Tuesdays with morrie - summary

Tuesdays With Morrie is a memoir about the lessons the author,
Mitch Albom, learned from his professorwhile at university and
later at the end of his professor’s life.
Chapter 1, “The Curriculum,” introduces the narrative
structure of the opening chapters, the characters, and the themes
Mitch Albom discusses in TuesdaysWith Morrie.
Morrie Schwartz was Mitch Albom’s favorite professorat
Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts.The first half of
“The Curriculum” explains that Morrie is dying and that they
have begun to meet each other on a weekly basis,likening their
visits to a class. Although Albom is learning from his former
professor,this is not a traditional class. Albom juxtaposes the
reader’s expectations of a traditional class with the more
intimate classes that his “Tuesdays With Morrie” took. The class
is unorthodoxbecause it does not contain tests,grades,or
lectures, but it does involve an oral exam and the student is
expected to ask questions.Instead ofa graduation ceremony, this
class has a funeral. Albom explains that the book Tuesdays With
Morrie is the class’s final paper.
Albom provides an overview of his memoir in “The
Curriculum.” Broadly, the book discusses the meaning of life.
Specifically, the topics include love, work, community, family,
aging, forgiveness,and death. The opening chapters of Tuesdays
With Morrie discuss the difficulties Morrie Schwartz faced at the
end of his life, juxtaposing them with the lessons Albomlearned
from his old professor.This structure of juxtapositions is an
organizing device that makes for a mood that is in turns
nostalgic, sentimental, and uplifting.
The latter half of “The Curriculum” tells of Morrie’s college
graduation in 1979. Even at this time, Morrie was already old
and fragile, but he is still very intelligent and kind, which is
reflected through his honest and warm smile. Albom clearly
admired Morrie during their time togetherin college; he took
nearly all of the classes Morrie taught.
Albom explains that graduation is the end of childhood. It also
seems to be the end of his time with Morrie. When Albom
introduces his parents to Morrie, it is clear that both the
professorand the student have a great deal of respect and
affection for each other. Morrie describes Albom as “a special
boy” and Albom gives his professora briefcase. As they
embrace, Albom already feels like their roles have been
reversed—the aged professorfeels like a child in his arms—
which foreshadows their later relationship during Morrie’s
illness. Although graduation is often a time of parting, the two
promise to keep in touch. They fulfill that promise with their
informal Tuesday class at the end of Morrie’s life.
Chapter 2 Summary
“The Syllabus” outlines the disease Morrie Schwartz suffered
from before he died. Albom introduces the disease,its effects,
and how Schwartz responded to his decline. Bravely, Schwartz
fought to remain useful and a part of his community rather than
going into retreat during his illness. Albom’s writing relies on
repetition and juxtaposition to create the chapter’s sentimental
mood.
Although he was a distinguished professorof sociology,Morrie
Schwartz could be found every Wednesday night at “Dance
Free,” which was primarily a student gathering.Albom explains
Morrie’s love of dance, a love so pure that he would dance
without a partner to any music, ranging from the tango to Jimi
Hendrix. Dressed in sweat pants,a white T-shirt, and a towel
around his neck, he danced every week. He knew something was
wrong with him when he was no longer able to dance.
Although it took several tests,Morrie’s doctors eventually
diagnosed him with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in 1994,
which is more popularly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Although doctors did not know the cause,they knew the disease
was terminal. Albom likens ALS to a burning candle because it
“melts your nerves and leaves your body like a pile of wax.”
Morrie slowly lost his ability to dance, to drive, and to dress
himself—a depressing process that Albomemphasizes by using
the refrain “that was the end of” to organize the details of
Morrie’s decline. At first, Albom explains, Morrie was surprised
to find that the world had not ended,but he later strove to make
the most of his remaining time. He refused to become “useless.”
Instead,Morrie went on to teach his final course, warning his
students that he might die before it ended.
Morrie lead discussion groups about death and dying and he
refused to “wither,” choosing instead to “narrate” the process of
dying. This unusualattitude led to unusualevents.After
attending a friend’s funeral, Morrie felt that the time had been a
waste because the deceased neverheard all those wonderful
expressions of love and friendship in life. So Morrie planned a
living funeral for himself so he would be able to hear and
experience all the kind things people would say to him.
However, this “living funeral” was not the end of Morrie’s life.
Albom ends the chaptersuggesting that “the most unusualpart
of his life was about to unfold.”
Chapter 3 Summary
Mitch Albom explains in “The Student” what happened to the
promise that he made to Morrie to keep in touch.Rather than
keep in touch, Albom went on to participate in a daily and
nightly grind following his dream of becoming a professional
pianist. Unfortunately, Albom explains, he did not become a
professional pianist. For all his nights in dank nightclubs and for
all his time writing songs,he found himself failing for the first
time. He did not enjoy the experience.
However, this came to an end when Albom’s favorite uncle was
diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Albom explains that this had
been the uncle who taught him about music, driving, girls, and
football, and even as a child Albom identified this uncle as one
of his first role models. When his uncle died, Albom’s life
changed.No longer would he waste time writing songs at night
that no one would listen to.
Instead,he returned to university and obtained a master’s degree
in journalism. Rather than following his own dreams, he would
write about athletes following their dreams. Albom explains the
breakneck pace and relentless drive that led him to success.He
wrote all night and all day; he took jobs in Florida and New
York. However, his great success as a sports journalist came
when he wound up in Detroit, a city so enthusiastic for sports
that it has professional teams in every popular American sport.
Albom explains how he moved from writing articles to columns
to books to appearing on the radio and television. Although he
married a woman named Janine and bought a house on a hill, he
found that he did not have time to start a family.
Although it may sound like working for the Detroit Free Press
was a waste of time, Albom did not think it was. He felt he had
gained a sense of control over his life. The rapid pace with
which he worked would bring him happiness.Albom recalls
thinking that his uncle died young,in his forties; therefore, he
should squeeze every ounce of happiness out of life that he
could. Consequently,Albom did not have time to keep up with
the affairs of Brandeis University. He was busy working, buying
cars, and building a stockportfolio; he ended up throwing away
his alumni letters. Ultimately, Albom was unaware that his
favorite professorwas sick.
Chapter 4 Summary
In “The Audiovisual,” Albom recalls how he discovered that his
university mentor was suffering from ALS. By 1995, a year after

his diagnosis,Morrie was wheelchair bound and increasingly
reliant on the people around him. However, he was still focused
on making the most of his life and being productive and engaged
rather than useless and withdrawn.
One thing he began to do at this point was to write aphorisms on
Post-It Notes. The sentences he wrote contained bits of wisdom
like “Accept what you are able to do and what you are not able
to do” and “Accept the past as past,without denying it or
discarding it.” These notes soon became so numerous that
Morrie’s colleague, Maurie Stein, eventually collected them and
passed themon to a journalist from the Boston Globe. If that
were all that happened,then Albom would not have learned
about his mentor’s illness and would not have reconnected with
Morrie. However, the article, which was entitled “A Professor’s
Final Course: His Own Death” caught the eye of Ted Koppel,
the host of television show Nightline.Koppel decided to
interview the ailing professor.
Albom contrasts Koppel’s glamour and fame with the stark
reality of Morrie’s approach to life. Koppel arrives in a
glamorous limousine, wearing a “crisp blue suit,” while Morrie
sits in a wheelchair, wearing a “shaggy gray sweater.” However,
when Koppel and Morrie first meet, they form a bond—even
though Morrie admits he has only seen Nightline twice and that
he thought Koppel was a narcissist.
Albom was changing channels at home when he caught Ted
Koppel’s interview with Morrie. The camera did not show
Morrie’s withered legs, but it caught the “great passion” with
which he explained his philosophy of dying. In spite of all the
sadness and bitterness and fear he felt, Morrie confesses that his
greatest dread is that “one day soon,someone’s gonna have to
wipe my ass.” It is clear that even as he is losing control of his
body,both Morrie’s mind and his sense ofhumor remained
sharp.
In the second part of “The Audiovisual,” Albom briefly recalls
the first time he met Morrie. He was considering whether to take
Schwartz’s class.Morrie was calling the register when he asked
Albom whether he preferred to be called Mitch or Mitchell.
Albom answered that his friends called him the former. Morrie
said, “Well Mitch, I hope that one day you will think of me as
your friend.”
Chapter 5 Summary
In “The Student,” Mitch Albom discusses the conflict between
Morrie’s life and his own obsessive drive to succeed as a sports
journalist. “The Orientation” brings this conflict into the open.
