Chapter Summaries

Chapter 1- "The Curriculum"

Chapter one, “The Curriculum,” introduces the narrative structure of the opening chapters, the characters,
and the themes Mitch Albom discusses in Tuesdays With Morrie. Albom starts the book talking about the
last class of his professors life. As the only student, he explains, “[t]he subject was the Meaning of Life”.
He  flashes back to graduation day, and gives some background information on younger Morrie Schwartz.
Morrie was one of Albom’s favorite professors at Brandeis University. Albom introduces Morrie to his
parents and gives him a briefcase for a gift. They hug; and when he steps back, he can see that Morrie is
crying. 

Chapter 2- "The Syllabus"

In chapter 2, “The Syllabus” Mitch Albom presents more insight to Morrie’s character. Morrie knew his
health was failing when he could no longer dance. Morrie loved to dance to any music with or without a
partner. When he got to his seventies, breathing became harder, walking more challenging, and sleep
troubling; h began to see doctors and was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), which is
also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. The doctor told him he would eventually die.  When Morrie comes
out of the doctors office with the horrible news, he asks himself,  “do I wither up and disappear, or do I
make the best of my time left?” . He decides to continue living his life to the fullest and keep swimming,
with the help of a homecare worker, and even insists on spending his last year teaching at the University.
Chapter 3- "The Student"
In chapter 3, “The Student”, Albom explains what has happened to him since he last saw Morrie on his
college graduation day. Years after he promised to keep in touch, he admits, “I did not keep in touch”. He
forgot about all his college friends, and only occasionally thinks about Morrie. He moved to New York City
with high hopes of becoming a musician. However, after the death of his uncle he soon realized his life
was too short to waste time on unappreciated music. He decides to continue his education at Columbia
University, obtaining his Masters Degree in Journalism. He finds the first job available, a sports writer,
and writes about famous athletes. He moved from New York to Florida and eventually moved to Detroit.
In a few years, he is writing sports books,  hosting radio shows, and even appearing on TV. He meets his
current wife, Janine, and continues to work. It seems that Mitch was trying to make the most of his life by
accepting job after job, accomplishment after accomplishment. 
Chapter 4- "The Audiovisual"
In chapter 4, “The Audiovisual”, Morrie began writing “bite-sized philosophies about living with death's
shadow”. One of his fellow professors at Brandeis University sends them to a Boston Globe reporter and
a long article is written about Morrie and what he is facing. The article fascinated a producer of the
“Nightline”, a well-known talk show, and he contacts Ted Koppel, the most famous interviewer in America,
to see if he would like to talk to Morrie. One evening as Albom was flipping through the television
channels, he heard the voice of Ted Koppel ask, “[w]ho is Morrie Schwartz?”. The chapter then flashes
back to the first time Mitch met Morrie: it was their first class together in the spring of 1976. It was a small
class and Morrie asked Mitch what he preferred to be called. After telling Morrie that his friends call him
“Mitch”, Morrie told him that he hopes one day Albom will think of him as a friend. 
Chapter 5- "The Orientation"
In chapter 5, “The Orientation”, Albom arrives at Morrie’s house still on the phone with a producer about
one of his stories. He does not want to end the call so he pretends he is looking for something in his car.
Later, Albom feels guilty for ignoring his old professor and pretending to search for his keys. When Morrie
sees Albom, he hugs him with so much affection, after almost sixteen years of not seeing him. The two sit
in the house and Morrie begins to speak about his upcoming death. Albom states, “[a]lthough I was
unaware of it, our last class had just begun”. This chapter flashbacks to Albom’s college years; Mitch
nicknamed Morrie “Coach” and recalls the lunches they ate together in the cafeteria. 
Chapter 6- "The Classroom"
Albom and Morrie talk for over two hours that day, mostly about Morrie’s sickness. Albom begins to
wonder what happened to him, why he is nothing like he was when he was in college. When Morrie talks
about how popular he is because he is dying, Albom thinks, “[w]hat happened to me?”.  Morrie shows
Albom how weak he is by doing a easy breathing test. Mitch eventually leaves to catch his flight home
and hugs Morrie good-bye.  Albom goes back to when he was buying books on Morrie’s reading list. He
began appreciating the study of human relations and caught Morrie’s contagious passion for books. They
would often talk after class and he even talked to Morrie about how confusing his life is.
Chapter 7- "Taking Attendance"
A few weeks after his visit with Morrie, Mitch flies to London to cover Wimbledon. He notices the slough of
printed tabloids and hungry reporters around him. He thinks of Morrie and their conversation. “I
remembered what Morrie said during our visit: ‘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.’”
When Mitch arrives back in Detroit, the unions at his newspaper had gone on strike. Mitch was currently
out of his newspaper job. He called Morrie and the two agreed to meet again the following Tuesday. The
chapter then flashes back to Mitch’s sophomore year in college when he began to meet Morrie outside of
the classroom for discussions. Mitch talks to Morrie about his aspirations in life because Morrie listens,
unlike Mitch’s father who wants him to be a lawyer.

