voice able to penetrate where it couldn’t
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This provides Mitch with the ability to provide for Morrie, as he still feels he does not provide enough emotional support.
6. If Mitch and Peter hadn’t resumed contact by the end of the book, would Morrie’s lessons have been as important? Why or why not?
Morrie makes Mitch realizes the importance of family and this gives him the motivation to reach out and rekindle and grow his relationship with Peter. If they were unable to resume contact this would not have made Morrie’s lessons less important. His words would still stand true, even if Peter refused to speak to Mitch. We are unable to control the actions of others but as long as we are willing to try we succeed.
7. If Morrie could be reincarnated as an animal, which animal would it be? Why do you think he picked this one?
If given the choice, Morrie would have liked to be reincarnated as a gazelle. A gazelle is a graceful, fast animal whose name originates from the Arabic word “gazal”, the term for love poems. Morrie choses this creature because it represents the opposite of his current state. ALS keeps Morrie a prisoner within his own body, he is unable to move swiftly and break free of the disease that chains him to his house. Morrie wishes nothing more than to be able to be as free as a
She is anithetical to him in the story be cause Mitch tries to make a serious relationship with her but he couldn't be cause they are both not right which makes them have problems and fights throughout the story. For example when Mitch tells Blanche "
...T.R., who were ganging up on Mitch. He nearly shoots one, sends them both to bed and continues to scream until his anger has subsided. This is a side of Phil that we can infer neither Ed, Mitch, the others, or even Phil knew of as they all have a look of shock on their faces.
Wisdom has been proven to be a part of this story because morrie is very wise and aware of the world around him. He is respectful and understands common perception. Empowerment has also been proven to be a big part of this story because morrie has been a very big hero and a very big role model to not only mitch but to the class that morrie had taught. He is a very smart man and his legend and great life lessons that he has reflected will live on
There was a student in Morrie's social phsychology class that year, his name is Mitch Albom. These two characters grew a bond to one another where they spent their lunches together, talking for hours. unfornatuely when Mitch graduated, he did not keep his promise to keep in touch with is loving professor. Based on the reading, Mitch gets lost in the work field and becomes a work alcholic. When his uncle dies of pancerous cancer, Mitch decided to make something of himself, he felt "as if time
The concept questions if a set of values and beliefs influences the way live or how a collective meaning shapes our social behavior (123, T.S.P 2.0). For example, Morrie tells us it does by explaining his situation of not being able walk, not being able to wipe his behind, and some nights not being able to fall asleep without crying; these things are supposed to seem embarrassing, but his value to accept he is dying and value the life he has now leads him to not be embarrassed. Morrie really made me realize that we don’t have to follow everything society tells us to and that we are our own people and we should do what makes us happy. Additionally, culture as a form of communication was another important concept to Morrie because all he had to give was his insight and his love to teach and communicate with his students. That was the main reason Mitch recorder their conversations because Morrie was willing to give us the experience of death while also showing us how to live. Even though Morrie was dieing on the inside, he was living more then the rest of us. We go day-by-day lost in society following the norms and rules that we see as set for us, while Morrie is living to the end making sure nothing holds him back. Morrie was a gift to us, to truly and honestly give us life’s greatest
According to kids data center, “24,444,000 kids leave with a single parent.” Morrie’s biological mother died when he was eight. Being the only english speaker, Morrie, read the telegraph first and was the one to tell his family that his mother had passed. This was a very hard time for Morrie. Morrie said on page eighteen ”Accept the past as the past, without denying it or discarding it.” Morrie had to accept at a young age that people come then go and that he couldn't change anything about it. His father wouldn't let him talk about his biological mother which is explaining the second part of the quote, he decided it was better to talk about your hardships. He decided that you shouldn't try to ignore it or act like it never happened. In the book, Morrie cries over his dead mother as an elderly man. He still allows himself to feel deeply rooted emotions even after it happened many years ago. His mother's death also made Morrie very sympathetic when hearing about other people’s pain. Morrie can relate to their pain so he understands their tremendous distress. This is one reason why Morrie is immensely caring. He knows people can have a lot of pain even if they try not to show it, so he shows everyone love. This is why he says “What’s wrong with being second?” because he believes everyone is entitled to the same love. This is shown in the book throughout Morrie’s and Mitch’s friendship as adults. Losing his mother at a young age
When Mitch sees Morrie on TV, he couldn’t believe it. Mitch also got mad, and when the person was trying to get the congestion out of him, he asked if he could try and was hitting Morrie pretty hard. He was angry at the disease and needed to get out his frustration. Mitch was bargaining by saying “I’d give all of this knowledge and experience back if it meant you weren’t dying”. He also was depressed and asked Morrie “what if we can’t learn to die” and “what’s the point” and “I don’t want you to die”.
