Mukhtar Ahmad Farooqi
Title Tuesdays with Morrie
Author Mitch Albom
Language English
Genre Philosophical, Biographical Novel
Publication date 1997
Publisher Sphere Publications
Pages 192
About the Book: The book Tuesdays with Morrie has been written by American author Mitch Albom, and was first published in 1997.This novel is a memoir of Mitch Albom, based on the life reflections of a dying man-Prof. Morrie Schwartz- a sociology professor. The book was listed by New York Times as Non-Fiction Bestseller in the year 2000. This book is based on the true story of Morrie, who was favourite teacher of Mitch. In 1994 Morrie was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) also called as Lou Gehrig’s disease which is an illness of neurological system, which has no cure and leaves human body disabled and unable to move, starting from legs and slowly moving upwards until it paralyses the whole body. Doctors believed that Morrie could survive to a maximum of two years. Morrie instead of wailing over his ailing health and wither and disappear decided to make his death his final project- a human textbook.
Summary : Morrie was Mitch’s favourite teacher and mentor who taught social psychology at Brandies University and Mitch Albom starts this story in 1979, when he was a student. For Mitch, Morrie was an admiration, a friend and a father figure. At Mitch’s graduation he introduces Morrie to his parents and promises that he will stay in touch with him. Mitch settled in Detroit (A city in US State of Michigan). He had always wanted to be a musician but he couldn’t make it. Being an unsuccessful musician, he studied journalism and became one of the successful sports journalists in country. He lost contact with all people including Prof. Morrie. He had made property and married a woman during these years. In 1995, after sixteen years of his graduation, Mitch came to know about the health of Morrie through an interview of him with Ted Koppel on ABC’s Nightline. He decided to reconnect with him in his final days. Mitch travels to Morries’ house. After 16 years they met again, thanks to Nightline show. He freezes while Morrie hugs him and says “You have come back at last”. Morrie is now an old man, completely paralyzed, dependent and week. It is where their last classes begun and it is about the meaning of life and it was taught from experience. Mitch begins visiting Morrie every Tuesday. They decided these talks should be held in a class although Mitch is the only student. One first Tuesday, they talked about world. He tells Mitch that he feels the pain and sufferings of world. It’s his own sufferings that make him close to people who suffer. For Morrie the most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love and to let it come in. On second Tuesday, he talked about feeling sorry for himself. He feels human beings should put a limit to self-pity. On third Tuesday, they talked about regrets. According Morrie human beings are lost in egotistic things due to which they don’t get time into the habit of standing back and looking at their lives. We miss something very important and that is the “real we”. Morrie had lost his mother when he was eight years old. He lived a poor life with his father and brother. His father has died of heart attack. He had worked at different places which had moulded his personality in that form. On fourth Tuesday, he talked about death. “Everyone knows they are going to die, but nobody believes it”. If we did, we would do things differently”. “Once we know how to die, we learn how to live”. If human beings accept death, they might have some room for spiritual things. Fifth Tuesday, he talked about family, importance of a family, how it gives spiritual security to a person. He usually says “Love each other or perish”.Sixth and seventh Tuesday, he talked about emotions and aging. We should show emotions that we are supposed to show. He says aging is not decay, it is growth. One who is happy with this process is actually satisfied and lives a meaningful life. They talked about money on eighth Tuesday. Material things can’t be a substitute for love, gentleness, tenderness or for a sense of comradeship. We should do things that come straight from our heart. We should devote ourselves to loving others, our community, creating something that gives us meaning and happiness in life. They talked about how love goes on and marriage on ninth and tenth Tuesdays. He feels that for successful marriage a couple need to respect each other, learn to compromise, talk with each other. He quotes W.H. Auden “Love each other or perish”. On last three Tuesdays, they talked about culture, forgiveness and perfect day. On 14th Tuesday and their last class, they said goodbye. Morrie was not doing well. His final days had arrived. He had been imprisoned in his chair, put on oxygen, unable to move any of his body part and coughing continuously. He was in bed and Morrie used to tell “When you are in bed, you are dead”. He made Mitch cry. On Saturday morning Morrie died. These Tuesdays changed Mitch’s life. After Morrie’s death he reconnected his brother he had lost touch with.
Conclusion: This book depicts the pure and warm relationship between a teacher and student. Morrie shares many valuable insights throughout the whole book like “accept the past as past, without denying it or discarding it” and accept what you are able to do and what you are not able to do. This book certainly makes one melancholic but teaches us life’s greatest lessons including how to live life to its fullest.
(The book reviewer is a freelancer. Views are her personal) [email protected]