Chapter 8- "The First Tuesday- We Talk About The World"

Albom visits Morrie for the second time. He notices a stack of newspapers that Morrie had obviously read.
Albom is surprised that Morrie is keeping up-to-date with the news. They discuss a bit of news going on in
the world and Morrie cries. Morrie tells him how he cries about things that are going on across the world
because he feels close to the people who are suffering. The flashback in this chapter takes place in one
of Albom’s college classes with Morrie. Morrie enters the room and is silent for about fifteen minutes. The
students become uncomfortable which leads into a discussion regarding silence.  Albom is not bothered
by the silence and while he is walking out of Morrie's class, he stops Albom and tells him that Albom
reminds him of himself.
Chapter 9- "The Second Tuesday- We Talk About Being Sorry for Yourself"
This second Tuesday Albom and Morrie discuss feeling sorry for yourself. Albom asks Morrie if he feels
sorry for himself. His response is, “[s]ometimes, in the mornings,” he says, “thats when I mourn. I feel
around my body, I move my fingers and my hands-whatever I can still move- and I mourn what I've lost”.
Albom is amazed how Morrie thinks he is lucky to know he is dying because he has so much time to say
goodbye. When Morrie comes back from the bathroom, Albom offers to lift him into the chair, and later
realizes that their time together is running out. Albom thinks back to a specific class with Morrie during his
junior year in college. Morrie had each student to fall backwards in trust that their assigned partners
would catch them. Only one student completes the trust exercise correctly.
Chapter 10- "The Third Tuesday- We Talk About Regrets"
In chapter ten, Albom brings a tape recorder to Morrie’s in order to remember their discussions. They
discuss regrets and how people don’t think about what they really want from life:  “the culture doesn't
encourage you to think about such things until you're about to die”. Morrie tells Albom, “ask me anything”,
so on the plane ride home that day, he makes a list of all of the questions he had for Morrie. This chapter
goes back to Albom’s senior year in college, when Morrie convinced him to write a sociology thesis on
sports. He is very proud of his work and momentarily considers returning for graduate school.
Chapter 11- "The Audiovisual- Part Two"
In “The Audiovisual- Part 2”, the “Nightline” show did a follow-up story and Ted Koppel once again
interviewed Morrie. Morrie and Koppel have a great rapport because they are comfortable with each
other. Koppel  mainly asked him what he will do when he can no longer speak and move his hands.
Morrie answers all his questions, about emotions, talking, and silence. For the first time, Morrie expresses
his sadness about feeling lonely. Morrie later reads a letter from a lady who teaches a class of kids who
have lost a parent. We find out that his mother died when he was a child over seventy years ago. 

Chapter 12- "The Professor"

