Tuesdays with Morrie
At the age of 37, Mitch Albom flipped on his TV and saw his favorite college professor, Dr. Schwartz, being interviewed by Ted Koppel on Nightline.  The topic was death.  Morrie Schwartz, suffering from ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, was discussing death and as a sociologist, his view of the world.   Albom had considered Schwartz a mentor and after years of not interacting with him, the TV interview led to a chain of conversations between Mitch and Morrie that took place over a series of Tuesdays until Morrie’s death.  Those discussions became Tuesdays with Morrie, a non-fiction story that is more than an account of a dying college professor; it is also a first person narrative of two people cherishing their moments together.  During their conversations, Morrie imparts his wisdom about what is important in life.  Much of the book contains word-for-word dialogue capturing the discussions between teacher and student, a style allowing readers to find their own meaning.
The primary characters include Morrie Schwartz and Mitch Albom.  After growing up poor and not experiencing much love as child, Morrie, the protagonist, spent most of his life as a professor at Brandeis University in Massachusetts.  He was a beloved teacher who inspired many students, including the author.  Morrie was not caught up in the things that society, including teenagers, thinks are important.  His focus was on love, forgiveness and life’s meaning, not money and material possessions.  Morrie talked about how culture influences people, often leading to them making what he considers poor choices.  He spent his life listening to his heart, doing what was right for him rather than letting society dictate his choices and life.  His student Mitch, was an idealistic college student who acted tough and wanted to be a musician and join the Peace Corps.  However, those dreams were sacrificed as he embarked upon a successful career in journalism after graduation. His work left him little time for himself or his relationship with his wife.  At about the time his newspaper went on strike and Mitch was temporarily out of a job, he reflected on his career and his choices, and seemed to have some regrets about who he had become.  His conversations with Morrie made him realize that he needed to make changes in his life if he wanted it to be meaningful.
The story primarily takes place in the home of Morrie, where Mitch regularly visits.  In effect, the home became a classroom as life lessons are shared. In that classroom they shared meals, hugs, and memories.  Morrie struggled to do basic things in this setting, such as eating and breathing, which made his vulnerability much more poignant.  Each Tuesday, Mitch brought food for them to enjoy and eating became a symbolic ritual.  Sharing food reminded Mitch of days eating with his professor while he was in college, but represented Morrie’s deterioration as first he could no longer eat solids food, and then could no longer eat at all.

There are two evident conflicts in this book.  The disease, ALS, represents one conflict.  Morrie comes to terms with his life, taken by a disease that ravishes his body while leaving his mind intact.  The second apparent conflict is the internal conflict between “actual” Mitch and “desired” Mitch.  With Morrie’s help, Mitch realizes he has become someone he does not like.  He struggles to find meaning in his life which seems to come so easily for his mentor and he strives to be more like the college version of himself.  Underlying these two conflicts is a third, more obscure conflict, a meaningful life as defined by popular culture versus a meaningful life that is personal and significant.  It was this third conflict that was most compelling because it affects everyone.  Living in a materialistic society may not fulfill the needs that humans have for love and deep relationships with others.
The conversations between Morrie and Mitch were clearly a very important part of their lives.  I think Albom chose to write this book because he wanted to share some of Morrie’s wisdom with the world, but also because he wanted to share a more personal experience of growth.  This was a very intriguing topic for me because I myself find myself contemplating some of the same things discussed throughout the story.  Most teens want to be successful in life, and part of society’s definition of success is having certain things such as a house, a nice car, and trendy clothes.  This book made me recognize that it is easy to lose sight of what is important when we are striving for those material things.  I enjoyed that the book was told from two different times in the character’s lives, switching from when Mitch was a student to when he was an adult, having his Tuesdays with his old professor, Morrie.  This style of writing was sometimes confusing, but it also helped highlight how people change over time.  Although it was clear that Morrie would die, the story was well-written and encouraging.  I found Morrie’s simple wisdom to live life fully more very inspirational and I think other readers will be inspired as well.