What would you do if you were told you were going to die in a matter of days or weeks, and life as you know it would completely change? What would you do in your last days alive? One of the things our generation struggles with the most nowadays is finding their place in life and through the process, they get lost and forget what truly matters. As we progress, we tend to forget all the things that are essential to what we all deserve, our happiness. This is where Tuesdays with Morrie comes into play. This memoir is narrated by the closest student of Morrie Schwarts, an old college professor who retired due to his diagnosis of ALS.
In this book, Mitch (the author) writes about his life before and after meeting Morrie, and the lessons learned after being reunited with him during their weekly tuesday meetings upon Morrie’s death. To Mitch, Morrie was more than just a professor, he was a friend and family. Mitch Albom, author of Tuesdays with Morrie, uses Societal, cultural, and symbolic references to enhance his main purpose on writing this memoir which is to preserve and share the memory of his teacher Morrie and his lessons, lessons about the biggest topic yet and why it’s worthwhile, Life.
The societal references present in Tuesdays with Morrie contribute a whole lot to the author’s main purpose. For example, when Mitch and Morrie are talking about how “Money is not a substitute for tenderness, and power is not a substitute for tenderness,” he points out the things our society revolves on (Albom 125). Morrie says this as he and Mitch discuss about one of our society’s flaws, our main focus on money and power during their first tuesday. For Morrie, one of the main things that make life worthwhile is love, love which one gives and recieves.
So Morrie saying this is his way of saying how money can’t buy one of the key things that make up life’s worth, happiness. Money can’t buy love or affection, and for people to be happy they need to feel some sort of form of these things. As he once said, “Love each other or perish” (Albom 149). There is no point in living without any love because it is love that enriches the soul, the core of one’s being. Another example can be seen when Morrie discusses about how” the big things—how we think, what we value—those [we] must choose [ourselves].
You can’t let anyone or any society-determine those for you” (Albom 155). Morrie said this to Mitch upon his arrival during their eleventh tuesday together. Going back to our Society’s flaws, this is another factor that gets in the way of people finding the meaning of life, which ironically happens to be the thing that does everything for our own good. Our society has this idea of what we should be and what we can and cannot do in order for us to match up their perfectionist idiols which are right according to them.
This is what troubles our generation, mostly our young and hopeful youth. They have been brainwashed into thinking of what they should be instead of being who they really are. This is why Morrie pointing out how it should be ourselves that should determine who we are instead of society is a great adress to a big problem today, which emphasizes the purpose of this book. In order for individuals to figure out what makes life worth living they must first be true to themselves. The author’s purpose on Tuesdays with Morrie is enhanced through the mentioning of Societal references.
Another factor that amplifies Mitch Albom’s purpose on writing Tuesdays with Morrie are Cultural references. You can see this when Morrie talks about why some people are unhappy and that is because “for one thing, the culture we have does not make people feel good about themselves. We’re teaching the wrong things. And you have to be strong enough to say if the culture doesn’t work, don’t buy it. Create your own” (Albom 42). Morrie said this to Mitch upon reuniting with him.
This quote is saying how culture can create a barrier between people and ontentment because of the different views it has on certain things such as how one should dress, what avocation to have, what to believe in as in religion, etc. Individuals not always necessarily agree with all of their culture’s beliefs, which the solution to it in the eyes of Morrie, is if you dont believe in it, do not do it. Do not agree with your culture? Then do not follow it. One has the personal freedom of creating a culture of their own that personally suits them. So in order to achieve a happy life and find the true meaning of life, one must get rid of everthing that makes them unhappy.
An additional reference about culture is shown when Mitch and Morrie are discussing death and how although Morrie borrowed freely from all religions, he still believed in some “of the philosoplhies of Bhuddism and Christianity, and he still felt at home, culturally, in judaism” (Albom 81). Morrie and Mitch have this conversation during their fourth tuesday, while they talk about death and how Morrie felt comfortable with the idea of it. Even though Morrie did not have a specific inclination towards any sort of religion, he still believed that even after we die, a part of us does not and will never dissapear regardless on what we believe in.
Like he said during his fourth tuesday with Mitch, “Once you learn how to die, you learn how to live” (Albom 82). Every religion or spiritual group have their own views on death and what comes after it, but one thing they all share in common is the need for us to make the best of things before death comes. “There’s something about death that is comforting. The thought that you could die tomorrow frees you to appreciate your life now”—Angelina Jolie. One has to be aware of our impending end to really make an effort to find what is worth living for, which is the author’s purpose, to appreciate the gift of life.
Cultural references in Tuesdays with Morrie stregthen the author’s main purpose for writing it. The final component that bestows to Mitch Album’s purpose for writing Tuesdays with Morrie are the symbolic examples illustrated in his work. An example is shown when Morrie tells Mitch how he had heard a story about some waves and how one of the waves was afraid of crashing and how he’ll become nothing when this other wave said to it : “You’re not a wave, you are part of the ocean. ” (Albom 180). Mitch recalls this story after having visited Morrie during their final tuesday together.
The reason why this supports the author’s purpose is how the “wave” is part of the “ocean” (Albom 180). The wave symbolizes Morrie and how he is a part of something far greater, the game of life and how once you have been in it, you leave your imprint which becomes everlasting. We as a group of beings struggle so much with ourselves and our very existence since we are not aware that we are a part of something greater. This symbolic reference is a great message to all who read this book because it let’s them know how they are not alone, how we are all in the same team.
Another symbol is Morrie’s hibiscus plant. During one of their meetings, Morrie asked Mitch to bring him the plant, and then explains: “It’s natural to die,” he said again. “The fact that we make such a big hullabaloo over it is all because we don’t see ourselves as part of nature. We think because we’re human we’re something above nature.. We’re not. Everything that gets born, dies” (Albom 173). Morrie explains this to Mitch during their thirteenth tuesday. The plant symbolizes life’s cycle.
Though as humans we’re not above nature, in our ability to observe the plant we can see the inevitable—and perfectly natural-cycle of living and then dying. And even though death waits at the end, we are still able to see the beauty of the plant in its life—and it is this beauty in living that Morrie tries so hard to recognize and appreciate it while it lasts. This shows the idea of how once you get the meaning of life which is to appreciate all the little things we tend to disregard such as nature, is when you finally start living.
The symbolic elements in this novel further help express the author’s reason for writing this novel. The use of symbolic, cultural, and societal examples present in the novel help express Mitch Albom’s purpose for writing this memoir, Tuesdays with Morrie, which reason is to share his old professor’s lessons and life’s meaning while also maintaining the memory of his teacher Morrie. As a recap, this essay talks about Morrie’s final lesson that he ever taught Mitch from personal expririence, the meaning of life.
In order for us to really find the meaning of life, it is essential that we keep in mind the questions: What would you do if you were to die soon? What makes it worth living though we are all challenged daily with obstacles? Tuesdays with Morrie’s whole emphasis is on life, and how we should make the best out of every day for life is a fleeting gift. This book which is narrated by Mitch albom, past Student of Morrie (whose life and struggle with ALS are narrated in this novel) is a beutiful story about an old man, a young man, and life’s greatest lesson.