In chapter 12, Albom gives background on Morrie. Morrie’s mother died when he was eight years old, and
he had to break the news to his father, who spoke minimal English. After her death, he learned that his
brother was ill with polio. Thinking all of this was his fault, Morrie began going to the synagogue to pray
for his mother and his sick brother. The next year his father married a woman named Eva. Eva greatly
valued education, for this was during the Great Depression, and education seemed like the only path to a
job. Eva also took classes to improve her English; she served as a great educational inspiration to Morrie.
At the end of the chapter Eva asks Morrie what he wants to do for his career. He had few choices, and
Albom states at the end of the chapter, “[i]t was only through default that the best professor I ever had
became a teacher”.
Chapter 13- "The Fourth Tuesday- We Talk About Death"
In chapter 13, Morrie is now becoming dependant on an oxygen machine but still meets Albom on the
fourth Tuesday. They discuss death and how most people do not believe that they are ever going to die.
Morrie tells Albom  “once you learn how to die, you learn how to live”. With this said, Morrie asks Albom
that if he could accept the fact that he could die at any time, would he still work as much as he does.
Morrie feels that if people, in general, were able to believe that they could die at any moment, that they
would live their lives differently. One Sunday afternoon, Morrie’s sons come over to answer questions
received in letters. He has them write for him because his writing is now illegible to everyone but him. The
chapter flashes back to a later memory with Morrie when they are discussing Lou Gehrig and his baseball
career.
Chapter 14- "The Fifth Tuesday- We Talk About Family"
In chapter 14, Morrie and Albom discuss family and children. Morrie emphasizes the importance of love,
especially love from a family. He says, “[w]ithout love, we are birds with broken wings”.He feels that if he
did not have the love and support from his family, that he would have nothing at all. Morrie then discusses
the joy he had in raising a family and asks about Albom’s own family. Albom tells us that he has a
younger brother who was always a family favorite. He moved to Europe after high school and caught
pancreatic cancer just as their uncle had. His brother would not allow any of the family members to help
him while he battled cancer, which made Albom angry. He then recalls a memory of him and his brother
sledding when they were children. The sled went in front of a car and the boys jumped off to safety. The
two were filled with pride at having just skipped death.
Chapter 15- "The Sixth Tuesday- We Talk About Emotions"
In chapter 15, Albom goes to Morrie’s house and is surprised to see his wife, Charlotte, answer the door.
He shows her the food he brought for Morrie, but she turns it down, saying “[i]t’s too hard for him to
swallow. He has to eat soft things and liquid drinks now”. When Albom gets to see Morrie, he is coughing
more than usual. They discuss how it is important to fully accept something and then let it go. He says
you need to know the emotion you are feeling and realize that it can’t hurt you, it can only help you.
Morrie tells Albom, “by throwing yourself into these emotions, by   allowing yourself to dive in, all the way,
over your head even, you experience them fully and completely”. Then, Morrie has a coughing fit and
takes a minute to recover. Albom is horrified by what just happened to his professor. Then Morrie tells
him that he wants to die in a peaceful way, no matter what the circumstances are, and he will achieve this
by detaching himself from the fear of dying. Albom then thinks back to a conversation he had with Morrie
about reincarnation. Morrie says he would like to come back as a gazelle, because they are fast, strong,
and graceful. 
Chapter 16- "The Professor- Part Two"
In chapter 16,  Albom gives more background information on Morrie. After Morrie received his PhD, he
spent time working at a mental hospital near Washington, DC. Morrie ended up working at the hospital for
five years and even befriended some of the patients.Since many of the patients came from wealthy
backgrounds Morrie learned that this wealth did not buy them happiness; Morrie never forgot this lesson
or the importance of compassion.  Following his work at the hospital he went to Brandeis to teach. He
taught classes on social psychology, mental illness and health, but he still focused more on personal
development than career skills.
Chapter 17- "The Seventh Tuesday- We Talk About the Fear of Aging"
In chapter 17,  Morrie and Albom discuss the fear of aging. Morrie has finally surrendered to his illness:
he can no longer go to the bathroom by himself. Instead of being frustrated he is enjoying all the people
around him who are helping him and taking care of him. Morrie describes why he thinks it is beneficial to
age: to learn more, gain a better understanding of your life and to experience growth. Throughout the
book thus far, Morrie joked that one day he would need someone to wipe him after he was finished in the
bathroom. Currently, he can no longer go to the bathroom alone, wash himself, or blow his nose. Morrie
says he is enjoying being taken care of so much, just as a baby does, then states, “[m]ost of us didn’t get
enough. I know I didn’t” .
Chapter 18- "The Eighth Tuesday- We Talk About Money"
In chapter 18, Morrie and Albom are influenced by a quote from the newspaper and discuss money and
power. Morrie lived his life enjoying simple pleasures such as dancing, singing and laughing. He explains
in this chapter how he sees society being brainwashed into thinking that the more you have, the better
you are. He says, “[a]nd that is what we do in this country.Owning things is good. More money is good.
More property is good. More commercialism is good. More is good. More is good.” Morrie explains to
Albom that people use these things as a substitute for love because they do not get enough. Morrie tells
Mitch that in order to feel satisfied, people should offer to others, what they have, whether it be a skill or
simply just listening.

Chapter 19- "The Ninth Tuesday- We Talk About How Love Goes On"
In the 19th chapter, Morrie and Albom talk about love. The previous day, someone had asked Morrie if he
was afraid of being forgotten after he was dead. His response is, “I don’t think I will be. I’ve got so many
people who have been involved with me in close, intimate ways. And love is how you stay alive, even
after you are gone”.  Albom describes how he loves the way Morrie greets him upon his entrance. Albom
admires how Morrie has such a talent as to make each person feel special when they are around him.
Morrie tells him how important it is to stay focused and to only be present with the people who are around
you. He thinks that so many people are in a hurry and do not find the time to even engage in a real
conversation without thinking of something else.  
Chapter 20- "The Tenth Tuesday- We Talk About Marriage"
On this tenth Tuesday, Albom brings his wife to meet Morrie. Albom had called Morrie earlier in the week
to see how he was feeling and he asked to talk to Albom’s wife, Janine. When she got off the phone with
Morrie, she told him she was coming on the next trip. They talk and Morrie asks about her career as a
professional singer and he asks her to sing something for him. She sang a 1930’s song written by Ray
Noble. When she finished singing, Albom noticed tears running down Morrie’s face. He and Morrie then
discuss marriage and Morrie shares with him what he has learned through his many years of marriage.
Morrie says, “[i]f you don’t respect the other person, you’re gonna have a lot of trouble”. He tells Albom
that you must have the same belief in the importance of marriage if the relationship is going to work. 

Chapter 21- "The Eleventh Tuesday- We Talk About Our Culture"