“The Orientation” opens as Mitch Albom is in his car with a
coffee in one hand and a cell phone in the other. Albom is
talking to his producer about a television clip, asking to hear a
segment again. After seeing his dying professorinterviewed by
Ted Koppel on Nightline,Albom has decided to visit Morrie
while in Boston.He has a few hours until his flight. Suddenly,
Albom realizes that he has arrived at Morrie’s house.Although
he wishes that he could circle the block a few times to finish
talking to his producer, Morrie and his nurses are waiting on the
lawn and have already spotted him. Albom’s obsession with
success has caused himto lose sight of the importance of his
relationships. Although he promised Morrie he would stay in
touch after graduation,he did not.Now, instead of hanging up
on his producer, he pretends he has lost his keys in the car so he
can quickly conclude his business on the phone.For Albom,
these gestures represent his lack of perspective on what matters.
His obsession with his phone and his coffee and multitasking is
symbolic of his misplaced focus.
However, in spite of Albom’s crass behavior, Morrie warmly
welcomes his former student back into his life. Morrie has
changed a great deal since Albom last saw him in 1979 at his
college graduation. Now Morrie is wheelchair bound,and he
relies on nurses for almost everything. Morrie is dying and the
strain can be seen.Albom explains:
His eyes were more sunken than I remembered them, and his
cheekbones more pronounced.This gave him a harsher, older
look—until he smiled.
Albom uses his imagery to show the power of Morrie’s
determination not to let his impending death ruin what remains
of his life. When Morrie asks Albom if he would like to know
what it is like to die, Albom says yes.Their last class together
had begun.
In the second half of “The Orientation,” Albom recalls his early
days on campus. He was young for a college freshman and
attempted to make himself seem older. He wore old gray
sweaters, boxed at the gym, and pretended to be a smoker.
However, Morrie seemed to make him feel at ease with himself.
Albom began to call Morrie “coach,” and Morrie took to the
nickname, saying,“You can play all the lovely parts of life that
I’m too old for now.” Even at this time, Morrie was old
compared to most professors.
Chapter 6 Summary
In “The Classroom,” Mitch and Morrie have their first
discussion about the meaning of life, but it is only preliminary.
Albom uses this chapter to highlight some of the conflicts that
drive his discussion oflife in America. Surprisingly, Morrie
seems to be happier in his state of dying than Albom is in his
state of health and success.Morrie is surrounded by people who
care about him. Over the years,he has influenced the minds of
many students and others; Mitch is not the only one to have
returned to pay his respects or to reconnect with the old
professor.
It cannot be denied that Morrie is dying. Albom recalls how his
mentor struggled to eat. Morrie even explains that he will die of
suffocation. ALS has already taken Morrie’s legs. Because he is
asthmatic, when the ALS begins to affect his lungs,Morrie will
die. He invites Mitch to exhale while counting,and Mitch is able
to reach 70. Morrie, in contrast,can only reach 18. He was able
to reach 23 when he was first diagnosed.Morrie explains that he
has become a symbolic bridge to people. He is not quite dead,
but he is not as alive as most people around him are. Because
dying is the final journey people take, many are curious about
what they should “pack.”
At times during this conversation,Mitch feels awkward, but he
and Morrie have a few moments that recall their former
closeness,including when Mitch suddenly refers to Morrie as his
coach. Morrie immediately admits that he is still Mitch’s coach.
He here gives Albom advice that would haunt the youngerman.
He suggests:
The culture we have does not make people feel good about
themselves. And you have to be strong enough to say if the
culture doesn’t work, don’t buy it.
As the two part, Morrie invites Mitch to keep in touch,just as he
did at Mitch’s college graduation. This time, Albom will keep
his promise to return.
The second half of “The Classroom” recalls Mitch’s early
relationship with Morrie. While buying books from Morrie’s
class reading list, he feels lost about his identity. Morrie explains
the “tension of opposites,” an idea that refers to the way people
negotiate conflicted loyalties in life. Mitch likens this to
wrestling and asks which side wins. Morrie replies that love
wins every conflict. However, by the end of the 1990s, Albom
seems to have lost sight of the tension of opposites and has lost
the ability to let love win any of his personal conflicts, which is
perhaps why he feels insecure about his success around Morrie.

Chapter 7 Summary
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In “Taking Attendance,” Albom recalls his time in England
covering the Wimbledon tennis competition. Albom is juggling
a number of jobs for newspapers,television, and radio stations
while in England; this has become routine in his life. On the
stands in front of the venue,he sees tabloids that speculate about
the British royalty. Looking at these articles, Albom finds
himself recalling Morrie’s advice about not buying into a culture
that fails to help you.
For many years, Albom has found satisfaction in his work, and
only recently has he begun to realize that this is misguided.
Now, when he looks around him, he sees people chasing the
wrong things, like a group of tabloid photographers chasing
tennis players and their celebrity girlfriends. One of them even
knocks Albom down in his rush to get a photo.Seeing this
tabloid culture, Albom recalls Morrie’s approach to life and how
the professorfocused on “human activities” like conversation
and affection rather than “silly activities” like television sitcoms
or celebrity gossip.
When Albom returns to Detroit, he discovers his union has gone
on strike. He is suddenly out of work for the first time in years,
and his union representative warns him against contacting his
editors. Instead of covering sports,he is watching them at home.
Although he had long prided himself on his newspapercolumn,
claiming that it made him feel alive, Albom is discouraged to
discover that no one seems to care that that the column is no
longer in print. Finding himself curiously irrelevant and idle,
Albom ends up calling his old mentor, who invites him to visit.
The second half of “Taking Attendance” describes howAlbom
and Morrie’s relationship continued during the author’s
sophomore year at college. He is now taking two classes with
Morrie, and they often spend time togetheroutside of class
visiting and discussing life. A youngerMitch Albom shares with
his mentor his dream of becoming a pianist. Although Morrie
describes it as a hard life, he encourages Albom to follow his
dream. However, this is exactly what Albom has not done.
Perhaps ironically, he abandoned his dream of becoming a
pianist after his uncle died of cancer. Now that his professoris
dying of ALS, Albom is discovering that he has
overcompensated in adjusting his values in the wrestling match
that is the tension of opposites.
Chapter 8 Summary
In “The First Tuesday:We Talk About the World,” Albom
returns to his old professor’s home. Morrie’s crushing illness is
again juxtaposed with his optimistic, compassionate attitude.
Recalling his confession that his greatest dread was to have
someone “wipe my ass,” Morrie has come to accept this fate and
chooses to view it as a unique way to return to life as a baby.
These contrasts are used to discuss the nature of sympathy and
love.
Morrie’s nurse, Connie, invites Albom into the house.Albom
has brought food, hoping to help his ailing mentor somehow. As
they sit down to eat, Albom is surprised to find that Morrie still
reads newspapers.Morrie explains that although he is dying, he
still cares about what is happening in the world. In fact, he finds
that his illness has brought him a heightened sense ofsympathy
when reading about the plights of others, no matter how far
away they may be.
During this conversation,he explains that he and Albom are
both “Tuesday people,” but he does not explain what this means.
Whetheror not they are Tuesday people, when Albom reflects
on his own life, he finds that he could not be any more different
from his mentor. He works and reports the news, and although
he actually stands witness to the conflicts and tragedies that are
reported in newspapers,he finds that he is never emotionally
affected as a journalist by what he writes about—this although
he has covered stories of death, attended funerals, and
interviewed people in mourning.
Albom is also struck and embarrassed when he finds that Morrie
is crying out of sadness forothers. Morrie gently teases his
student,suggesting that it is acceptable for men to cry. He then
explains that
the most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love,
and to let it come in.
He also quotes Levine’s statement that “love is the only rational
act.” This is the conclusion of their first conversation,and
Albom goes so far as to kiss his mentor’s cheek, suggesting that
although he has not fully changed his ways, he is still trying to
learn from Morrie.
The second part of the chapterconcerns one of Albom’s early
lessons in Morrie’s college class. Albom recalls how Morrie
entered the classroom and sat silently for fifteen minutes. The
students at first laughed at the awkwardness of the situation
before sitting quietly. Morrie uses this opening to ask why
people find silence awkward. Albom recalls that he enjoyed the
silence because it did not require him to share his opinion. After
the class,Morrie confronts Albom and suggests that Mitch has
more to say than he thinks. He says that Albom reminds him of
himself as a young man.
Chapter 9 Summary
In “The Second Tuesday:We Talk About Feeling Sorry for
Yourself,” Morrie explains how he deals with the daily reminder
that he is dying. The ALS is accelerating, and Albom reminds
himself that he only has a little time left with his mentor. Now
Morrie no longer sits in the dining room. Instead,he spends
most of his time in a recliner in his study.When he needs to use
the washroom, he rings a bell to summon one of his four nurses.
