Mitch Albom, the author of Tuesdays with Morrie, was watching television one night when he heard the question “Who is Morrie Schwartz?” Suddenly, Mitch felt shocked. The question was being asked on the program “Nightline” and it revealed that his dear friend and mentor was terminally ill. Realizing how urgent it was, Mitch decided to go visit him. What was meant to be a quick reunion ended up turning into a four-month period of valuable lessons and learning. This experience became a special “course” of great importance.
The class takes place at Morrie’s suburban Boston home. There are no books or other students, only Mitch and Morrie. In this class, Morrie instructs Mitch on various life lessons including death, fear, aging, greed, marriage, family, society, forgiveness, and a fulfilling life. As Morrie’s health deteriorates, Mitch’s condition improves as he becomes a better person. Eventually, Morrie’s life concludes and Mitch completes his graduation from “Life 101”.
According to Mitch, as he moved his old college teacher from his wheelchair to his recliner, he sensed the presence of death within his frail body. He adjusted Morrie’s head on the pillow and was struck with the chilling realization that their time together was limited (59). Morrie Schwartz is currently battling ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig disease. Throughout the book, while Morrie is approaching the end of his life, he reaches out to individuals seeking meaningful conversations and imparts valuable life lessons. This makes Tuesdays With Morrie a remarkable book as Morrie teaches Mitch about important aspects of life such as marriage, greed, and family, which young adults can benefit from learning.
“Love each other or perish” (149) summarizes Morrie’s beliefs about marriage and love. This concise quote offers an important lesson for young adults, highlighting the crucial role that love and marriage play in our lives. Along with providing companionship and happiness, these relationships can greatly benefit from a set of rules outlined by Morrie. These rules include respecting one another, compromising, maintaining open communication, and sharing common values (149). Among these values, the belief in the significance of one’s marriage stands out as the most important. Morrie emphasizes that the inability to compromise leads to numerous troubles in a relationship. Both partners must make sacrifices and work together for a relationship to thrive. Throughout his book, Morrie imparts invaluable insights on marriage, making it an engaging read for young adults seeking guidance.”
Morrie and Mitch are having a conversation about the problem of greed among young adults. These individuals tend to prioritize material possessions such as money, cars, and clothes. It is evident that society continues to assign importance to these things despite being aware that they hold no significance after death. As the saying goes, “When we die, you can’t take it with you (124).” This lesson has been emphasized numerous times. However, it is crucial to acknowledge that we should not wait until we are old to understand the significance of placing our values elsewhere. It is wiser to learn this lesson now rather than later in life.
The text highlights the significance of family for young adults, as emphasized by Morrie. He believes that family acts as a foundation and offers security (Morrie, p. 91). It is vital for young adults to have a caring and attentive family who can consistently provide care and support. This notion emphasizes the importance of having someone who looks after them. Additionally, this chapter educates young adults about the importance of surrounding themselves with loved ones. Morrie cautions that neglecting to do so may lead to their downfall, stating, “Love each other or perish” (p. 149).
This book is exceptional and applicable to individuals of all ages. It offers valuable lessons, especially beneficial for young adults, but I strongly recommend it to everyone. Personally, I gained extensive knowledge from this book that I had to condense while writing about it. My goal is to utilize these lessons for personal growth. Reading this book was a delightful experience and has profoundly impacted my life.
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