In chapter 21, Morrie tells Albom about how our culture has wrong ideas, and it is smart not to buy into it.
They discuss how our culture has us believe that we must be ideal people, men must be rich, women
must be thin. Morrie says, “[t]he little things, I can obey. But the big things- how we think, what we value-
those you must choose yourself. You can’t let anyone- or any society- determine those for you”.  He says
that these are things our culture would have us believe, and that we should not buy into it. Morrie also
explains that people do not see what they could be, how much potential they have. The chapter then
flashes back to a basketball game at Brandeis University. The students are chanting to the team, “We’re
number one!”, and finally, Morrie is so tired of this he stand up and says, “[w]hat’s wrong with being
number two?”.
Chapter 22- "The Audiovisual- Part Three"
In this chapter, Koppel goes back to interview Morrie one last time. Koppel asks him how bad it is, and
Morrie lifted up his hand as far as he could, halfway up his belly, and Koppel understood that this was as
much as he could move.  Morrie explains to Koppel that once he can no longer be responsive to other
people, he is no longer living. He says, “[w]hen that is gone, Morrie is gone”. He also tells Koppel he
wants to die serenely. Morrie shares his latest aphorism with everybody, “don’t let go too soon, but don’t
hang on too long”.After the interview, the film keeps rolling and it catches Morrie saying that he was with
Him up there. He wants to be an angel. This is the first time Morrie admits to talking to God.
Chapter 23- "The Twelfth Tuesday- We Talk About Forgiveness"
It is the Twelfth Tuesday, and Albom and Morrie discuss forgiveness. He says, “[f]orgive yourself before
you die. Then forgive others”. The whole time, Albom rubs lotion on Morrie’s feet to relieve them of some
pain. Morrie tells Albom a story in which he never forgave one of his friends for an incident which
happened years ago. He then continued to say that we also must forgive ourselves for the things we feel
we should have done. At the end of the chapter Morrie tells him that if he could have had another son, he
would have liked it to be Albom. The chapter flashes back to a conversation between Albom and Morrie
when Morrie found the place in which he would like to be buried. It is on a hill beneath a tree and
overlooking a pond. He hopes that Albom will come visit him and tell him all his problems.
Chapter 24- "The Thirteenth Tuesday- We Talk About The Perfect Day"
Morrie has decided to be cremated upon his death. He tells Albom how people act as if death is
contagious and how they are afraid to see it. Morrie has been having very bad nights involving terrible
coughing spells. He had recently had one so terrible that he almost felt as if he was going to die. He told
Albom that he suddenly felt at peace with dying. Albom asks Morrie what he would do if he was perfectly
healthy for one day. Morrie describes a simple day of being with friends and dancing. They then discuss
Albom’s sick brother who he has been trying to reach for weeks. Albom cannot understand how his
brother wants to be left alone during this time. Morrie tells him that he will eventually find a way back to
his brother just as he found Morrie. Morrie says, “[d]eath ends a life, not a relationship”.

Chapter 25- "The Fourteenth Tuesday- We Say Goodbye"

In chapter 25, Charlotte had called Albom to tell him that Morrie was not doing well but he still wanted to
see him. When Albom arrived, Morrie was still asleep and now bed ridden. Albom thought of one of
Morrie's aphorism, “when you're in bed, you're dead”, and tried to push the thought away. Morrie could
barely talk, he was having tons of trouble breathing and Albom knows Morrie's last days are here. He was
very weak; he told Albom that he was not doing well, and that he loved him. Albom kissed Morrie, longer
than usual, and finally began to cry.
Chapter 26- "Graduation"
Morrie died on Saturday morning. Only his immediate family was at home when he died, but nobody
witnessed it. The funeral was held on a damp, gray morning. Charlotte kept the ceremony small for only
friends and family, although hundreds wanted to attend. Albom thought about what Morrie said, “[y]ou'll
talk, I'll listen”, and talks with Morrie in his head and noted how familiar the conversation felt. He then
realized that it was Tuesday. 
Chapter 27- "Conclusion"
One of the main things that Morrie  taught Mitch was that, "there is no such thing as 'too late' in life". Mitch
seemed to take this thought to heart, as he was inspired to contact  his sick brother in Spain. Mitch told
him that he respected his decision to distance himself, but that he wanted to stay in contact because
Mitch loved  him. Mitch stated that he had never said such a thing to his brother; it seems  as though by
Mitch telling his brother that he loves him, also allowed his brother  to see that it is never too late to regain
contact and include his family in his  life.

Tuesdays with Morrie[edit]

