How did Mitch Meet Morrie?
Morrie was Mitch's old professor at Brandies College
What Class did Morrie teach at Brendeis?
Sociology
What did Mitch want to be when he grew up?
Pianist
Who died that made Mitch give up his dream of being a musician?
his favorite uncle
What didn't Morrie love to do before he got ALS?
softball
Who is the host of Nightline? (Morrie is interviewed by __.)
Ted Koppel
What city did Morrie live in?
Boston
Who helped Morrie at his house?
Connie
What did Morrie predict he would die from?
suffocation
What Gloomy day of the week was Morrie's funeral?
Tuesday
What year did Mitch graduate from college?
1979
Morrie's favorite activity is
dancing
What is the name of the university Morrie teaches at?
Brandeis University
Morrie's last name is
Schwartz
Mitch's Union in Detriot goes on _______________
strike
Mitch brings Morrie ___________ during the first tuesday class.
food (turkey, potato salad, macaroni salad, and bagels [p 48])
Morrie is diagnosed with ______________.
ALS/Lou Gehrig's disease
Morrie's wife's name is _______________.
Charlotte
The ____________ trial is mentioned throughout the book.
J. Simpson
In which chapter does Mitch introduce the Sony tape recorder?
The Second Tuesday
Who is Morrie's favorite poet?
W. H.
Auden
Janine is
Mitch's wife
David is
Morrie's brother
Rob and Jon are
Morrie's sons
Peter is
Mitch's brother`
Main topic of the first Tuesday is
the world
Main topic of the second Tuesday is
feeling sorry for yourself
Main topic of the third Tuesday is
regrets
Main topic of the fourth Tuesday is
death
Main topic of the fifth Tuesday is
family
Main topic of the sixth Tuesday is
emotions
Main topic of the seventh Tuesday is
the fear of aging
Main topic of the eighth Tuesday is
money
Main topic of the ninth Tuesday is
how love goes on
Main topic of the tenth Tuesday is
marriage
Main topic of the eleventh Tuesday is
culture
Main topic of the twelfth Tuesday is
forgiveness
Main topic of the thirteenth Tuesday is
the perfect day
Main topic of the fourteenth Tuesday is
saying goodbye
What word does Morrie use to describe his disease?
insidious
Setting/Place
West Newton, Massachusetts
Major Conflict
Morrie grapples to accept his impending death from ALS and is visited each Tuesday by his former star student, Mitch, who has become disillusioned by the popular culture.
Climax
Morrie is visited by Mitch for what will be the last time, and finally, after years of trying, gets Mitch to cry openly
Themes
The rejection of popular cultural mores in favor of self-created values; Love or perish; Acceptance through detachment
Motifs
Food; Reincarnation and renewal; The media
Food as a motif
Each Tuesday, Mitch brings with him a bag of food from the grocery store for Morrie to enjoy, as he knows that his professor's favorite hobby, second to dancing, is eating. Morrie can no longer dance, and soon, he can no longer eat the food that Mitch brings him, either, as his health and strength have deteriorated so much, he can no longer ingest solids. The food that he brings for Morrie serves as a reminder for Mitch of the days he and his professor would eat together in the cafeteria at Brandeis, when he had been young and passionate, and Morrie energetic and in good health. Although he knows that Morrie can no longer eat solids, Mitch continues to bring food each week because he so fears Morrie's fast-approaching death.
Mitch also feels that food is the only gift he can give to Morrie, and feels helpless as to how to soothe him any other way.
reincarnation and renewal as a motif
Reincarnation and renewal are presented as facets of both life and death; in life, Morrie teaches that a person is ever-changing, and in death, looks forward to some form of new life with the natural progression of the life cycle. With Morrie as his mentor, Mitch is able to reincarnate himself in life, transforming a man who was once motivated by material wealth into a man who is motivated by a passion to love, and to emulate the man who has so touched his life. Morrie reveals that despite his old age, he is still changing, as every person does until their dying day.
the media as a motif
The media is continually portrayed as being inherently evil, sucking Mitch dry of his passion and ambition, and feeding the public stories of murder and hatred that have ravaged the goodness of the world's general community. Mitch, who is out of work due to a unionized strike at the Detroit newspaper he writes for, continually notices the horrific events reported by the media he for a long time has been a part of. He reads about homicides, torture, theft, and a dozen other gruesome crimes that serve to juxtapose the evil of the popular culture with the goodness of the world Morrie has created for himself. The O.J.
Simpson murder trial also makes multiple appearances throughout the book, and provides Mitch with evidence to support his claim that the the general populous has become dependent on, and somewhat addicted to, media coverage of relatively meaningless stories, stories that contribute nothing to personal development or goodness as a human being.
Symbols
Pink hibiscus plant; Morrie's bed; Waves on the ocean
pink Hibiscus Plant as a symbol
As Morrie's body deteriorates, so does the condition of the hibiscus plant. The plant's pink petals wither and fall as Morrie grows increasingly dependent on his aides and on oxygen. As his death approaches, so does the death of the plant. It is continually used as a metaphor for Morrie's life and for life itself.
Morrie's bed as a symbol
Morrie's aphorism, "When you're in bed, you're dead," eventually comes true.
Throughout Morrie's struggle with ALS, he refuses to stay in bed, as he sees it as a form of surrender, and instead opts to rest in the chair in his study. Morrie intends to live his last days as fully as he can, and knows that if he is to remain in bed, he will surrender himself to death by forfeiting the simple enjoyment he gets from lying in his study. In his study, photographs of loved ones, and the books he has collected in his lifetime surround Morrie. There, he can look outside of his window, and though he cannot go outside, he admires the beauty of the seasons and the plant and animal life outdoors. It is not until Morrie's final days that he does stay in bed, when he has at last accepted and readied himself for death.
waves on the ocean as a symbol
Morrie recounts a story he had heard about a small wave seeing the waves ahead of him crash on the shore, disappearing into nothingness.
