Tuesdays with Morrie Reader Response

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Tuesdays with Morrie is a novel written by Mitch Albom about the last dying day’s he spent with his college professor and the values, morals, and keys to life that he taught him. After spending much of his life after college without contact of with his college professor, Morrie Scholtz, he sees him on a late-night talk show and learns he has contracted ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. He decides to fly out and see him after he finds out and they reconcile an old friendship. Morrie teaches him the meaning of life, gives him amazing perspective into the way he has been living his life, and teaches him how to love again. Mitch writes this story from real-life events about a real man he met and was inspired by. Throughout the book Mitch flashes back each chapter, from a small excerpt from his college days with Morrie to a present day interaction with Morrie. He pages from the past are written in italics, which help to make the reader realize that what he is speaking about is not about a present day meeting with Morrie. Each flashback also helps to set up the current chapter and many times parallels with the next part of the story. Albom also does an incredible job as he titles each chapter, as he jumps from each Tuesday, and then outlines what was the subject to that day, as Morrie always had something new to teach him. Mitch also does a great job of incorporating the memorable quotes that Morrie gives Mitch throughout their time together, such as, “Death ends life, not a relationship”. The climax and falling action of the book go hand-in-hand with the condition of Morrie. His body slowly deteriorates throughout the course of the book until his eventual death. The things he says to Mitch on the way do not reflect this though as he always has something life-changing to say to him. In this story I do not believe there is a “real” protagonist or antagonist.
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