Main article: Tuesdays with Morrie
Albom's breakthrough book came about after a friend of his viewed Morrie Schwartz's interview
with Ted Koppel on ABC News Nightline in 1995, in which Schwartz, a sociology professor, spoke
about living and dying with a terminal disease, ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's
disease). Albom, who had been close with Schwartz during his college years at Brandeis, felt guilty
about not keeping in touch so he reconnected with his former professor, visiting him in suburban
Boston and eventually coming every Tuesday for discussions about life and death. Albom, seeking a
way to pay for Schwartz's medical bills, sought out a publisher for a book about their visits. Although
rejected by numerous publishing houses, Doubleday accepted the idea shortly before Schwartz's
death, and Albom was able to fulfill his wish to pay Schwartz's bills. [21]
The book, Tuesdays with Morrie, was published in 1997, a small volume that chronicled Albom's
time spent with his professor. The initial printing was 20,000 copies. As word of mouth grew, the
book sales slowly increased and landed the book a brief appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show,
nudging the book onto the New York Times bestseller's list in October 1997. It steadily climbed,
reaching the number-one position six months later. It remained on the New York Times bestseller list
for 205 weeks. One of the top selling memoirs of all time, [22] Tuesdays With Morrie has sold over 14
million copies and has been translated into 45 languages. [23]
Oprah Winfrey produced a television movie adaptation by the same name for ABC, starring Hank
Azaria as Albom and Jack Lemmon as Morrie. It was the most-watched TV movie of 1999 and won
four Emmy Awards.[24] Albom and playwright Jeffrey Hatcher later co-authored a two-man theater
play that opened Off Broadway in the fall of 2001, starring Alvin Epstein as Morrie and Jon
Tenney as Albom.[citation needed]
Tuesdays With Morrie is regularly taught in high schools and universities around the world, and is
also taught in some primary schools in Asia, due to its very simple writing. Albom started a private
foundation with some of the proceeds, The Tuesdays With Mitch Foundation, to fund various
charitable efforts.[citation needed]
Mitchell David Albom born May 23, 1958 to a Jewish family[4] in Passaic, New Jersey. Albom lived
in Buffalo, New York for a little while until his family settled in Oaklyn, New Jersey which is close
to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He grew up in a small, middle-class neighborhood from which most
people never left. Albom was once quoted as saying that his parents were very supportive, and
always used to say, "Don’t expect your life to finish here. There’s a big world out there. Go out and
see it." His older sister, younger brother, and he himself, all took that message to heart and traveled
extensively. His siblings are currently settled in Europe. He is an American author, journalist,
screenwriter, dramatist, radio and television broadcaster, and musician. His books have sold over 35
million copies[2] worldwide. Having achieved national recognition for sports writing in the earlier part
of his career, he is perhaps best known for the inspirational stories and themes that weave through
his books, plays, and films. Albom lives with his wife Janine Sabino in Detroit, Michigan. [3]
  [show] 

Early life[edit]
Albom was.[citation needed] [5]
Tuesdays With Morrie Summary
Tuesdays with Morrie is the final lesson between a college professor, Morrie, and one of
his long lost students and the author of the book, Mitch Albom. After seeing his professor in
an interview on the show "Nightline," the author is reminded of a promise he made sixteen years
ago to keep in touch with him. Now stricken with ALS, Morrie does not have much time left,
and Mitch recognizes this fact. He travels from Michigan to Massachusetts to meet with him.
This meeting goes well and affects Mitch and Morrie so much that they meet for the next
fourteen consecutive Tuesdays, up until Morrie passes away. During each of these meetings,
they discuss a different topic about life. These topics make up the content of the book and
include death, love, culture, marriage, regret and the world we live in, among many others. The
reader feels many emotions while reading this book, ranging from happiness to sadness, and
more than likely, will be wiping away tears at the end. It makes the reader think about their own
life and ponder aging, forgiveness, family, compassion, and mentors in life, just as Mitch
Albom does during the course of the book.

Mitch Albom, the author, writes about the lessons he received from his teacher,
Morrie. Morrie gave these life lessons while struggling with a life-threatening
disease — ALS. Mitch has compiled every lesson he received from his teacher in
this one book.

More: How to tame your negative thoughts

"Study me in my slow and patient demise. Watch what happens to me. Learn
with me," Morrie tells him. When someone is on their deathbed, their view
towards life can change; they can realize what is important and what is not. As
Mitch says in the book, "Morrie would walk that final bridge between life and
death, and narrate the trip."

Here are the most powerful lessons I learned from the book.

1. Live every day as if it were your last

Morrie is happy that he has time to say goodbye to his loved ones thanks to his
disease, which is slowly moving him closer to death. Morrie calls himself lucky; I
am not sure if, under the circumstances he was in, I would call myself that. When
I read his explanation to using this word, I understand what he means. He
suggests doing what Buddhists do, which is: "Every day, have a little bird on your
shoulder that asks, 'Is today the day? Am I ready? Am I doing all I need to do?
Am I being the person I want to be?'"
These simple words have a pool of information for each one of us. We must be
ready to say goodbye to the world, any given day. How many of us can say that
they are ready to die today? Of course, we may never be ready for death, but we
must try to show our loved ones how much we care about them. We should not
wait for a special occasion to express our love; we should make a habit of it. We
should give our best to the world. Starting today, we should have a little bird on
our shoulders too.

2. Remember to spend quality time with the family

Most of us have a tendency of taking our family for granted. If it is a Friday night,
we start planning our outing with the friends. Sometimes, we have to be forced to
spend time with our parents on holidays. Life is fun with friends and parties with
them; however, the bond of love, which we share with our parents, is the ultimate
one. Instead of keeping them at the bottom of our priority list, we must cherish
and appreciate them whenever we get a chance.

3. Enjoy your emotions to the fullest

One should not hide from any emotion, rather one must experience each emotion
entirely. If you love someone, love them with all you have; if you are sad, cry until
you cannot cry anymore; so that when the same emotion hits you again, you
know exactly what is going to happen. We hide ourselves from emotions
because we are afraid to get hurt.

4. Money can never buy real happiness

Being a lover of luxurious things, I am still trying to absorb this idea. However, I
agree with the explanation of Morrie. According to him: "If you’re trying to show
off for people at the top, forget it. They will look down at you anyhow. And if
you’re trying to show off for people at the bottom, forget it. They will only envy
you. Status will get you nowhere. Only an open heart will allow you to float
equally between everyone." We are blindly running behind money; we forget our
kids, parents, relationships, and friends.