Albom lifts his professorfrom the wheelchair into the recliner
and notices that Morrie is no longer able to even hold onto the
person helping him. Albom wonders how Morrie can deal with
such difficulties. The professorexplains that the morning is his
time of mourning. He feels for parts of his body that are no
longer under his control and allows himself to feel sorry. He
explains that he lets himself cry if he needs to, but otherwise he
goes on with his day. He feels lucky to be able to have so much
time to die and to say goodbye to his loved ones.
Albom considers his own life. His newspaperunion in Detroit is
still on strike and the conflict between the workers and the
owners is turning ugly. In Boston,newspapers are reporting
stories about girls who murder seniors and then throw parties
with the corpse on display. Everywhere he looks, Albom finds
misery and people who feel sorry for themselves. He wonders
what the world would be like if people only allowed themselves
to feel self-pity for a set amount of time each day. However,
when he is with Morrie, he finds life refreshing, as though he is
shedding all the negativity of the outside world while sitting
with his dying professor.Albom is flying several hundred miles
each week to sit with his professor,but he feels that it is worth it.
Albom reflects on his time in college with Morrie. In this
chapter he explains the dynamics of a class called “Group
Process.” The class is meant to study howpeople interact with
each other, but the young Mitch Albom finds it mostly “touchy-
feely.” His professorencourages him to be more open-minded
and goes on to lead an experiment meant to illustrate how trust is
formed. The students are asked to fall backward into the arms of
their partner. The first girl closes her eyes before she falls, and
Morrie points out that being able to trust people means feeling
that you can count on them even when you are in the dark.

Chapter 10 Summary
In “The Third Tuesday: We Talk About Regrets,” Albom once
again returns to Morrie’s home with food. This time he has also
brought a tape recorder. He hopes to record Morrie’s lessons,but
then he worries that he has introduced an invasive and foreign
object into their intimate discussions.However, Morrie explains
that he welcomes the tape recorder because he wants to share his
life with Mitch.
Their conversation turns to regrets, and Morrie explains that
many people focus on certain things without realizing they
should be pursuing other goals as well. This is why people need
teachers and mentors—to help them keep track of what they
have not been paying attention to. It seems that this is the role
that Albom needs Morrie to fill. On one of his flights to Boston,
he begins sketching out the conflicts, or the tension of opposites,
that make up his life. Should he embrace tradition or reject it?
Should he satisfy others or satisfy himself? Albom points out
that there is an entire economy of self-help books,television
shows,and counselors available to Americans, but he does not
consider them meaningful. Instead,he thinks Morrie has gained
a clear vision of his values now that he is facing death,and he
realizes that he wants to gain as much from his professoras he
can, which is why he is glad to be able to record his
conversations with Morrie.
Morrie suggests that the American culture does not encourage
people to think about their regrets. Albom suggests that this may
be why the country seems so lost in comparison to what Albom
describes as Morrie’s “mystical” clarity. He recalls his time in
the airport during August afterthe air conditioning has gone off.
Everyone looks ready to kill someone, even though they are
really only a little uncomfortable. In contrast,Morrie is dying
yet he maintains a positive, caring attitude.Even though there
are many self-help books in America, there is still a need for a
great teacher like Morrie.
The second part of “The Third Tuesday:We Talk About
Regrets” discusses Albomas he approaches his graduation. He
had taken so many classes with Morrie that he has nearly earned
a major in sociology. At his professor’s prompting, he decides to
do a thesis at the end of his program. He chooses to write about
the rituals and social interactions inherent in American sports.At
the end of the semester, he shyly and proudly presents his work
to his professor,who suggests that young Mitch should consider
graduate school. Although Albom admits he is attracted to the
idea, he declines.
Chapter 11 Summary
In “The Audiovisual, Part Two,” Ted Koppel from the television
program Nightline returns to talk to Morrie. The first episode
had gone so well that the producers decided to do a second
program. This time, the process is different. Koppel and Morrie
are warmer and do not need to check each other out before the
interview. They begin talking to each otherabout their
childhoods before moving on to more dire topics.
Koppel comments that Morrie is looking much the same as he
did during their first meeting. However, Morrie explains that he
is getting worse however much he might look and sound the
same. In their previous interview, Morrie explained that he
dreaded having to need someone to “wipe [his] ass” because it
would make him dependent.However, he has since made his
peace with this and now dreads losing control of his hands and
his voice. He suggests that losing the ability to swallow would
be minor in comparison because he could still be fed through a
tube, but it is by using his hands and his voice—his tools to
communicate—that he gives to people. When Koppel asks what
Morrie will do after this happens,Morrie, ever the optimist,
suggests that he will have people ask him yes-or-no questions.
Morrie also shares that his friend of 35 years, Maurie Stein (who
collected his aphorisms and passed themon to the Boston
Globe), is now going deaf. When Koppel asks how they will
eventually communicate—with one person deaf and the other
mute—Morrie says they will hold hands because a friendship of
such depth expresses love without words. Morrie admits that
there are times when he feels despair, but his relationships make
him feel happy.
Since their first interview, Morrie has received a great deal of
mail. One of the letters came from a teacher in Pennsylvania
who has nine students who have all lost parents.Morrie reads
from his response,in which he shares his experience of losing
his mother at a young age, but he breaks down in tears. When
asked whether he still feels so much pain after nearly seventy
years without her, Morrie says that he does: although Morrie’s
response to his illness is brave and of value, death is not a trivial
part of life.
Chapter 12 Summary
Albom explains in “The Professor” how Morrie’s childhood
experiences with death led him to become a professor.“The
Professor” is among the saddest chapters in Tuesdays With
Morrie for its description of childhood loss and life in poverty.
Morrie’s mother died when he was still young.Morrie was the
son of a Russian immigrant who spoke little English, so he had
to read a hospital telegram that announced his mother’s death to
his father. Furthermore, after Morrie took his youngerbrother,
David, out to scrub porches for nickels, David woke up the next
morning unable to move. He had polio, and Morrie naively
blamed himself for his brother’s illness. It was a dark time in
Morrie’s life, and he spent a great deal of time at the synagogue
praying to God to care for his mother and to protect his brother.
Morrie’s father remarried while David was still sick. Eva was a
Romanian immigrant who had the energy of two women. She
pushed Morrie to do well in schoolbecause she saw education as
the way out of the poverty they lived in. Eva was kind and
caring, though some nights she was only able to serve the family
bread for supper.When David had recuperated, Morrie’s father
was determined that David should grow up thinking that Eva
was his real mother. Consequently,Morrie was not allowed to
discuss his mother and only had the telegram announcing her
death to remind him of her.
As a teenager, Morrie’s father tried to get work for his son at a
fur factory. Albom explains how horrified Morrie felt at seeing
the factory floor with a supervisoryelling at the workers. He
determined never to work in any industry that exploits others.
He also ruled out law, because he did not like lawyers, and
medicine, because he could not stand blood. Albom concludes
that the greatest professorhe ever had ironically settled upon
teaching as a career “by default.”
Albom closes the chapter with a quote from Henry James: “a
teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence
stops.” If Eva was correct that an education is a way out of
poverty,perhaps James’ statement suggests that teaching allows
people to give to others even after they have died. By writing
Tuesdays With Morrie, Albom is demonstrating the truth of
James’s claim.
Chapter 13 Summary
In “The Fourth Tuesday: We Talk About Death,” Morrie
responds to Albom’s request that they discuss death.Morrie’s
continued decline is reflected by the addition of an oxygen
machine to his office. The rest of America’s culture is noticeably
out of sync with the peace Morrie feels: O. J. Simpson’s lawyers
are becoming famous and a woman has murdered her family to
protect them from “the bad people.” In contrast to all of this,
Albom continues to find solace in the company of his former
professor.

According to Morrie, most people do not believe that they will
die. In fact, he claims that even in his sixties he was unable to
believe in his own death.However, he says there is a betterway:
“once you learn how to die, you learn how to live.” When asked
how one can achieve this, he cites Buddhist monks (Albom
explains in passing that Morrie is a “religious mutt” who
incorporates aspects from many religions into his life) who ask a
little bird on their shoulderwhether today is their last day alive.
Morrie claims that this philosophy brings life into focus and
helps people ignore distractions.
Morrie predicts that his student will find this maxim difficult to
embrace. In fact, he warns Albom that he may find himself less
ambitious in his work if he learns how to die and how to live. He
also predicts that Albom will find all of this discussion of
spirituality too “touchy feely.” However, he maintains that there
is something missing from people’s day-to-day life and that he
has the ability to feel the power and beauty of the season’s
changing in a way Albom does not.
“We Talk About Death” includes a brief scene in which
Morrie’s sons,Rob and Jon, are home and helping Morrie
answer the letters he has received since appearing on Nightline
with Ted Koppel. At this point, Morrie’s handwriting is all but
illegible to anyone but himself, so his sons write as their father
dictates letters. Morrie encourages people to find the “healing
power” of grieving. Throughout all of these exchanges, it is clear
that Morrie has an unusualcapacity to feel the pain of others
around him.
