Tuesdays with Morrie Mitch Albom

Transcription

1 Chelsea Lamb 1 May 2005 English 378 Concept/Vocabulary Analysis Tuesdays with Morrie Mitch Albom Organizational Patterns: This book is divided into segments between the past and the present. Throughout the novel, Albom revisits experiences and situations with his professor and mentor. The novel begins with details about Morrie s sickness and his interview with Ted Koppel. The books also begins with Mitch as a young, naïve individual who through the example and dedication of his teacher Morrie learns to view life and death more personally, thoughtfully, and optimistically. There are 27 chapters including a meaningful conclusion. The chapters are not too long consisting of no more than 10 pages. The book is structured as a series of events that are frequently visited by past experiences. Throughout the story there are famous meaningful quotes that are purposefully presented. The body of the text is preceded by acknowledgements to those who helped provide a means for this book be created. Pictures of Morrie and Mitch are provided in the opening and closing cover folds of the text (depending on the book). Issues Related to the Study of Literature: Theme: The main theme of the novel can be summed up in a quote provided by Morrie as he discusses certain issues about human existence. Morrie continually proclaims to Mitch that Once you learn how to die, you learn how to live. This novel discusses various lessons that are offered by a perceptive, patient, and understanding man who developed a sense of living while in reality battling a terminable disease. The lessons incorporate many of the themes present in this novel: 1. Popular Culture versus Personal Culture: 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. (p. 42). Morrie- the culture doesn t encourage you to think about such things until your about to die. We re so wrapped up with egotistical thinks, career, family, having enough money, meeting the mortgage, getting a new car, fixing the radiator when it breaks we re involved in trillions of little acts just to keep going. So we don t get into the habit of standing back and looking at our lives and saying, Is this all? Is this all I want? Is something missing? (p.64-65). You can t substitute material things for love or for gentleness or for tenderness or for a sense of comradeship (p. 125). 2. Love: Morrie- The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in (p. 52). Love each other or perish (p. 91). Love is how you stay alive, even after you are gone. (p.133). 3. Death: If some mystical clarity of thought came when you looked death in the eye, then I knew Morrie wanted to share it (p. 64). To know you re

2 going to die, and to be prepared for it at any time... that way you can actually be more involved in your life while you re living Morrie (p.81). Learn how to die, and you learn how to live (p. 83). 4. Family: Morrie- The fact is, there is no foundation, no secure ground, upon which people may stand today if it isn t the family.... If you don t have the support and love and caring and concern that you get from a family, you don t have much at all (p. 91). This is part of what the family is about, not just love, but knowing there s someone who is watching out for them (p. 92). 5. Acceptance through Detachment: detachment doesn t mean you don t let the experience penetrate you. On the contrary, you let it penetrate you fully. That s how you are able to leave it (p. 103). Turn on the faucet. Wash yourself with the emotion. It won t hurt you. It will help you (p. 105). If I die in the middle of a coughing spell... I need to be able to detach myself from the horror; I need to say, This is my moment (p. 106). Setting: Mitch begins his visits to Morrie in mid-1995, during the climax of the O.J. Simpson murder trial. Most of the book is set in Mitch s Tuesday visits to Morrie s home in West Newton, Massachusetts, by a window in the study. Foreshadowing: Throughout the story, Morrie states various aphorisms. In his last aphorism, Morrie says when you re in bed, you re dead. On his last visit with Morrie, Mitch knows that death is fast approaching because Morrie has moved from the openness of his study to the confines of his bed. Only days after taking to his bed, Morrie dies. Point-of-View: The majority of the novel is spoken in first-person by the narrator, except for a few passages where he had not been present. In these passages, the narrator becomes omniscient and provides a subjective view of the characters presented. Tone: The tone of this novel is fairly serious and emotional with several moments of humor. The tone of this story is affected my Mitch s growth and understanding. Mitch s tone at the beginning of this novel is worldly and focused primarily on material items and thoughts. The tone here seems naïve and superficial. After his re-introduction with Morrie, Mitch begins to understand life through the eye s of this dying man. The tone quickly changes to a man coming into terms with the essence of life. Irony: Mitch is a man who has immersed himself in the studies of life. He is a journalist in tune with popular figures and idols. He is seen by the world as an educated man. It seems that Mitch has everything he could want; however, Morrie, an old professor dying from ALS, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, teaches him what it truly means to be in tune with the world. Also, it is ironic that the figurative and probably most significant death in this book is the death of the old Mitch and not Morrie. Mitch sheds his old habits and begins to understand the world the way Morrie does. Mitch experiences a rebirth. Affective Issues Related to the Work: - Students may be able to relate to the relationship between Mitch and Morrie. Have they ever been inspired by another person? Have they ever been close to