We are busy. We are always busy. Busy has become a word that is being used
as an excuse all over the world. At the end of the day, money will only get us a
good hospital bed to die in — and a good headstone. Is that what we are aiming
for? Of course, money is important, but it is not more important than our family.
One may argue that to take care of our family, we need money. That is true.
However, if we do not have time to spare for our loving family, then I believe
there is a problem with our plan.

More: 3 Ways friendship improves your health — not just your social life

5. Pay attention to the person you talk to

I wonder how many of us really listen while we talk! According to Morrie, it is

really important to pay our utmost attention to the person you are conversing
 with. Imagine if this is the last conversation with your loved one, would you wish
to let it go unheard?

6. Marry the person with the same values as you — and treat them well

As per Morrie, people should get to know about other people’s values and
beliefs; marry the person who shares your values and beliefs. A life partner is a
very important part of our life. In our time of need, friends may come and go, but
our life partner will be with us. During sickness, they are the ones who take care
of us. Therefore, they should be treated with love, care and respect. As Morrie
quotes a famous saying: "Love each other or perish."

7. Decide your own rules; do not let society steer your life

Morrie says that people are running behind things that do not — necessarily —
matter to them. He says that we must believe in each other and ourselves.
According to him: "Invest in the human family. Invest in people. Build a little
community of those you love and who love you." He mentions we should rely on
our own instincts to decide our thought process and actions — and not society. In
his own words: "I don’t mean you disregard every rule of your community... The
little things, I can obey. But the big things — how we think, what we value — that
you must choose yourself. You can’t let anyone — or any society — determine
those for you."

8. Forgive others, as well as yourself

We tend to hold grudges in life. Even if somebody apologizes, how many of us —
truly — forgive the person? We may smile and accept, but there is a huge
possibility that we do not forgive them. Forgiving another person not only
releases a burden of one’s own heart, but also makes us a better person.

Tuesdays with Morrie Summary

Mitch Albom recalls the Tuesdays he spent with his former professor Morrie
Schwartz. When Mitch graduated from Brandeis, he promised to keep in touch
with Morrie, his mentor. Sixteen years pass as Mitch struggles to find his way
in the world, working first as a musician before pursuing a career in
journalism. One day, he sees Morrie on Nightline: Morrie has been diagnosed
with ALS, and Ted Koppel is interviewing him about his experiences.

 Mitch visits Morrie, who greets him enthusiastically. Morrie notices that
Mitch is unhappy and observes that a life of regrets is almost as sad as death.
Mitch realizes that he still has a lot to learn from Morrie and visits him every
Tuesday for the next fourteen weeks.
 During their meetings, Mitch and Morrie discuss death, self-pity, family,
marriage, aging, and a wife variety of other topics. Morrie is surprisingly
 upbeat in the face of his illness, and he's grateful to his ALS for giving him a
chance to reflect on the past before he dies.
 Over the weeks, Morrie's health deteriorates. He's confined to a
wheelchair, and eventually he's reduced to asking someone else to wipe his
behind. On the thirteenth Tuesday, Mitch arrives to find Morrie on oxygen after
an accident. Four days after the fourteenth visit, Morrie dies peacefully. Mitch
witnesses the internment of Morrie's ashes.

Summary
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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 teacher on 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 unsuccessful pursuit 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...

Themes
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The central theme in Tuesdays With Morrieis, of course, death. In recounting

his meetings with Morrie Schwartz during the final weeks of his life, the author
chronicles the inexorable and merciless destruction of a human body with
unflinching honesty. Morrie, who sixteen years earlier had been a vibrant
doctor of 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 speak for 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...

Tuesdays with Morrie Analysis

 Mitch Albom's Tuesday meetings with Morrie Schwartz take the form of
a one-on-one class about the meaning of life and death. Morrie, a former
professor, has been diagnosed with ALS and knows that his death is
imminent. Nevertheless, he devotes himself to Mitch's education, sharing his
philosophy of life with the unhappy journalist, who has given up on his
dreams.
 Mitch Albom's memoir presents a faithful account of his time with Morrie
Schwartz, his real-life professor and mentor, who really was interviewed by
Ted Koppel on Nightline. Koppel was so moved by Morrie's story and outlook
on life that he did a three-part series on Morrie, recordings of which have been
made available to readers.
 Tuesdays with Morrie is a deceptively simple book written in a spare,
straight-forward style. Albom employs flashbacks to provide background
information about Morrie, but otherwise the narrative proceeds
chronologically, structured around the fourteen Tuesday visits Mitch pays to
Morrie. Mitch's story resonated with readers and enjoyed over two hundred
weeks on the bestseller lists.

Literary Criticism and Significance

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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 of life 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.