In previous chapters,the final scene has been devoted to past
experiences shared between Albom and his professorduring the
author’s college years. Now Albom begins to share brief
vignettes of his and Morrie’s final time together. In this scene,
they discuss the baseball player Lou Gehrig who, like Morrie,
died of ALS. Morrie quotes Gehrig’s famous farewell speech in
which he declared, “today,I feel like the luckiest man on the
face of the earth.” At this point, Albom points out,“the disease
owns” Morrie, who at the end of the chapterdeclines to agree
with Gehrig’s sentiment.
Chapter 14 Summary
In “The Fifth Tuesday:We Talk About Family,” Morrie’s illness
continues to worsen. Albom emphasizes this by explaining that
the tape recorder he had begin to bring to their meetings no
longer works well because its microphone is too heavy for
Morrie to hold. Now they use a microphone that clips onto
Morrie’s loose sweater. The sweater is so loose that Albom
sometimes has to readjust it, which Morrie likes because he now
craves physical contact on a regular basis.
When they begin to discuss the importance of family, Albom is
really concerned about his relationships with his own family. At
this point, Albom has concentrated on his career to the exclusion
of everything else. He views parenting as a sort of anchorthat
will restrict his freedom. However, seeing how much Morrie has
enjoyed the affection of his family, which is displayed in photos
on the walls around him, Albom begins to wonder what it would
be like to be old and alone. He wonders, would it not be
unbearably lonely? Furthermore, Morrie suggeststhat family is
the only foundation upon which people can build their lives.
They next begin to compare their families. Both Morrie and
Albom have youngerbrothers,but their relationships with their
brothers are very different. Mitch Albom explains that he has
always been different from his youngerbrother. He had dark
hair, got good grades,and avoided alcohol and drugs.His
brother was the exact opposite and upon growing up moved to
Europe so he could live a more relaxed lifestyle. After their
uncle died, Albom threw himself into his work to get a sense of
control over his life before he might likewise die of cancer.
However, it ended up being his brother who was diagnosed with
cancer—pancreatic cancer, the same rare form their uncle died
of.
Albom’s brother was able to battle his cancer into remission but
chose to do so alone. He cut himself off from his family and
rarely answered their messages.Now, Albom finds himself
wondering about his relationship with his youngerbrother. He
suspects that Morrie is aware of his student’s inner turmoil and
that their sessions may have an impact on the Albom brothers’
relationship.
Albom closes the chapter reminiscing about a time that he and
his brother were tobogganing in winter. Plunging down the hill,
one brotheron top of the other, they suddenly realized that a car
was coming and that they had to roll off the sled. They nearly
died together. As adults,one of them has battled cancer and they
barely speakto each other.
Chapter 15 Summary
Throughout Tuesdays With Morrie, Mitch Albom has struggled
to face his emotions, often dismissing them as too touchy-feely.
In contrast,Morrie has often been very open about his emotions
and has been encouraging Albom to put more effort into facing
his emotional side. In “The Sixth Tuesday:We Talk About
Emotions,” Morrie tries to teach Albom about emotional
detachment and emotional penetration.
Like most chapters,“The Sixth Tuesday” opens as Albom
arrives at Morrie’s house with his usual bag of food. Today,it is
not one of Morrie’s nurses that answers the door but rather
Morrie’s wife, Charlotte. In accordance with Morrie’s wishes,
she has continued to work throughout Morrie’s illness, and
Albom rarely sees her during his visits. She is still working, but
it is clear to Albom that she is unnerved by her husband’s
illness, particularly because Morrie seems to be getting so ill that
it is a struggle for him to meet with Albom. However, she
reassures Albom that he should stay because Morrie seems to
derive a sense of purpose from their Tuesdays together.Morrie
describes their meetings as his last project. Charlotte sadly
informs Albom that no one has been able to eat the food that he
has been bringing each week. Morrie has been too ill to eat solid
food for some time. Albom admits that he was only trying to
help and Charlotte informs him that it is his presence that helps
Morrie, not the food. This scene illustrates Albom’s struggle to
deal with his emotions.
When he meets with Morrie this morning, he is distraught to find
his mentor in such a weakened condition. He is also surprised to
hear Morrie say that he has been working on detaching himself
from his emotions. Albom suggests that this detachment sounds
like what he does,particularly when he dismisses his emotions
as touchy-feely. Morrie explains that people must first
experience their emotions so thoroughly that they are penetrated
by the emotions. Albom has been afraid of his emotions and has
not allowed them to penetrate them. For Morrie, who is more in
touch with his emotions, it is important to detach from his
emotions because if he dies in a coughing fit he does not want to
feel horror. Instead, he wants to feel at peace.
Albom asks his mentor about reincarnation. Morrie has decided
that if he could come back as anothercreature, he would like to
be a gazelle. At first, Albom is incredulous. However, looking at
Morrie’s disease-ravaged legs—a loss of mobility that is slowly
spreading to the rest of his body—Albom begins to see why a
fast, free gazelle would appeal to his old professor.
Chapter 16 Summary
In “The Professor, Part One,” Albom explained how a series of
childhood encounters with death and disease shaped Morrie’s
desire to help others and why he went on to choose to become a
professor.In “The Professor, Part Two,” Albom summarizes
Morrie’s early career and the influence of the 1960s, and he
contrasts Morrie’s worth with that of highly paid lawyers and
businessmen.

After completing his doctorate at the University of Chicago,
Morrie did a study in a mental hospitalin the 1950s. Although
this seems routine today,Albom points out that it was a
breakthrough idea in the 1950s. Albom outlines the challenges
that staff faced at the mental hospital, ranging from people who
soiled their pants to people who refused to eat. At first, Morrie
observed the day-to-day social interactions at the hospitaland
took notes; overtime he also began to help people. Albom
focuses on one story in which a woman would spend the entire
day with body and face pressed against the floor. Morrie began
to spend time with this woman and eventually convinced her to
sit up and to return to her room during the day. Morrie
discovered that the woman wanted someone to acknowledge her.
When Albom challenges his mentor that he is too influenced by
the 1960s, Morrie responds that the ‘60s were a good time,
especially compared to the decades that followed. Albom relates
how Morrie and the sociology department not only taught their
courses but also became politically active. For example, because
poor grades could cause students to be drafted into the army to
fight in the Vietnam War, Albom and his colleagues determined
to award all students A grades.Albom’s understanding that
people want to be acknowledged and cared for also helped him
negotiate peace between opposing factions at his university and
in the conflicted society as well. Albom notes that Morrie
always managed to negotiate a lasting peace. Not coincidentally,
Albom’s newspaperis still on strike, and the two sides seemto
be struggling to reach a compromise.
Albom closes “The Professor, Part Two” with an
acknowledgement that Morrie’s teachings were not based on
career skills. He also predicts that some readers would balk at
Morrie’s success in teaching because his students did not go on
to earn vast sums of money. For Morrie, and increasingly for
Albom, the values of these careerists are misguided. Albom
concludes that the value of Morrie’s teaching can be seen in the
hundreds of students who visited him during his illness.
Chapter 17 Summary
“The Seventh Tuesday:We Talk About the Fear of Aging”
opens with anotherloss for Morrie. His great dread—relying on
others to wipe his behind—has finally come to pass.Morrie
cannot reach around behind his body anymore and he must rely
on his nurses to clean him. However, as Morrie predicted in
“The First Tuesday:We Talk About the World,” he is able to
accept this latest inability by viewing it as a return to childhood.
Morrie has discussed his need to give to people, but now he is
focused on receiving. What he receives is the physical touch and
intimacy that children receive from their mothers. Morrie argues
that people do not get enough love as children, and he in
particular did not because he lost his mother at a young age.
Albom concludes that Morrie’s determination to remain positive
and focused on the joys of life is brave.
Their conversation turns to aging. Albom outlines the way youth
is portrayed in advertising. After all, no model on a billboard can
pass for more than thirty-five. For Albom, it has come to the
point that he is ashamed to admit how hold he is, and he is
driven to work out and constantly watch his weight. It seems that
there is no place in society for the middle aged, not to mention
the elderly. Morrie’s response is that the obsession with youth is
an illusion. He points out that there are many difficulties with
being young,particularly the sense that one is constantly being
used and manipulated due to a lack of experience and self-
knowledge. Furthermore, Morrie points out that no matter how
much people try not to age, they cannot stop time from passing.
Therefore, the obsession with fighting one’s age is misguided
and causes people to lose focus on living their lives to the
fullest.
