Name ________________________

Modern Novels- McRobbie

Tuesday’s with Morrie
Mitch Albom

“The Curriculum”

1. Where and when did class take place?

2. What was expected of you in this class?

3. In lieu of graduation, what occurred?

4. Describe Morrie Schwartz as Mitch describes him on graduation day.

5. What gift does Mitch give Morrie? How does Morrie respond?

“The Syllabus”

1. When did Morrie know something bad was coming?

2. Describe Morrie’s behavior at “Dance Free” in Harvard Square.

3. What ailments began to slowly plague Morrie?

4. What was Morrie diagnosed with? What area of the body does that illness affect?

5. What was his prognosis (the likelihood of recovery from the disease)?
 6. How did Charlotte and Morrie react to the people outside?

7. How did life change for Morrie as his disease progressed?

8. How much time did doctors think Morrie had left to live? What did Morrie think?

9. What did Morrie want from his friends instead of sympathy?

10. What happened on a cold Sunday afternoon? How did Morrie respond to this occasion?

“The Student”

1. What was Mitch’s dream originally?

2. Which relative that he was close to died? From what? At what age?

3. What changed for Mitch at that funeral?

4. Mitch made a career move. What was it?

5. How would you describe Mitch’s success?

“The Audiovisual”

1. Describe Morrie’s physical state at this point.

 2. Describe Morrie’s mental state at this point.

3. Of the four aphorisms provided, choose one and explain its significance in your own life.

4. What TV show and host came to Morrie’s house?

5. What type of questions did Morrie ask the TV host?

6. What did Morrie say about the TV show and host? How did the host respond?

7. What subjects were discussed during the interview?

8. What does this chapter tell you about Morrie and the human spirit?

“The Orientation”

1. How had Morrie changed since Mitch last saw him?

2. What did Mitch do while his dying professor waited for him on his front lawn? How does
this differ from the way we saw their relationship at graduation?

3. How did Mitch want to fool Morrie?

 4. What question prompted their last class together?

5. During the Vietnam War, Morrie gave all of his students A’s? Why? ((If you’re unsure of
what that specific word means, look it up!))

6. What did Mitch call Morrie? What is the game they are playing?

7. Describe Morrie in the cafeteria.

8. What were Mitch’s two overwhelming desires?

“The Classroom”

1. What does the barrage of phone calls Morrie receives during their visit make Mitch
wonder about himself?

2. What is Morrie a bridge between? How would you feel in that position?

3. How did Morrie receive Mitch as a guest? Why did this surprise Mitch?

4. Mitch asks himself a question several times throughout this chapter; what is that
question?
 5. What is Mitch’s answer to that question?

6. How is Morrie going to die? How does this statement affect Mitch?

7. Describe the test his doctor showed him? Try it yourself! What is your number? How
does it compare to Morrie’s?

8. Explain, in your own words, the tension of opposites.

9. Which side wins?

“Taking Attendance”

1. Where did Mitch travel to? What event was he covering?

2. Mitch talks about several pop culture events, including Princess Diana and the O.J.
Simpson trial. This somewhat dates the book. Provide a modern example of this pop
culture we become enamored with today?

3. Describe Morrie’s culture.

4. Describe Mitch’s culture.

5. What happened after Mitch returned to America that halted his world? How did he feel
about it? Why?
 6. Who did Mitch call after a week? When would they meet?

7. What does Morrie mean by being “fully human”?

8. How does Morrie encourage Mitch in a realistic way?

“The First Tuesday

We Talk About the World”

1. Describe Morrie’s physical condition at this particular meeting.

2. What did Mitch bring with him? Why?

3. What stage of life does Morrie get to go through again because of his deterioration?
Would you have a positive or negative outlook in this situation? Why?

4. How is Morrie relating to people halfway around the world? How does Mitch react
to that?

5. According to Morrie, what is the most important thing in life?

6. What is the only rational act? What do you think this means?

7. What is the point of Morrie’s “silent treatment” to his class?

 8. Who does Morrie see in Mitch?

“The Second Tuesday

We Talk About Feeling Sorry for Yourself”

1. How was Mitch being changed by these Tuesday visits?

2. What types of things did they Morrie and Mitch talk about?

3. Describe Morrie’s physical condition at this meeting. How has it changed from the
last?

4. When does Morrie feel sorry for himself the most? Why do you think that is?

5. Why is the self-pity isolated to that particular part of the day?

6. Why does Morrie feel lucky? How does Mitch respond to that word? Do you feel
Morrie is lucky? Why or why not?

7. What is the significance of Mitch explaining the news headlines that day, which are
particularly gruesome?

8. What is the importance of Mitch offering to help move Morrie? How is Mitch
changing?
 9. What is the significance of closing your eyes?

