Summary:
Mitch
recalled his graduation in Brandeis University wherein he promised Morrie, his
favorite professor who was crying that he would keep in touch with him even
though he didn’t fulfill this promise. After many years, Morrie had been
diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Disease which caused him to forfeit dancing,
his favorite hobby. Charlotte, wife of Morrie, wanted to take care of him but he
insisted that she should continue her job teaching. While Morrie was suffering
from his disease, Mitch was frustrated with the path he chose. Mitch wanted to
be a musician but after his uncle died from pancreatic cancer, he gave up his
dream and chose to be a well-paid journalist. He also promised his wife,
Janine, that they would also have children, though he spent most of his time
working to gain materialistic possessions.
One night, Mitch
was flipping the channels on a television when he had heard the voice of Morrie
from it. He felt numb when he saw him being interviewed by Ted Koppel, a famous
newscaster whom had been friends with Morrie for a short time. He then
contacted his beloved professor and went to visit him in West Newton,
Massachusetts. At his first visit, he drove using his car and a producer called
him. He arrived in front of Morrie’s house and he saw him waiting in front but
instead of running and hugging the professor, he finished first the call with
the producer which he regretted after it.
After he visited
Morrie, he had many realizations in life. He would usually read tabloid about
gossips of celebrities but he stopped reading for he sought the meaning of life
and he realized that he would not find that from reading gossips about
celebrities. A group of reporters chasing two celebrities had also knocked him
over and after that incident; he realized that he chased the wrong thing.
Again, he went to Boston to visit Morrie.
Since
that day, he always visited Morrie every Tuesday. They had discussions about
life and Mitch created a list about things that they would talk about every
week. They would have session about Death, Family, Love, Money, Culture and
many more. Every time Mitch visited Morrie, he would bring foods for him.
Morrie’s condition got worse too so he can’t no longer eat solid foods. In
Morrie’s childhood, he had been very poor. His father, Charlie, had been very
cold and aloof to them. He didn’t provide Morrie and his brother, the love they
need during the time their mother died. Charlie married Eva who was kind that
she let Morrie and his brother feel the love and affection they had longed for.
Because of lack in affection and love during Morrie’s childhood, he sought it
out in his old age with his family and friends. One time, he said that he was
trying to “enjoy being a baby again” for he was nearing to death and he had
been very dependable in his situation. One
Tuesday, Janine went with Mitch in his visit to Morrie. There she granted the
request of Morrie to sing for him. She is a professional singer but she sang
for Morrie which moved him to tears. Mitch continued his visit with Morrie and
he learned many things from it. He also brought a tape recorder so he can
compile their discussions and he could create the book, “Tuesdays With Morrie”,
their last thesis project. At their 14th Tuesday, Mitch felt
something was different. Morrie was very week that he can’t even go to face
Mitch. Mitch talked to him and for the first time, he cried for he thought that
it would be the last time he would be able to hear Morrie’s voice. At Saturday,
Morrie died. Through
Morrie’s insistence, Mitch called his brother, Peter, in Spain to reunite with
him. After so many years, he responded and their relationship was getting
better. At Morrie’s grave, Mitch talked to him like what he had said and he
felt natural with it.
Characters:
Mitch
Albom - he was a former
student of Morrie at Brandeis University wherein he considered Morrie as his
favorite professor. He had been working hard because of his desire in material
wealth even though he was not happy of what he was doing. After he heard the
news about his favorite professor having Amyotrophic Lateral
Sclerosis, he decided to visit him. Every
Tuesday, he visited Morrie and they had sessions about life, death, people, love,
family, culture, money and many more
Morrie Schwartz -
suffered from ALS, a devastating and incurable disease which damages his body.
He taught sociology at Brandeis and he continued to teach it to Mitch every
Tuesday. He liked dancing, and he
usually cry especially since the time he knew about his disease. He shared his
emotions and his own system of beliefs. Mitch described him as a man of
ultimate wisdom.
Ted Koppel - a famous interviewer who conducted three
interviews with Morrie in his show “Nightline”. He became friends with Morrie
because of their one in one conversation before their first live interview
wherein Morrie had asked him personal questions. Morrie also told him that his first impression
about him in the show was that he was narcissistic.
Charlotte - a caring wife of Morrie who continued her job
as a professor as insisted by Morrie.
Janine - wife of Mitch who sang for Morrie even though
she was a professional singer which moved Morrie to tears.
Peter - younger
brother of Mitch who was living in Spain. He has pancreatic cancer but he
refused any help from his family. . He was unwilling when Mitch first tried to rebuild
their relationship but at the end, he agreed.
Charlie - Morrie's unemotional father who showed Morrie
and his brother David little attention. He told Morrie to keep his mother's
death a secret from his younger brother, David, because he wanted his son to
believe that his biological mother was her step mother, Eva.
David - Morrie's younger brother was sent with Morrie
to a small hotel in the woods of Connecticut. He had polio and he experienced
paralysis so Morrie was blaming himself for what had happened to him.
Eva - step mother of amorrie who was kind and
caring. She gave Morrie and his brother David the love and affection they had wanted
to experience.
Maurie Stein -
Morrie's friend who sent some of Morrie's aphorisms to a Boston
Globe reporter who eventually published a feature story on Morrie. The
article encouraged Ted Koppel to conduct an interview for Morrie.
Connie - health
aide of Morrie who was always there doing things for him like when going to the bathroom, getting into his chair,
and eating meals.
Rob and Jon - sons of Morrie who lived far but often traveled
to Boston to visit him.
Settings:
The
novel happened during 1995, in Morrie’s house, in West Newton, Massachusetts.
Mitch visited him every Tuesday from Detroit to Massachusetts and they have
discussions about the meaning of life. The sessions reached fourteen Tuesdays.
Conflict:
Mitch
had been working almost near to death for the past ten years to create much
money and to gain materialistic possessions. He had changed and he seemed to be
taking the wrong path. He chose to value unnecessary things and ignored other
things that should really be cherished like spiritual things.
Morrie suffered from a debilitating
disease, the amyotrophic lateral disease which forfeited him from doing
dancing, walking, swimming and many more. He was dying and the time left for
him was very short. He needed to accept this fact and at the same time, make
the most out of the time left for him.
Plot
Exposition:
At the beginning, Mitch recalled his
graduation day in Brandeis University wherein he gave Morrie a briefcase with
his initials on it. He saw Morrie, his favourite professor crying so he
promised to keep in touch with him even though he didn’t fulfill it. After so
many years, Morrie had been diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Disease which
caused him to stop some of his hobbies like dancing while Mitch had been
confused with the path he had chosen.
Rising Action:
Mitch saw the interview of Ted with
Morrie in the show “nightline” in a
television and he started visiting him after he knew about his sickness. Every
Tuesday, they would have sessions about the meaning of life. As Mitch struggled
with life, Morrie fought his disease and they both learned something from their
sessions.
Climax:
Mitch visited Morrie on the
fourteenth Tuesday and he somewhat felt that it would be their last session.
Morrie was stuck in his bed feeling very weak and can’t breathe properly.
Morrie’s goal was to make Mitch cry and at last, Mitch cried when he had
thought that it would be the last time he can speak to Morrie.\
Falling Action:
Morrie’s death can be predicted and
he died on Saturday, 4 days after their last visit. Mitch went to his funeral.
Resolution:
Mitch talked to Morrie in his grave
like what Morrie told him and he found a new perspective in life. He also
called his brother in Spain to reunite with him and he told him that he loves
him. At the end, you could say that Mitch and his brother would keep in touch.