Usually Albom is quick to endorse his mentor’s views, but he
challenges Morrie on this point. He cannot help but feel that
Morrie must envy people who are young and healthy, especially
given the advanced stage ofthe illness. However, Morrie
responds that while he may envy the health of others,he prefers
to think that people are given a time to live their age. He has had
his time to be in his thirties and he made the most of that age.
Now it is his time to be in his seventies,an age that gives him
insight into all ages he has lived through up to this point. Morrie
maintains that people who complain about their age or spend too
much time complaining about their lost youth are revealing that
they are not using their time well and that they are unsatisfied
with the way they are living their lives.
The chapter closes with a short verse from W. H. Auden,
Morrie’s favorite poet.
Chapter 18 Summary
“The Eighth Tuesday:We Talk About Money” opens with the
headline “I don’t want my tombstone to read ‘I never owned a
network.’” The newspaperis quoting billionaire Ted Turner,
who had been struggling to acquire CBS at the time. Albom
finds himself wondering whether Turner would really lament his
lack of a network if he were facing death as Morrie was at the
end of his life. Morrie explains that this is yet another symptom
of the way American culture has lost sight of what is important.
This lack of perspective explains why people tend to be so
disillusioned about their lives.
Morrie explains that the American culture is unduly influenced
by the need to acquire commercial goods,and he explains that
constant advertising has led people to think that “more is good.”
He shares how people constantly bragged to him about their new
cars and their new acquisitions,but these things are merely
substitutions forwhat is really important. Unfortunately, Morrie
explains:
You can’t substitute material things for love or for gentleness or
for tenderness orfor a sense of comradeship.
For Morrie, who knows he is dying, material things are not what
he wants or needs.
Morrie, who has always enjoyed dancing and music, now finds it
more moving than ever before. Looking around Morrie’s office,
Albom notes that his mentor has not bought anything new since
his illness. Although there are no new possessions in the house,
Albom feels that the house has changed because it is now “filled
with friendship and family and honesty and tears.” Perhaps the
most satisfying thing of all, Morrie argues, is the ability to “offer
others what you have to give,” a statement that recalls Morrie’s
interview with Ted Koppel in which he revealed his fear of
losing his voice.
Albom considers his attempts to impress rich athletes and
realizes how misguided these attempts are. Morrie suggeststhat
trying to impress the rich is pointless because they will look
down on the poor anyway. Conversely, trying to impress the
poor using one’s wealth will only cause them to feel envy. The
only way to help them is to give what you have to offer. The
chapter concludes with a return to Ted Turner’s tombstone;
Morrie finds it a little disappointing that Ted Turner’s life has
been about something as frivolous as a television network.
The chapter closes with a quote about rebirth from Mahatma
Gandhi.
Chapter 19 Summary
In “The Ninth Tuesday:We Talk About how Love Goes On,”
the summer has ended and autumn has begun. Albom’s
newspaperis still on strike and the process has stagnated.
Meanwhile, televised news is still broadcasting depressing
stories.The primary concern for most Americans has become
the O. J. Simpson trial. Meanwhile, Albom explains that he had
been trying to contact his brother in Spain. Morrie’s health has
continued to worsen, and he now has a catheter in his penis,

which allows him to urinate. While he cannot control his legs,
they still give him pain. Finally, he can no longer move his head.
Morrie explains that Ted Koppel and Newsline are thinking
about doing a third interview. However, Albom is irritated to
learn that they want to wait a little longer before doing the
interview. Morrie acknowledges that the show might be trying to
create a little extra drama, but he is also using the networks to
spread his message. He explains that he does not feel that he will
be forgotten after his death because he has managed to reach so
many people during his illness. In particular, he feels that as
long as Albom can hear his voice, he will live on; this suggests
that Morrie’s legacy is centered on his final message.Morrie
shares that he has decided what he wants to write on his
tombstone.Unlike Ted Turner, who declared that he did not
want to have “I never owned a network” written on his
tombstone,Morrie, would like to have “A Teacher to the Last”
written on his tombstone.
The conversation turns to paying attention to people. Albom
admits that he appreciates the way Morrie responds to his
presence.Morrie explains that he believes in being fully present
and engaged in his present company rather than being distracted.
Albom recalls a Brandeis University class with Morrie, Group
Process.At the time, the class had not impressed Albom because
it did not seemimportant to learn how to pay attention to people.
Now, with Morrie so close to dying, it would not be surprising if
he were to focus on his own problems. Instead, he takes the time
to talk to Albom, and Albom values this gift.
Morrie discusses the difference between making small talk and
really listening to people. Albom observes that Morrie is like the
father everyone wishes they had. Morrie explains that he lost his
own father prematurely. Charlie Schwartz was mugged; after
giving up his wallet, he ran all the way to a relative’s house,
where he died of a heart attack. Morrie had to identify the body.
He found himself conflicted between grief and anger over
having to pretend that his stepmother, Eva, was his biological
mother. Morrie is determined to die in a way that is full of love
and compassion.
The chapter closes with a statement about the Desana, a tribe
from the South American rainforest. They believe there is a
constant amount of energy in the universe that flows among all
creatures. Therefore, all deaths and births are linked together
through the transfer of this energy. Both Albom and Morrie
admire this outlook.
Chapter 20 Summary
In “The Tenth Tuesday:We Talk About Marriage,” Morrie has
continued to decline. He now requires oxygen to be supplied to
his lungs,his coughing has become frightening, and Albom
cannot help remembering Morrie’s prediction that he would die
when the disease started to affect his lungs.Albom brings his
wife, Janine, to meet Morrie after the two of them talk briefly on
the phone.As Morrie looks at their wedding photos,he shares a
story from his time teaching in Detroit when he allowed a
surgeon to watch him teach.In return, he watched the doctor
operate on a woman. Just as the surgery began,Morrie had to
leave because he could not stand the sight of blood. Yet now,
Albom reflects, Morrie is enduring ALS.
Morrie and Janine talk. Janine is a professionalsinger, and she is
usually shy about singing casually for people. Surprisingly, she
sings a Ray Noble song that was popular in the 1930s for
Morrie, which leads Albom to reflect how effectively Morrie
causes people to drop their emotional guard and to share with
him. Furthermore, Albom finds that Morrie is able to appreciate
his wife’s singing on a level that he cannot.Albom goes on to
discuss marriage.
What Albom has observed is that marriages in America are
breaking up so often that it has become commonplace to
encountermarried men out with women who are not their wives.
Morrie laments that marriages seem to be failing in a culture
where people so rarely encounterreal love. He explains that
many people do not know what they want from their
relationships or do not know how to take part in a real
relationship. In contrast,Albom notes,Morrie and his wife,
Charlotte, have been married for forty-four years. When Albom
asks whether there is a way to tell whether a marriage will work,
Morrie says things are not that simple. However, he suggests
that respect, compromise, and common values are important.
Morrie concludes that everyone should strive to marry. Morrie
concludes with one of his favorite quotes:“love each other or
perish.”
At the end of the chapter, Albom suggests that Morrie is like the
Biblical figure Job. Job’s faith was tested when God took away
his house,money, health, and his family. When asked about his
thoughts on God’s testing of Job, Morrie concludes with a smile
that “God overdid it.”
Chapter 21 Summary
“The Eleventh Tuesday:We Talk About Our Culture” opens
with Albom hitting Morrie’s back. By beating his professor’s
back, Albom can help prevent the poison in Morrie’s body from
solidifying. Ultimately, Morrie is dangerously close to choking
to death as the ALS begins to close in on his lungs. Although
these are disheartening moments for Albom, they reveal the
extent to which he has changed since he first started visiting
Morrie. Before, Albom kept his emotions inside and felt
awkward focusing on his feelings. Now, he and Morrie often
hold hands,and he has taken on more therapeutic
responsibilities.
Morrie and Albom begin to discuss American culture, how it
affects people, and how people affect it. Although Morrie
believes that people are essentially good,he is aware of what
people could be driven to do. Essentially, people are most likely
to do wrong when they feel threatened.Morrie points out that
America’s obsession with money drives them to feel threatened
about their jobs even when they are employed. As a result, there
is a potential for a vicious circle of negativity.
Morrie’s solution is for people to form their own subculture.
Although he does not advocate overthrowing society or rebelling
against the law, Morrie does recommend that people consider
the big picture, like how people think and what they value.
These principles and values cannot be determined by anyone but
the person who holds them. Morrie argues that people are made
to feel embarrassed about their income or their weight because
society tells them to feel that way, but there is nothing inherently
embarrassing about being overweight, and Morrie uses the
“indignities” he has suffered as an example.
The O. J. Simpson trial, which has proceeded in the background
throughout Tuesdays With Morrie and which has served as an
example of America’s misguided values, is concluded.Although
the media has dubbed the case “the trial of the century,” Albom
finds that he cares very little about the final result (in contrast to
Morrie’s nurse, Connie, who says “Oh my God!” when she hears
the verdict is not guilty). Albom underscores how trivial it is by
writing:
As “The Trial of the Century” reached its dramatic conclusion,
my old professorwas sitting on the toilet.