He suddenly brims with fear upon the realization that he too will soon 'crash on the shore' and, die as the wave fears he will. This little wave confides his fear in another wave who comforts him with the news that he will not crash and die, but will instead return to become a small part of the larger ocean. This small wave is symbolic of Morrie, as he too is on the brink of crashing into a theoretical shore, a symbolic embodiment of his death. Like the wave, Morrie is comforted by the knowledge that he will soon return to something larger in the afterlife. Morrie's affinity for the parable denotes his belief in a form of reincarnation, which he understands as intrinsic part of the natural life cycle.
What did Mitch do to look older in college?
act tough ["I wear old gray sweatshirts and box in a local gym and walk around with an unlit cigarette in my mouth, even though I do not smoke. I drive a beat-up Mercury Cougar, with the windows down and the music up. I seek my identity in toughness" (Albom 30).]
On what topic does Mitch write his honors thesis at Brandeis?
sports as a religion
How did Morrie hear of his Mother's death?
His father told him when he arrived home from school (His father was a Russian immigrant who could not read English. A telegraph arrived from the hospital and Morrie had to read it aloud to his father.)
If given the chance, Morrie would choose to be reincarnated as
A gazelle
What illness does Peter (Mitch's brother) suffer from?
Pancreatic cancer
What does ALS stand for?
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as Lou Gherig's disease
What gift does Mitch give to Morrie after his graduation from Brandeis?
A monogrammed briefcase
What has Morrie been encouraging Mitch to do since high school?
Cry
What is the catalyst for Mitch's surrender to the corporate world?
His uncle's death
Before his first interview with Ted Koppel, Morrie
Interviews Koppel
Morrie admits that he had thought of Ted Koppel as a
Narcissist
Mitch nicknames Morrie
Coach
Why, one year, does Morrie give all of his male students A grades?
To prevent them from being drafted to serve in the Vietnam War
What does Morrie mean by "tension of opposites"?
Life is like a wrestling match; love always wins
Morrie repeatedly tells Mitch that he must create his own
culture
Morrie continually emphasizes that
Love is more important than money
Throughout the book, the deterioration of Morrie's body is symbolically compared to
The pink hibiscus plant
What two things give Morrie the greatest sense of dread when he thinks of life without being able to use them? (Hint: his body)
his hands and voice
What is Morrie's proposed solution to giving without talking?
yes/no questions
How old was Morrie when his mother died?
8
What did Morrie's mother do for a living?
she operated a candy store
What did Morrie believe he could do to make his mother's illness go away?
ignore it
Charlie is
Morrie's father
What did Morrie's father do for a living?
He worked in the fur business
What would Morrie and his younger brother, David, do together to earn nickels?
wash porch steps
Where were Morrie and his brother sent after their mother's death?
a small hotel in the Connecticut woods where several families shared a large cabin and communal kitchen
What happened to David while he and Morrie were in Connecticut that Morrie felt responsible for?
David contracted Polio
What did Morrie do in the mornings while in Connecticut?
he went to synagogue to ask "God to take care of his dead mother and sick brother" (Albom 75)
What did Morrie do in the evenings to earn money to help feed his family while in Connecticut?
hawked (to sell or peddle goods often by calling out) magazines
At nine years old what did Morrie want from his father?
a show of affection, communication, warmth
Eva is
Morrie's stepmother
Where did Morrie live as a nine year old?
Bronx
What language did Eva sing to the boys in?
Yiddish
Who inspired Morrie's love for education?
Eva
Yizkor is
the memorial prayer for the dead
What two things did Morrie promise himself when his father failed to get him a job at the dreaded fur factory?
"He would never do any work that exploited someone else, and he would never allow himself to make money off the sweat of others" (Albom 78).
Why did Morrie become a teacher?
"He ruled out law, because he didn't like lawyers, and he ruled out medicine, because he couldn't take the sight of blood...It was only through default" (Albom 78).
What glass object does Morrie say he appreciates more than Mitch?
the window
What do Morrie and his sons do together? (Hint: mail)
Read and answer the mail Morrie receives in response to his appearances on "Nightline"
What is Rob's occupation?
a journalist in Tokyo
What is Jon's occupation?
a computer expert in Boston
What happened to Mitch's brother that he felt guilty about?
he contracted pancreatic cancer
Where did Mitch's brother receive treatments for his cancer?
Spain
Why did Mitch work so much?
It gave him a sense of control in his life.
How did Mitch and his brother almost die as children?
their sled almost went into the street while a truck was passing through
Where does Charlotte work?
MIT
How does Morrie deal with the fear and pain he feels towards his illness?
detachment
Where did Morrie graduate from college?
University of Chicago
Where did Morrie work in the early fifties?
Chestnut Lodge-a mental hospital outside of Washington D.C.
What does Morrie decide he wants his tombstone to say?
"A Teacher to the Last" (Albom 134)
Morrie finds todays culture to be extremely
materialistic and rushed.
How did Morrie's father die?
he had a heart attack after running from two robbers whom he gave his wallet
What song did Janine sing for Morrie?
a 1930's standard by Ray Noble
What does Mitch compare Morrie's labored breathing to?
lifting an anchor
What filial comment does Morrie make to Mitch on the twelfth Sunday?
"If I could have had another son, I would have liked it to be you" (Albom 168).
What does Morrie ask Mitch to do when he's dead?
visit his grave and tell him about his problems
What does Morrie want to be done to his body when he dies?
cremation
What subjects do Morrie consider to be the important questions?
love, responsibility, spirituality, and awareness