Mitch spends every Tuesday with Morrie not knowing when it might be his dear sociology professor’s last. One line of Morrie’s: “People walk around with a meaningless life…This is because they are doing things wrong” (53) pretty much encapsulates the life lessons from Morrie, Mitch describes in his novel, Tuesdays With Morrie. Morrie Schwartz, a beloved sociology professor at Brandeis University, was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), which most people would take as a death sentence. Morrie viewed it differently; he saw it more as an opportunity. This is because he does not follow the so-called “rules” of society. These rules come from the sociological concept of symbolic interaction, the theory that states that an individual’s
Mitch Albom and Morrie Schwartz, surely, demonstrate a mutualistic relationship in Tuesdays with Morrie because both characters benefit from affection, and their visits gives them a sense of purpose. One way Mitch and Morrie share a mutualistic relationship is with love and affection. Morrie is very affectionate and outgoing, so he surrounds himself with the people he loves instead of shutting everyone out when he discovered he had ALS. Mitch describes Morrie’s need for affection when he says, “I suddenly knew why he so enjoyed my leaning over… or wiping his eyes. Human Touch. At seventy-eight, he was giving as an adult and taking as a child” (Albom 116). Mitch sees that Morrie likes affection, and at first he feels uncomfortable at first, but by his last visit, he had changed, ”I leaned in and kissed him closely…he had finally made me cry” (Albom 185-186). Mitch also benefits greatly in this relationship. After his uncle passed away, Mitch decides t...
2. What causes Mitch and Blanche to take a "certain interest" in one another? That is, what is the source of their immediate attraction? What seems to draw them together? What signs are already present to suggest that their relationship is doomed/problematic?
Morrie Schwartz the lead character in Tuesdays with Morrie, receives terrible news early on that his death is near, as he is suffering from Lou G...
Morrie helped Mitch discover who he truly is, and gives views on culture and the pressures of fitting into society’s uniform mold.
Which is why he falls under Erikson’s theory of identity achievement. Identity achievement is when a person understands who he or she is as a unique individual, in accord with past experiences(Berger pg 356). Morrie understands who he is completely so he decides to give advice on life issues that most people go through while Mitch records him. During one session Mitch asked Morrie what his perfect last day would be and he gave it in complete detail from start to finish, it started off having a lovely breakfast, then going for a swim, have some lunch with friends, sit around and tell each other how much they meant to one another, go to dinner and have pasta and duck, then dance until he was exhausted, then go home and fall asleep. He had lived his life too the fullest and he knew exactly how he would want to spend his last day.
I experienced a sense of pleasure as the relationship between Mitch and Morrie strengthened from acquaintances into a strong bond held together by trust and loyalty. The countless hours of dedication in giving and receiving was a mutual allegiance between two adult men who depended on one another in the pursuit of happiness and meaning of life. Morrie was well-known for his fluid use of words as well as his silence. His explanation of exploring the meaning behind silence instilled a sense of awareness of cultural norms in our
One lesson Morrie teaches Mitch is about the view his culture has and how we, not only Mitch but also the rest of the world, should not believe what they say. Morrie tells Mitch: “Take my condition. The things I am supposed to be embarrassed about now — not being able to walk, not being able to wipe my ass, waking up some mornings wanting to cry — there is nothing innately embarrassing about them. It's the same for women not being thin enough, or men not being rich enough. It's just what our culture would have you believe. Don't believe it.”