“The Third Tuesday

We Talk About Regrets”

1. What does Mitch bring to this Tuesday that is new? Why does he bring this item?

2. Why is Morrie okay with this item? How can this item help him?

3. What does Mitch mean by making an attempt to “steal something from death’s
suitcase”?

4. How was Morrie handling the fact that he is dying?

5. How does Morrie think the culture inhibits us from dealing with the things that
matter?

6. Name someone in your life who has helped to point you in the right direction when
you’ve needed it. How?

7. What is the significance of Mitch noticing the angry, hot patrons at the airport?

8. What does Mitch write his honors thesis on? How does Morrie respond to it?
“The Audiovisual, Part Two”

1. Why did “Nightline” do a follow-up story on Morrie?

2. How had the relationship changed between Morrie and Koppel?

3. What had changed about Morrie physically since his last interview on “Nightline”?

4. What keeps Morrie “up”?

5. Morrie reveals the loss of his mother at a young age through a letter to a
schoolteacher. How has this impacted him emotionally?

“The Professor”

1. How old was Morrie when his mother passed away?

2. How did he find out about her death? How did she die (in general)?

3. Describe Morrie’s father.

4. Where did Morrie and his brother David go after their mother’s passing?

5. What disease strikes David?

 6. Why does Morrie blame himself for David’s illness?

7. Who entered Morrie’s life and made it better? How?

8. What dark chapter of American history was occurring at the time? How did it affect
Morrie’s family?

9. According to Eva, what was the antidote to poverty?

10. What secret did Morrie have to keep from David, which served as a burden to him?

11. Why did Morrie dislike the fur factory, aside from the physical conditions?

12. How does Morrie end up becoming a teacher?

“The Fourth Tuesday

We Talk About Death”

1. Reflect on the idea that “everyone knows they’re going to die, but nobody believes
it”. Do you think that is true? Why or why not?

2. Why does Mitch, once again, inform the reader of the news stories of the day?

3. What was the newest addition to Morrie’s house? How did Mitch respond to it?
 4. How does death cause people to transcend all religions?

5. What do you think Morrie means when he says “Once you learn how to die, you learn
how to live?”

6. According to Morrie, what does facing death do to you?

7. How does Morrie see things different from Mitch because of his death sentence?

8. What does Morrie responding to fan letters say about his character?

9. How does the story of Lou Gehrig oppose the disease named after him, which is
plaguing Morrie?

“The Fifth Tuesday

We Talk About Family”

1. Why do you think Morrie craves physical affection so much?

2. Why is family so important in the eyes of a dying man?

3. Reflect on the line, “Love each other or perish”. Do you believe this is true? Why or
why not?

4. How does Morrie’s educational background, particularly the subject he taught, play a
role in his beliefs while he is dying?
 5. What does Morrie say is an irreplaceable experience?

6. How does Mitch respond to Morrie’s question about his family?

7. Describe Mitch’s younger brother.

8. What illness strikes his brother? What is the outcome of this disease?

9. How does his brother change emotionally and how does it affect Mitch?

10. How does the story from Mitch’s childhood show the gap between him and his
brother?

“The Sixth Tuesday

We Talk About Emotions”

1. What is different about the way Mitch is greeted during this session?

2. Describe Charlotte’s behavior.

3. What hasn’t Morrie done since Mitch’s last visit?

4. Why are Mitch’s visits good for Morrie, according to Charlotte?

 5. Describe Morrie’s physical condition during this session.

6. Why does Morrie need to detach himself from the horror and anxiety that his fearful
moments bring him? Do you ever find yourself detaching from emotions in your own
life? When and how?

7. What happened in the middle of their visit? How did Mitch respond?

8. Why can’t Morrie let go yet?

9. What is the significance of Morrie wanting to be reincarnated as a gazelle,

considering his disease?

“The Professor, Part Two”

1. Morrie wanted to contribute, but he did not want to ___________________________.

2. Describe how Morrie handled one of the middle-aged female patients at the mental
institution where he worked. What did that patient want?

3. What lesson did Morrie never forget regarding money?

4. Whose idea was it to give everyone A’s during the Vietnam War, as we learned about
in the novel previously?
 5. How did Morrie inadvertently end a standoff between black student protestors and
administration? What does this say about Morrie?

“The Seventh Tuesday

We Talk About the Fear of Aging”

1. How was Morrie’s dependency surrender to the disease?

2. How does Morrie turn this dependency into a positive element of his life?

3. Reflect on the statement that “at seventy-eight, he was giving as an adult and taking
as a child.”

4. How does Mitch view aging? How does Morrie view aging?

5. Why would envy be a dangerous emotion for Morrie?

6. What does Morrie tell us about acceptance?

“The Eighth Tuesday

We Talk About Money”

1. Why was the tombstone line from the newspaper so absurd to Morrie?

2. How has Morrie’s love for music changed since he got sick? Do you believe that
music has healing powers? Why or why not?
 3. How are we being brainwashed, according to Morrie? What type of values does our
culture dictate to us?

4. What does Morrie believe people are substituting material possessions for?

5. While Morrie’s home furnishings were becoming outdated and stale, what was his
home being filled with? Which would you personally prefer in your home?

6. Like the story of the senior center, is there a skill you have that you could share with
others? Do you share it? Why or why not?

7. Why is this particular conversation one that Mitch has been avoiding since he started
meeting with Morrie? Do you think he will take away the lesson Morrie is trying to
convey?

8. Reflect on Gandhi’s quote and the relevance it would have to both Mitch, a healthy
young man and Morrie, a dying old man.