People face death every day, but it is when one becomes terminally ill that
contemplating the meaning of a life, and of life itself, becomes most
compelling. The emotional journeys of those who are dying are intensely
personal and usually private affairs. Such was not the case for Morrie
Schwartz, a beloved professor of sociology for many years at Brandeis
University. Diagnosed in 1994 with Lou Gehrig’s disease (amyotrophic lateral
sclerosis or ALS), he chose to share the experience of dying and the truths he
had learned through living, and they became the subject of a book treasured
by millions of readers. One of the most acclaimed memoirs of all
time, Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom stayed on the New York
Timesbest-seller list for four years, sold 14 million copies, and was translated
into forty-one languages. The book was made into the most-watched TV
movie of 1999, which starred Hank Azaria and Jack Lemmon, the latter in the
final role of his life; the movie won several Emmy Awards. Tuesdays with
Morriealso was produced as an off-Broadway play. 

The book’s overwhelming success is worth deconstructing. Morrie Schwartz

was by all accounts an insightful man, and before Albom, Morrie’s former
student, embarked on writing his book, Morrie and his views of life and death
had already been the subject of Ted Koppel’s television news show, Nightline.
A gifted storyteller, Albom had written two successful books and had earned a
national reputation as a sports columnist by the time Tuesdays with
Morrie was published in 1997. These factors certainly contributed to the
book’s success, but perhaps the most convincing reason so many people
responded to it can be drawn from the praise of a minister who called the
book “[a] wise and loving story that teaches us those things we ought to know
already, but have somehow forgotten.” 

The Tampa Bay Tribune called Tuesdays with Morrie “elegantly simple,” and

in its language, structure, and message, it undoubtedly is. The book follows
the structure of a college course, starting with a curriculum that introduces the
subject of the class and ending with a funeral, “Graduation.” Along the way,
Mitch and Morrie spend fourteen Tuesdays together. Mitch fears death, resists
strong emotion, and has an almost single-minded focus on his career, yet he
senses that he and his generation have distorted values—that they are getting
it all wrong. Talking with Morrie (his favorite college professor) brings Mitch to
an understanding of how life should be lived and how death should be viewed;
Mitch asks, and Morrie explains. Their conversations include discussions of
marriage and children, culture, aging, love, forgiveness, spirituality, and death.
As the minister correctly observed, Morrie’s messages are not new and
revelatory but are the “things we ought to know already.” Morrie believed
people should look out for one another, love one another, and remain critical
of cultural messages that encourage them to pursue superficial success and
material acquisitions. From church sermons to yoga classes to self-help
books, these same messages are offered up continually, yet people forget
them when someone cuts in front of them in line or when they are asked to
work longer or harder for the promise of professional advancement or financial
gain. Tuesdays with Morrie may have touched a nerve with readers,
therefore, because it is a simply and beautifully stated reinforcement of the
truths people need to hear. 

Also significant in explaining the overwhelming acceptance of the book is

that Tuesdays with Morrie confronts death and dying, subjects that cause
discomfort in our culture, in a way that is realistic but comforting, and even
inspirational. Death often seems too profound to contemplate and too
distressing to witness, but through Morrie’s conversations with Mitch, it
 becomes less forbidding. In his younger days, Mitch was deeply
uncomfortable with sickness and death, turning away from the inevitability of a
favorite uncle’s demise. From Morrie, he learns that death is not to be feared.
The deterioration of Morrie’s body is described in detail; he does not let his
students, visitors, or Mitch deny the fact that he will die, and soon. However,
Mitch comes to realize that opportunities for renewal and growth lie in the way
we die. This is his professor’s last and greatest lesson.

Mitch Albom’s career has continued an even more impressive upward

trajectory since the publication of Tuesdays with Morrie. He has written
several additional best-selling books and has been honored by numerous
organizations. In his great success, however, Albom has not forgotten Morrie
Schwartz and the wisdom he imparted, not only about dying but also about
living. The proceeds from Tuesdays with Morrie were contributed to pay off
his professor’s medical bills; Albom started at least two charitable
organizations and works with several more. Morrie told Mitch that people
should “invest in the human family” and that if they do what’s from the heart,
“you’ll be overwhelmed with what comes back.” In this way, Morrie was
prophetic about his own story and the good that has come from his sharing it.

About this Document

eNotes lesson plans have been written, tested, and approved by working
classroom teachers. The main components of each plan are the following:

 An in-depth introductory lecture

 Discussion questions
 Vocabulary lists
 Chapter-by-chapter study questions
 A multiple-choice test
 Essay questions

Each plan is divided into a teacher and a student edition. The teacher edition
provides complete answer keys.