The chapter closes with an anecdote from 1979. While watching
a basketball game, the crowd chants,“We’re number 1!”
Frustrated, Morrie responds,“What’s wrong with being number
2?” Albom recalls that this gesture silenced the crowd and
describes how Morrie felt “triumphant.”
Chapter 22 Summary

In “The Audiovisual, Part 3,” Morrie once again meets with Ted
Koppel for Nightline.The chapteris noteworthy for how it
differs from the previous “Audiovisual” entries. Of course,
Morrie’s disease has significantly progressed since the first
interview, conducted just six months earlier. Now Morrie can
barely raise his arm, and he only changes his clothes every other
day—he does not change his clothes for the interview because it
is not held on the “other day.” When they first met, Koppel and
Morrie were somewhat suspicious ofeach other, but now they
are quite close. Koppel worries that Morrie will be unable to
complete the interview and says that he would come to say
“goodbye” no matter what. However, Morrie says he is willing
to do the interview, though they will have to hold it in his office,
a room so small that the cameraman struggles to keep Koppel in
the camera’s range of vision.
Morrie and Koppel discuss Stephen Hawking, another sufferer
of ALS who became famous for his work in physics and for his
book A Brief History of Time. Hawking is also famous for the
apparatuses by which he communicates; he relies on a computer
to speakfor him. Morrie, however, does not wish to live like
this, arguing that his voice and his ability to respond to people
are key to his identity. Morrie feels that when his ability to
communicate naturally is gone, “Morrie is gone.” His latest
aphorism is “don’t let go too soon,but don’t hang on too long.”
Koppel once again asks Morrie about what Albom here refers to
as the “ass wipe test.” Unfortunately, Morrie is not strong
enough to be playful with this question.At this point, he can no
longer sit up straight while using the washroom. In short,Morrie
is aware that he is nearing the end of his illness and that he will
soon pass on.After the interview ends,the camera keeps rolling
and Morrie is heard to say that although ALS is taking his body,
it cannot take his spirit. He says that he feels he is negotiating
with God about the afterlife. Albom closes the chapterby noting
that “it was the first time Morrie admitted talking to God.”
Morrie’s final piece of advice for his televised audience is to
encourage people to act with compassion,and he also includes
his favorite quote from Auden: “Love each other or die.”
Chapter 23 Summary
“The Twelfth Tuesday:We Talk About Forgiveness” opens
with Albom massaging Morrie’s ankles. Although Morrie cannot
move his legs, they still give him pain. Albom is grateful to be
able to alleviate that pain through massage. Although it might
once have bothered him to touch Morrie, he has overcome his
inhibitions and would now do anything to please his old
professor.
Morrie is eager to tell Albom about the importance of
forgiveness.His latest aphorismis “Forgive yourself before you
die. Then forgive others.” Morrie illustrates his point by pointing
to a bronze bust in his study.Albom has never noticed the
sculpture before, but it actually a bust of Morrie in his 40s.
Morrie explains that he spent weeks posing for the sculpture
while his friend Norman made it in his basement. Albom notices
that Norman captured Morrie’s whimsical spirit. Morrie explains
that although the sculpture represents how close he and Norman
were to each other, they later fell out. Morrie’s wife, Charlotte,
was seriously ill and hospitalized; although Norman knew, he
never phoned to ask after her. Consequently,Morrie and
Charlotte not only dropped the relationship but Morrie also
rebuffed Norman’s attempts to apologize and restore the
relationship. Now, however, Morrie finds himself wracked with
guilt for not having renewed their friendship before Norman
died of cancer.
Morrie instructs Albom to forgive himself and others before he
dies because not everyone will be lucky enough to know when
their time is coming. Morrie offers a new and more positive
interpretation of the “tension of opposites.” Up to this point, it
has referred to the value conflicts that divide Albom. Morrie
explains:
I mourn my dwindling time, but I cherish the chance that it gives
me to make things right.
He concludes his session on forgiveness by telling Albom that if
he could have had a third son,he would have wanted it to be
Mitch. Although Albom at first wonders whether he is being
disloyal to his own father, he discards the concern.
The chapter concludes with an anecdote in which Morrie
explains where he wants to be buried. His preference is to be
buried on a hill, under a tree, in front of a lake. Furthermore, he
invites Morrie to continue visiting him to tell him his problems.
Even if he cannot respond,Morrie promises that he will “give
what I can.”
Chapter 24 Summary
Morrie has begun talking to his Rabbi and family about how to
deal with his remains. Morrie has determined that he would like
to be cremated, though he jokes that he does not want to be
overcooked. The Rabbi is shocked, but Albom interprets this
joke as evidence that Morrie had come to identify primarily with
his spirit and perceive that his body is just a container. Morrie
and Albom go on to discuss howpeople are scared to look at
corpses,almost to the point that you would think they were
contagious.As evidence, Morrie points out that in hospitals,
after people die, the bodies are quickly covered in a sheet,
wheeled away, and sent down a chute. Morrie explains that
death should be viewed as a natural part of life.
Morrie shares an experience from the previous night in which he
had nearly coughed to death. Rather than feeling horror, he felt
at peace once he realized that he felt that he could cross a bridge
to anotherreality. Morrie explains that all people want to reach a
point where they feel that they are at peace with death. Morrie
argues that if people can make peace with the fact that they will
die, then they can move on to the realization that all of the love
they created in life will remain after they die. He concludes that
“death ends a life, not a relationship.”
A recent drug has been developed to alleviate, if not cure, ALS,
but it will not be in place soon enough to save Morrie. However,
it prompts Albom to ask what Morrie would do if he had twenty-
four hours of perfect health, or a “perfect day.” After a
moment’s thought,Morrie determines that he would do his
exercises, eat well, swim, and spend time exchanging sentiments
with his friends. At first it strikes Albom as a painfully average
day, but he afterward realizes that this is exactly the point
Morrie is trying to make. In these simple pursuits,true happiness
can be found. The obsession with wealth and success are not part
of Morrie’s vision for happiness.
Their last discussion ofthe day refers to Albom’s brother, who is
battling pancreatic cancer. Albom and his brotherare not as
close as Albom would like. Morrie explains that Albom needs to
respect his brother’s space and that relationships need to be
negotiated.However, he encourages Albomto find a way to
reach his brother.
The final anecdote briefly presents a story about a wave that is
afraid to crash into the ocean—only to realize that it is already a
part of the ocean.
Chapter 25 Summary
Most of the chapters in Tuesdays With Morrie begin with a
discussion ofMorrie’s declining health. However, in “The
Fourteenth Tuesday:We Say Goodbye,” there are no new
machines or nurses in Morrie’s home. Rather, when Albom
receives a call from Morrie’s wife, Charlotte, Albom learns that
Morrie has reached his final days.The gravity of this final stage
is emphasized when Albom arrives at Morrie’s home and finds

that his mentor is not even in the study.He is in bed, has been
cancelling the appointments he holds so dear, and has been
sleeping a great deal.
Albom, perhaps not wanting to admit the extent to which
Morrie’s illness has changed for the worse, enters the bedroom
with his tape recorder and tapes.However, he realizes his
impotence when he reflects, “I always had tapes.” They will not
save Morrie. Albom goes on to reflect that he will not be taping
any conversations during this visit. Instead,as the chapter title
suggests,they will be saying goodbye.
Albom does not know how to say goodbye.Morrie, ever the
teacher, explains that the trick is to express one’s love for the
other. Although he is extremely ill and weak, Morrie expresses
how much his time with Albom has meant to him. He tells
Albom that he has a good soul and that they have always loved
each other. Morrie has long joked that he would try to break
through Albom’s shell of not expressing emotions; in “We Say
Goodbye,” Albom finds himself crying as he kisses Morrie
goodbye.
Although most of the chapters in Tuesdays With Morrie end with
a brief anecdote or a quote from a poem, this chapterhas no
additional content to add context or a sense of conclusion to the
interview. Instead,it emphasizes Albom’s last exchange with
Morrie. Albom jokes that he will expect to see Morrie in better
shape the following week, to which Morrie whispers in reply,
“Okay, then.”
Conclusion Summary
Morris (Morrie) Schwartz died on November 4th, a Saturday
morning. His family had all managed to return to see and be
with him during his last days.His son Rob had to travel from
Tokyo, but he did, which is a testament to the closeness of
Morrie’s family. When all of the family members briefly left his
room—for a coffee and for the first time in days—Morrie
stopped breathing and passed on.Albom suggests that Morrie
died this way intentionally so that no one would have to witness
his final moments in the way he had been forced to deliver his
mother’s death-notice telegram as a child. Although Morrie had
feared he would die horribly, he was fortunate enough to pass
serenely.
