Morrie Schwartz

Morrie is a retired college professor in the book, “Tuesdays with Morrie”. He had taught college classes on sociology at Brandeis University. He had very different styles of teaching and really connected with his students. However, he was forced to retire after he was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease. ALS caused many problems for his life however Morrie doesn’t view them as hardships, but rather turns them into a new class to teach others.

Morrie made a strong relationship with one student, Mitch Albom. After graduation Mitch tells Morrie that he will keep in contact with him after college. Unfortunately Mitch got tied up in his job and missed what was truly important to him. He goes 16 years without any contact with his old college professor. After seeing an interview on “Nightline” of Morrie he remembers him and decides to go visit him. These visits end up being a final class on life for Mitch, once they begin to meet every Tuesday leading up to Morrie’s death. These meetings make Mitch start evaluating his own life and see if he is doing what he should be doing with it and whether or not he is truly happy.

Although Morrie was on the path to death he was a very cheerful man. Mitch would ask if he ever felt bad for himself and he said in the morning he would allow himself a few minute of self-pity where he would cry and then move on to the rest of the day cheerful. He showed that it is ok to feel bad for yourself but then move on to see the other happy things in your life. Even an old man that’s about to die and can barely walk and has to have someone care for him is able to find joy in his life. He is able to see that bright side of his suffering like now people coming and visiting him like Mitch does.

Morrie's amazing lessons about life in general that he teaches Mitch really affect him. Mitch reevaluates his life and starts to make changes after he realizes he isn’t really happy and that no amount of money could bring him true happiness. Mitch turns back into the person he once was in college, a person he really wanted to be, and not who today’s culture wants him to be. Morrie teaches him how to love others and about forgiveness. Mitch learns from all of Morrie’s life experiences.

The changes in Mitch’s life make Morrie a hero. He fixed a man’s life and gave him true love and joy which is something that is often lacking in peoples’ lives today. And fixing Mitch’s life enables him to go on and love others and do the same which in turn changes even more peoples’ lives. The lessons that can be taken from the way Morrie lived his last weeks can affect anyone and make them see the change that needs to happen in their own lives. He saved a life from the death of society, a very heroic act.