On the first chapter of the story, the author was talking about the last class of his professor’s
life. As Morrie’s only Student, he explains the subject is the meaning of life. And it flashes back to the
graduation day, He describes Morrie as his favorite professor and he introduced Morrie to his parents. He
described Morrie as a small man who takes small steps, as if a strong wind cloud, at any time, whisk him
up into the clouds. Morrie was one of the Mitch’s favorite professors at Brandeis University. After he
introduced Morrie to his parents and give his favorite professor a briefcase for a gift. He hugs Mitch after
he gave the briefcase and when Morrie steps back, he can see that Morrie is crying. On the next chapter
Mitch knew that there is something bad was coming. Mitch knew it on the day that Morrie gave up on
dancing. Morrie is always been a dancer, no matter what the music is. Morrie loved to dance to any music
but when he got to sixties Morrie developed asthma and his breathing became labored. One day he was
walking along the Charles River, and a cold burst of wind left him choking for air. He was rushed to the
hospital and injected with Adrenalin. Years after, Morrie started to have trouble walking that leads to
another happening. Some says that it is just because of his age but he knew that something else was
wrong that this is more than being old. He had trouble sleeping and he also dreamt about him dying that is
not a good sign. Morrie started to see doctors, they tested his blood and his urines. They also see his
intestines but there’s nothing could be found, one doctor ordered a muscle biopsy, taking a small piece
out of Morrie’s calf. Morrie is diagnosed with ALS or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, which is also known
as Lou Gehrig’s disease. The doctor told him he would eventually die.  When Morrie comes out of the
doctor’s office with the horrible news, he asks himself, “do I wither up and disappear, or do I make the
best of my time left?” Morrie decides to continue living his life to the fullest and keep swimming, with the
help of a homecare worker, and even insists on spending his last year teaching at the University. Years
after he promised to keep in touch, he admits, “I did not keep in touch”. He forgot about all his college
friends, and only occasionally thinks about Morrie. He moved to New York City with high hopes of
becoming a musician. However, after the death of his uncle he soon realized his life was too short to
waste time on unappreciated music. He decides to continue his education at Columbia University,
obtaining his Masters Degree in Journalism. He finds the first job available, a sports writer, and writes
about famous athletes. He moved from New York to Florida and eventually moved to Detroit. In a few
years, he is writing sports books, hosting radio shows, and even appearing on TV. He meets his current
wife, Janine, and continues to work. It seems that Mitch was trying to make the most of his life by
accepting job after job, accomplishment after accomplishment. Morrie began writing “bite-sized
philosophies about living with death's shadow”. One of his fellow professors at Brandeis University sends
them to a Boston Globe reporter and a long article is written about Morrie and what he is facing. The
article fascinated a producer of the “Nightline”, a well-known talk show, and he contacts Ted Koppel, the
most famous interviewer in America, to see if he would like to talk to Morrie. One evening as Albom was
flipping through the television channels, he heard the voice of Ted Koppel ask, “[w]ho is Morrie
Schwartz?”. The chapter then flashes back to the first time Mitch met Morrie: it was their first class
together in the spring of 1976. It was a small class and Morrie asked Mitch what he preferred to be called.
After telling Morrie that his friends call him “Mitch”, Morrie told him that he hopes one day Albom will think
of him as a friend. ”, Albom arrives at Morrie’s house still on the phone with a producer about one of his
stories. He does not want to end the call so he pretends he is looking for something in his car. Later,
Albom feels guilty for ignoring his old professor and pretending to search for his keys. When Morrie sees
Albom, he hugs him with so much affection, after almost sixteen years of not seeing him. The two sit in the
house and Morrie begins to speak about his upcoming death. Albom states, “[a]lthough I was unaware of
it, our last class had just begun”. This chapter flashbacks to Mitch’s college years; Mitch nicknamed Morrie
“Coach” and recalls the lunches they ate together in the cafeteria. Albom and Morrie talk for over two
hours that day, mostly about Morrie’s sickness. Albom begins to wonder what happened to him, why he is
nothing like he was when he was in college. When Morrie talks about how popular he is because he is
dying, Mitch thinks, “what happened to me?”  Morrie shows Albom how weak he is by doing a easy
breathing test. Mitch eventually leaves to catch his flight home and hugs Morrie good-bye.  Albom goes
back to when he was buying books on Morrie’s reading list. He began appreciating the study of human
relations and caught Morrie’s contagious passion for books. They would often talk after class and he even
talked to Morrie about how confusing his life is. A few weeks after his visit with Morrie, Mitch flies to
London to cover Wimbledon. He notices the slough of printed tabloids and hungry reporters around him.
He thinks of Morrie and their conversation. “I remembered what Morrie said during our visit: ‘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.’” When Mitch arrives back in Detroit, the unions at his newspaper
had gone on strike. Mitch was currently out of his newspaper job. He called Morrie and the two agreed to
meet again the following Tuesday. The chapter then flashes back to Mitch’s sophomore year in college
when he began to meet Morrie outside of the classroom for discussions. Mitch talks to Morrie about his
aspirations in life because Morrie listens, unlike Mitch’s father who wants him to be a lawyer. On the first
Tuesday Morrie and Mitch talk about what is going on in the world then Morrie cries because he feels
close to the people who are suffering. On the second Tuesday they talk about if they feel sorry for
themselves. They also think about life and love. On the third Tuesday, A few weeks after his visit with
Morrie, Mitch flies to London to cover Wimbledon. He notices the slough of printed tabloids and hungry
reporters around him. He thinks of Morrie and their conversation. “I remembered what Morrie said during
our visit: ‘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.’” When Mitch arrives back in Detroit, the
unions at his newspaper had gone on strike. Mitch was currently out of his newspaper job. He called
Morrie and the two agreed to meet again the following Tuesday. The chapter then flashes back to Mitch’s
sophomore year in college when he began to meet Morrie outside of the classroom for discussions. Mitch
talks to Morrie about his aspirations in life because Morrie listens, unlike Mitch’s father who wants him to
be a lawyer.