At the start of Tuesdays With Morrie, Albom explains that the
“graduation” of Morrie’s last course was his funeral. As
Morrie’s ashes were covered with dirt, in the hill within which
Morrie had wanted to be buried, Albom found himself recalling
Morrie’s instruction to visit his grave—“You talk, I’ll listen.” As
Albom tries to do this, he finds that his relationship with Morrie
does endure. Albom notes that perhaps one reason their
connection endures is because the “graduation” was held on a
Tuesday.
As Albom concludes his memoir, he explains that he has
overcome some of the personal conflicts that drove him to seek
out Morrie. The conflicts are not material or related to The
Detroit Free Press writer’s strike. Albom has largely overcome
the difficulties he has with emotions that prevent him from
engaging in his life and in his relationships. It seems that with
his graduation complete, he has managed to learn “life’s greatest
lesson,” which is about the importance of love and relationships.
Albom explains how he reaches out to his brother, who is
battling cancer in Spain. Albom expresses his desire to be closer
to his brotherso he can “hold him in my life as much as he could
let me.” His brother responds by fax with a note that is written
with humor and anecdotes.
The final paragraphs in Tuesdays With Morrie explain that the
memoir was actually Morrie’s idea. The advance on the text
allowed Morrie to pay his extensive medical bills. However, the
book also allows Morrie’s teachings on the meaning of life to
continue after his death.The novel closes with a reference to the
ongoing impact of Morrie’s wisdom represented in Tuesdays
With Morrie. In Albom’s words, “the teaching goes on.”
Themes
The central theme in Tuesdays With Morrie is, of course,death.
In recounting his meetings with Morrie Schwartz during the
final weeks of his life, the authorchronicles the inexorable and
merciless destruction of a human body with unflinching honesty.
Morrie, who sixteen years earlier had been a vibrant doctorof
sociology, the man who would dance with idiosyncratic abandon
at a church in Harvard Square, has been stricken with
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, an incurable disease which
insidiously destroys the neurological system, leaving the body a
useless shell. Morrie's decline begins with asthma, which he
contracts in his sixties; when he reaches his seventies,the
formerly vigorous man is having trouble walking. By the time of
his first interview with Ted Koppel and his reunion with Mitch
Albom, Morrie is confined to a wheelchair and must be lifted
from chair to bed and bed to chair. During the fourteen Tuesdays
of their last "class" together,Mitch notes with sadness the
progression of his professor's decline - the point at which he can
no longer eat, no longer use the commode, no longer speakfor
any length of time, no longer get out of bed. Even though the
author, with Morrie's guidance, learns to accept death as a
natural thing not to be feared, he makes it clear that though death
which is met with dignity and serenity is endowed with an aura
of nobility, there is no way around the fact that the ultimate
demise of the physical body is a messy and unpleasant process.
Although Tuesdays With Morrie is the story of the death of a
human being, its focus is paradoxically less about death than it is
a call to life. For Morrie, accepting the fact that one might die at
any time is the key to living well. Facing death,one sees things
differently, and is able to focus on what is essential in life.
Instead of blindly trying to amass the material things which are
purported to bring happiness,one is drawn instead to appreciate
and nurture those elements in life that bring true satisfaction -
nature, and giving, and loving other people. Morrie stresses that
modern culture, with its emphasis on youth and acquisitiveness,
actually devalues life, in the worst-case scenario making it a
kind of living death. Instead of seeing the passing of youth as a
calamity, Morrie looks upon it as an opportunity for growth, and
he counsels that while preoccupation with material rewards
brings only frustration and emptiness, it is its opposite,giving
freely of one's self, which bestows life with meaning. In his final
days,Morrie celebrates life with an intensity made possible
through the heightened awareness that comes only when one is
completely at peace with the undeniable inevitability of death. It
is significant that when Mitch asks him what he would do if he
could be healthy again for twenty-four hours,Morrie describes
an ordinary day spent fellowshipping and relaxing with friends.
The fact that he could find such perfection in the simple acts of
daily living gives testimony to a life fulfilled.
In its exploration of life and death, Tuesdays With
Morrie becomes most of all a celebration of relationships. From
the very first class Mitch takes as a college student with Morrie,
he is impressed with the value his professorplaces upon human
interaction. Morrie takes a genuine interest in his students as
individuals, giving of his time to listen to and encourage them,
to get to know them and call them friends. Determined not to
emulate his own father who chose to isolate himself in life and
who died alone, Morrie intentionally fosters close relationships
throughout his life, entertaining a steady streamof beloved
acquaintances even when his final illness leaves him
housebound and immobile. Morrie loves people, and through
this love he finds ultimate meaning in life. It is true that to love
others with such complete abandon is a dangerous thing,
opening one up to the possibility of being hurt. In the final
analysis, the hardest part of dying for Morrie is the direct result
of the relationships he so nurtures; he dreads saying good-bye to
the ones he loves so deeply. Even so, to dare to love, and to give
of one's self unreservedly, is the only road to fulfillment in
Morrie's approach to living, and his message derives validity

through the very fact that, in life and death,he would have it no
other way.
Characters
Morrie Schwartz, the son of Russian-Jewish immigrants, grew
up in poverty in New York City. As a child he was no stranger
to tragedy; his mother died when he was only eight, and a year
later, his brother contracted polio. Morrie's father was a distant,
solitary soul, and for a time, Morrie felt the full weight of a child
growing up in a world devoid of affection. Fortunately, his
father remarried, and his new wife Eva provided the affirmation
and gentle guidance for which the sensitive young boy so
desperately yearned. Through Eva, Morrie learned how to love
and care, and to value education. When Morrie was old enough,
his father tried to get him a job in the fur factory where he
worked, but the boy was horrified by the sight of the employees
toiling feverishly in filthy conditions,cringing under the
harangues of the boss who screamed constantly at his
workers to move more quickly. Fortunately for young Morrie,
this happened during the Depression, and there was no work for
him. Evidencing the sense of humanity that would direct his life,
Morrie promised himself then and there that he would never take
part in any work that depended on the exploitation of others.
Morrie worked for awhile in a mental hospital before becoming
a teacher. There, he saw firsthand the devastating effects of
growing up in an environment devoid of compassion and love.
He became a professorof sociology at Boston's Brandeis
University during the turbulent sixties, and taught classes on
mental health and illness, social psychology,and "group
process," in which he emphasized human relationships over
scientific theory. Morrie introduced students to the things he
believed were important in life—finding meaning in silence,
learning to trust others,and seeking the intangible things which
bring contentment.
Morrie's lessons were effective because he lived what he taught.
He valued his students as individuals,and made them feel
important, making time to fellowship with one or another of
them after class or over lunch, to share ideas and discuss what
was on their minds. Throughout his life he enveloped himself in
a "cocoon of human activity," interacting with others without
reservation, feeling emotions deeply, and dancing unabashedly
to music only he could hear. When he received his sentence of
death, he continued his philosophy of living life to its fullest.
Determined not to die alone and detached like his father, he
surrounded himself with friends and family. Morrie actively
explored death as his "final project," and shared what he learned
so that others who would follow would know the way.
Mitch Albom was a freshman at Brandeis University when he
first met Morrie Schwartz. As a student in one of his classes,
Mitch was drawn by his professor's gentle attitude and the
respect with which he treated his students.Morrie showed
genuine interest in Mitch, penetrating the young man's facade of
toughness.The two would sometimes meet in the cafeteria just
to talk, and when the semester was over, Mitch signed up for
anotherof Morrie's classes,eventually taking every course he
ever taught.
Despite the informal atmosphere in Morrie's classes and the
"touchy-feely" nature of the material covered, Mitch soon
recognized that his favorite professorhad an insatiable passion
for books and was truly a scholar. During their frequent
discussions during his four years at Brandeis, Mitch, who
affectionately began to call Morrie "Coach," found that he could
express his concerns about life with Morrie in a way he never
could with his own father. Mitch's father wanted him to become
a lawyer, but Mitch, who was an accomplished pianist, wanted
to be a musician. When Mitch confided this information to
Morrie, his teacherwarned him that to succeed in his endeavor
would be extremely tough,but if he really wanted it, he would
make it work.
As it turned out, Mitch did not achieve his dream of being a
great pianist. He tried for awhile but became frustrated, and,
seized by a sense ofurgency to make something of his life as
quickly as possible after witnessing the death of a close relative,
earned a master's degree in journalism and became a
sportswriter. Mitch buried himself in his work, making "more
money than he had ever figured to see." He detached himself
from his emotions and cut himself off from all his old
acquaintances,forgetting everything he ever learned from his
professor,Morrie Schwartz.