3 someone who was about to die? How did that person s death affect them? Most people have discussed the way they'd like to die, or, perhaps, have been a part of that conversation. One common thought is that it would be best to live a long, healthy life and then die suddenly in one's sleep. After reading this book, what do students feel about that? Students will be affected by death sometime in their life and this story will allow them to understand that death is not always a negative and scary event. - Students may be able to relate to the theme of culture. Have they ever felt like their culture wasn t in accord with their attitudes and beliefs? What reasons do they have for rejecting the mores prescribed by popular culture? How have they created their own culture, and what values does it consist of? Students live in many different cultures, and they need to decide what is positive and negative about these cultures. - Mitch made a list of topics about which he wanted Morrie's insight and clarity. In what ways would students lists be the same or different? - Who do students think got more out of their Tuesday meetings, Mitch or Morrie? In what ways? How do they think Mitch and Morrie would answer this question? Vocabulary Issues: Mitch's narration uses very basic language because most of the book is composed of dialogue between him and Morrie. Morrie s disease can be hard to pronounce; however, Albom refers to it as ALS throughout the book. Major Concepts: - A major concept of this book is life and death. This book gives a series of lessons about facing one's death and living one's life. How will students handle the concept of death? Will it seem to foreign to them? What if they had a horrible past experience with death? Death is a taboo in today s culture. Will students be able to handle this issue? Will students recognize the importance and underlying issues of death in both Morrie and Mitch s brother Peter? Background Knowledge: - It might be helpful to do some background research on the lives of Mitch Albom and Morrie Schwartz. (You do get a lot of information about Morrie s life from the book). Just more insight to their lives may help students interact more with these characters. Who exactly did Mitch involve himself with in his journalism? It would also be helpful to understand Morrie s disease. What does it do exactly and why? How does one come in contact with this disease? How common is it today? Is there a cure or a developing cure? How about going more in depth with the way deaths are viewed in the world? - It might be helpful to research the time periods of this book. For instance, the draft during the Vietnam War. How common was it for teacher s to pass their students so they would not get drafted? How did the government feel about this type of behavior? Also, what about the newspaper strike at Mitch s job? Why was their a strike? Why do people strike? Who is involved in a strike?

4 Implications for Students of Diversity: Students of diversity will encounter no problems with this book due in large part to the involved issues. All of the themes found in this book deal with humanity an aspect that anyone can relate with. Through the wisdom and insight of Morrie, Mitch learns how to really live. Mitch learns to see life and the world the way any human should. Mitch learns to find love, forgiveness, and humility all characteristics beneficial to human life. Students of diversity will learn from the power of death in this book. They will learn that death is something that should empower us, and that through this book, death will enable the individual to fly on new wings. The Central Question/ Enduring Issue: This book is about life s greatest lesson how to live. As the book follows Mitch s rekindled relationship with Morrie, readers begin to gain the insight and wisdom from a man who had so little time but so much to say. Just as Mitch is given a second chance, a rebirth, to see the world as a more profound place, students can receive this wisdom for reassessing their lives as they relate and draw connections and relationships to the text. This is a wonderful story about one man s attempt to teach others the meaning of life. At one point, Morrie tells a story about a wave who notices that the other waves in front of him are crashing against the shore. He becomes frightened at the thought of what is going to happen to him. He looks and sees that all of the waves eventually become nothing. However, another wave, standing as an inveterate mentor, proclaims that you re not a wave, you re a part of the ocean (pg. 180). This is what I want my students to learn. I want students to see themselves as individuals who can make a difference. I want my students to be able to look out into their future and see hope and progress. I want them to view their own lives not as crashing against hopeless possibilities but rather, as potential dreams and aspirations. I want students to know that they are part of something vast and endless. Just as Morrie is able to open his eyes, students will discover the power of trusting in relationships. Students will learn that one must sometimes trust blindly, relying only on what they feel to guide them in their decision-making. Throughout the course, I will have students read books and stories that develop inner character. I anticipate that students will learn to devote [themselves] to creating something that gives [them] purpose and meaning (pg. 127). I hope to end the course with this book because I find that this book best teaches how to live a meaningful life. Research Issues/ Project Ideas: 1. Seeing the world through different lenses (Using out imaginations the power within). Students will divide into groups of three or four. Each group will be given the same picture from Chris Van Allsburg s picture book The Mysteries of Harris Burdick, and using the picture, the title, and the caption, students will develop the story. What happened? Who are the characters? What will happen? And so on. Students will then present their stories to the class. Following, will be a class discussion that proves that the solutions to the stories are found within them. 2. Students will research about how different cultures view the final passage. They will research about the traditions and happenings during these rituals. The research will include beliefs, fears, and promises that are a part of this

5 passage. Students will present their research through creative writing. They will take part in this ritual and relate it through poetry. This will then be included in their individual class portfolio. 3. Self- Obituary. Students will create a class newspaper of obituaries. Each student will write their own obituary that details their life so far. They will tell about themselves and who they are survived by. Then, students will incorporate something to live behind. Their own words of wisdom. The point is to break the habit of standing back and looking at our lives when it is too late. Through their figurative death, they can have re-birth. 4. Students will write a personal reflection essay about themselves. They will incorporate who they are and who they can become. They will reflect on building their own culture. What will they erase from their culture today, what would they build upon, what will they integrate? How do they feel about death, family, love, forgiveness, etc? They will write about someone, whether old or young, teacher or friend, who helped them see the world in a different light. 5. Thankfulness. Students will focus on the fact that they can be thankful, even for things that might be negative in their life. Students will find ten (negative) things that they are thankful for and explain why in a class discussion. This project will be done as a pre-reading activity. 6. Students will write a How To Do Anything Better these will be series of guides that will be included in the student s individual portfolio. This guide will be written to their choice of audience. This topic will be how to live better. Students will write about how to create a meaningful life incorporating the issues found in Tuesdays with Morrie. Informational/ Functional Texts 1. Research books about society s morals and values. 2. How to Do guides 3. Newspaper obituaries 4. Magazines and pictures that show what popular culture values 5. News clippings about tragedies in today s world 6. Research books about death rites in other cultures