“The Ninth Tuesday

We Talk About How Love Goes On”

1. Are you surprised the labor strike is still going on?

2. Why do you think the news stories that Albom relays to his readers are always so
terrible and tragic? What is the purpose of these stories?
3. Who does Mitch try to get in touch with? What is the response? How did Morrie
contribute to Mitch picking up the phone?

4. What is Morrie’s physical condition during this session?

5. Why does “Nightline” want to wait to do the story? Why does this upset Mitch? How
does Morrie accept it?

6. Why does Morrie continue to meet with Mitch when he must turn down other visitors
due to fatigue?

7. Do you personally worry about being forgotten after you die? Why or why not? If so,
is there anything you can do now to change that?

8. Why do you think Morrie wants Mitch to cry? Do you think he will?

9. What do you think of Morrie’s tombstone inscription? Is it appropriate given the

context of the novel?

10. What lesson did Mitch learn that was more important than everything he learned in
college? Why?

11. Do you feel like yourself or those around you are not fully present sometimes? Do
you see the value in Morrie’s lesson?
 12. What does Morrie do in lieu of “giving people the finger” in traffic? Why?

13. Despite his debilitating disease, Morrie pays full attention to his guests. Would you
expect this from a man in his situation? Why or why not?

14. Where was the last place Morrie saw his father? How did he die?

15. How will Morrie’s last moment differ from that of his father’s? Why?

“The Tenth Tuesday

We Talk About Marriage”

1. Who did Mitch bring with to this session? How was this meeting arranged?

2. How does Janine’s personality differ from Mitch?

3. How do you see Morrie’s physical condition change during the recalling of the story
about the surgeon?

4. What is Morrie’s diet like?

5. Why do you think Janine chose to sing instead of politely declining, as she usually
did?
 6. What is Mitch’s attitude about marriage? How does it differ from Morrie’s?

7. What rules are important in marriage that, if aren’t followed, lead to trouble?

8. What is the biggest of those values, according to Morrie?

“The Eleventh Tuesday

We Talk About Our Culture”

1. What is Mitch doing to Morrie? What is the medical purpose for this?

2. How does Mitch lighten the mood?

3. How is Morrie’s disease progressing?

4. Where is he located in the house? How is Morrie’s last aphorism haunting Mitch?

5. According to Morrie, why do people only look out for themselves?

6. How has Mitch and Morrie’s relationship changed since the start of their visits?

7. What does Morrie stress about our culture? Has our culture changed since this book
was written?
 8. What should we invest in?

9. Why does Mitch discuss the O.J. Simpson verdict?

10. Why would Morrie shout, “What’s wrong with being number two?”

“The Audiovisual, Part Three”

1. How has the relationship between Koppel and Morrie changed?

2. How does Morrie show how his disease has progressed?

3. According to Morrie, he is no longer alive if he can no longer do what?

4. What does the scene caught on tape following the interview tell you about Morrie and
the human spirit?

“The Twelfth Tuesday

We Talk About Forgiveness”

1. What are the things Morrie regrets in his life?

2. Explain what happened with his friend Norman.

3. Who else must we forgive besides others?

 4. How does Morrie see himself as lucky?

5. What does Morrie say to Mitch, through tears? Though we do not see him react, how
do you think he felt?

6. Where does Morrie want to be buried? When is Mitch supposed to visit him?

“The Thirteenth Day

We Talk About the Perfect Day”

1. How does Morrie now view his body since it has deteriorated from disease?

2. How does he surprise the rabbi?

3. Why did Mitch want to take out the oxygen tube?

4. How has Morrie’s acceptance of death grown?

5. Reflect on Morrie’s line, “Death ends a life, not a relationship”. Have you
experienced this in your personal life through the death of a friend or relative?
Explain.
 6. What do you think about Morrie’s perfect day? Do you agree with Mitch that it is
“simple”? Did you expect a different scenario, like Mitch did?

7. What would be your perfect day?

8. How does Morrie help Mitch to understand his brother’s position? What encouraging
words does he give him regarding the situation?

9. How is the story of the wave reflected in Morrie’s life? What is the moral of this
story?

“The Fourteenth Tuesday

We Say Good-bye”

1. Why was Mitch hyper-aware of everything as he approached and entered Morrie’s

house?

2. How had the attitude of the staff and Charlotte now changed?

3. What does having a hospice nurse on twenty-four-hour watch generally indicate?

4. How did Morrie look? How did he sound?

5. How did they say goodbye to one another?

 6. Why do you think Mitch said he would be back next Tuesday?

7. What had Morrie finally made Mitch do? What is the significance of this?

“Graduation”

1. When did Morrie die?

2. Who was in the room when he breathed his last breath? Why does Mitch believe this
happened?

3. What day of the week was he buried?

“Conclusion”

1. What does Mitch wish he could do, but knows he cannot?

2. Who does Mitch get in touch with following Morrie’s death, as he predicted?

3. What did some of the book money go towards?

4. Do you have someone in your life who has been a teacher to you; have you taken the
time to thank them? We will be doing that in our next project, so brainstorm a name
or two below.