Mitch was never sure why he felt compelled to rekindle his
relationship with Morrie when he saw him on television sixteen
years later. Knowing the direction his life had taken, he was
uncomfortable and ashamed. Morrie, however, received him
without censure, and with a quiet sympathy for the unhappiness
he sensed in his former student's life. Even so,life in the fast
land was so ingrained in Mitch's makeup that he might not have
returned after that first visit, except for a strike against the
newspaperwhich left him essentially unemployed. Having lost
the job from which he had derived his security and identity for
so many years, Mitch turned to his old professor,and so began
his last class with him. The lessons Mitch shared with Morrie
helped the young man to redirect his life when he needed it
most. By observing the gracious, honest,and courageous manner
in which Morrie faced his own death, Mitch was able to get back
in touch with his own emotions, feeling once again, and
becoming more fully human.
Literary Criticism and Significance
Tuesdays With Morrie is that rare piece of work which has both
depth of meaning and tremendous universal appeal. Deceptively
brief and easy to read, the book was on the New York Times Best
Sellers list for over two hundred weeks after its initial
publication in 1997. In the book, the author, Mitch Albom,
recounts his weekly meetings with his mentor Morrie Schwartz
over the final fourteen weeks of the old professor's life,
organizing the material appealingly like a course syllabus,
complete with descriptions of audiovisuals and an outline of
topics to be discussed during each class period. The author
intersperses brief flashbacks at regular intervals in the
framework, providing background for the two main characters—
himself and Morrie—so that the reader can better understand
their relationship. There is no grading involved in Morrie's last
class, in keeping with his philosophy of withholding judgement
upon others.Instead of a graduation ceremony, there is a funeral.
The tone of the book is intensely personal, and its format lends
itself to reader involvement. Mitch and Morrie reveal themselves
in simple dialogue and the reader quickly gets to know them as
friends.
Despite its simple presentation,however, the book's content is
deeply meaningful and significant. Mitch's portrayal of death
is in no way sugar-coated,and Morrie's philosophy of life goes
straight to the core of all that is important and true. The book has
been recognized for its realistic description of the dying process
and its sensitive delineation of the needs of the dying; because of
its skillful and in-depth handling of pertinent issues oflife and
death and its treatment of death as a natural act, Tuesdays With
Morrie has been recommended and used successfully as text
material in university-level courses on the subject of death and
dying. The book was made into a TV movie in 1999, and is
available on both videotape and DVD. The initial "Nightline"
interview between Ted Koppel and Morrie Schwartz which
brought Mitch and Morrie back together,as well as two
subsequent interviews,are also available for supplementary
viewing.
Summary

At his commencement from Brandeis University in 1979, Mitch
Albom promises his favorite teacher, Morrie Schwartz, that he
will keep in touch. Life intervenes, however, and Mitch loses
contact with his old mentor until sixteen years later, when he
sees him being interviewed by Ted Koppel on ABC's
"Nightline." Morrie has been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral
sclerosis, more commonly known as ALS, or Lou Gehrig's
disease.The disease will eat away at his nerves, rendering his
body useless but leaving his soul and mind intact. Although
doctors give him a prognosis of two years, Morrie knows it will
be less.
Mitch is stunned to see his old teacheron television. During the
years since his graduation, Mitch has tried but failed to make a
living as a musician. The death of a close relative instills in him
a sense of urgency to do something significant with his life,
and he turns to journalism as a career. Mitch works obsessively,
burying himself in accomplishments in a single-minded but
ultimately unsuccessfulpursuit of happiness. Because of his
frenetic lifestyle, Mitch has cut himself off from all his past
acquaintances,and forgotten the lessons Morrie had taught about
relationships and "being human." Seeing the dying man on
television rekindles old yearnings,however, and Mitch is drawn
to visit his former mentor.
Morrie greets Mitch with unqualified joy, but Mitch reacts with
feelings of guilt. Mitch is not the idealistic, sensitive young man
he had been when he was in college; he has become jaded,
having "traded lots of dreams for a bigger paycheck." Morrie
asks Mitch if he is at peace with himself, and Mitch can only
squirm uncomfortably in response.Morrie says that dying is
only one thing that brings sadness; living unhappily has the same
effect. His words strike a cord with the troubled young man, and,
upon returning from a short business trip, Mitch arranges to visit
Morrie again on Tuesday,in what essentially becomes the
opening session of the professor's last class,a class for one.
Mitch and Morrie slip easily back into their old manner of
college dialogue during their first Tuesday meeting. Observing
the havoc the disease is wreaking on Morrie's once vigorous
body,Mitch is astonished at the positivity his teacher shows in
facing his inexorable decline. Morrie calls death "the great
equalizer," because it allows him to better understand the
suffering of others.He is thankful to have been given the time to
reflect on the important things in life before he dies.
The topic of the second Tuesday class is self-pity. Morrie, who
has every reason to feel sorry for himself, tells Mitch that he
consciously imposes "a daily limit on self-pity," a few tearful
minutes in the mornings when he allows himself to mourn
before focusing on the good things in his life and carrying on
with his day. Mitch learns to lift Morrie from his wheelchair to
his recliner, and as he holds his mentor's wasted body,he knows
that for Morrie, time is truly running out.Mitch brings a tape
recorder to their third session,during which Morrie talks about
living without regret. Perhaps because of the imminence of his
own death, Morrie approaches subjects with a "mystical clarity
of thought," and Mitch wants to remember the wisdom he
imparts for as long as he can.
Morrie explores the topic of death more deeply in his fourth
session with Mitch. Borrowing freely from the philosophies of a
variety of religions, he stresses the importance of living as if
each day is one's last. Drawing from his own experience, he tells
Mitch, "Learn how to die, and you learn how to live." Morrie
pointedly applies what he is saying to Mitch's situation,
observing that people who have not accepted that they can die at
any time tend to get caught up by material ambitions which do
not satisfy them, rather than focusing on things that are truly
fulfilling. In their fifth and sixth sessions,Morrie and Mitch
discuss family and emotions. Morrie admits that without the
support of his family, the burden of his illness might be
impossible to bear. The love of family, to him, is even more
significant that that of friends because of the knowledge that
family will always be there for him. Morrie then addresses the
need to allow one's self to feel emotions fully, in order to
understand them. Having done this, one would then have the
capability of detaching one's self from them, and letting them go.
By the seventh Tuesday,Morrie has deteriorated to the point he
has most been dreading - someone must now wipe his behind for
him. With typical aplomb, he manages to remain positive, even
learning, like a child, to enjoy his dependency.The topic of the
day is the fear of aging. Morrie looks at aging as growth, not
decay, and, as he does with all things,embraces it. On the eighth
Tuesday,Morrie talks about money, and the way society
brainwashes people into believing that material things will make
them happy.Morrie emphasizes the falsehood of that
orientation, telling Mitch that true satisfaction comes from
sharing one's talents with others,and through giving from the
heart.
By the time of their ninth meeting, Morrie can only speak for
short periods without needing a rest,but he is determined to go
on. He talks about being fully present when with another. He
wants all his loved ones to be around him when he dies,
and desires to be remembered for his legacy of love. Mitch
brings his wife Janine to his tenth class with Morrie. Morrie,
who himself has been married for forty-four years, talks about
the sacredness ofmarriage and the basic rules of having a good
one - respect, the ability to compromise and talk openly with
one's spouse,and the sharing of a common set of values. Morrie
believes people are inherently good,but are corrupted by our
culture, which makes them feel threatened and so brings out
their meanness.In their eleventh session,Morrie stresses the
importance of creating one's own subculture,whose values are
more in line with what will bring contentment.Morrie talks
about the importance of forgiving others at his twelfth meeting
with Mitch. He also stresses the need to forgive one's self for
one's shortcomings. Addressing the tension of opposites,he says
that he mourns his "dwindling time," even as he cherishes
the opportunity he has been given to "make things right."
Finally, with uttertransparency,he tells Mitch that if he could
have had anotherson, he would have liked it to have been him.
Morrie is on oxygen by the time of the thirteenth Tuesday,and
relates that he had had a very bad spell the night before.
Thinking that his time had come, he discovers that he was
ready, and at peace. He tells Mitch that as long as people love
each other, they can die "without really going away." They live
on in the hearts of those whom they love, because "death ends a
life, not a relationship." By the fourteenth Tuesday, the end is
very near for Morrie. When Mitch arrives, Morrie is in bed, and
is almost too weak to speak. Mitch says good-bye,and is
brought to tears as he kisses his dear friend. Morrie dies four
days later, serenely, with his immediate family close by. Mitch
is present when Morrie's ashes are laid in the ground,and he
realizes, with quiet bemusement, that it is Tuesday.

Tuesdays with morrie - summary

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Tuesdays with morrie - summary