The Curriculum

 What do we learn about Mitch from this chapter?

 What are the physical and personality characteristics of Morrie that we learn from Mitch?

 How does Mitch feel about Morrie?

 At the end of the flashback, Albom states, “He asks if I will stay in touch, and without
hesitation I say, ‘Of course.’” Do you believe this statement? Why do you think it is included in
the book?

The Syllabus

 Describe Mitch’s transformation after his graduation from Brandeis University. What would
Morrie say about Mitch’s transformation?

 Describe the meeting between Morrie and Ted Koppel. How does Morrie’s attitude toward
Ted help to illustrate how Morrie feels about society?

 Analyze the memory at the end of “The Audiovisual” chapter. Why do you think Mitch
included that memory? What do you think of the idea of teachers and students being
friends?

The Student

 Explain Mitch’s first experience with death.

 How did Mitch’s uncle’s death change Mitch? Do you think that Mitch’s reaction is normal?
Why or why not?

 How is Mitch’s frantic work pace driven by his past?

 How would Morrie feel about the Mitch who is described in this chapter?

The Audiovisual

 How has Morrie changed physically since the onset of his disease?

 Why does Morrie refuse to dress up for his interview?

 How do you know that Morrie allows himself to grieve?

 Describe Morrie’s greatest dread about the disease.

 Why is the memory inserted at the end of the chapter?

The Orientation

 Contrast Morrie’s life with Mitch’s life at the very beginning of this “final class.”

 Why might Mitch be uncomfortable meeting Morrie again?

 Explain how you know that Mitch recognizes that he is not the same person he was in
college.

 Explain the metaphor of the food and meal that Mitch receives when he first visits Morrie.

The Classroom
  Have you found someone to share your heart with?

 Are you giving to your community?

 Are you at peace with yourself?

 Are you trying to be as human as you can be?

 What nicknames do Mitch and Morrie use for one another? What do the nicknames imply?

 What does Morrie believe is the cause of people’s unhappiness?

 The narration states, “Then Morrie did something that haunts me to this day.” Describe what
Morrie does that is so disturbing for Mitch?

 Summarize the memory that follows Mitch’s promise to come back and visit Morrie.

 What does Morrie believe always wins the tension of opposites?

Taking Attendance

 Compare Mitch’s culture with Morrie’s culture. Explain which culture is more similar to your
own.

 How does Morrie believe a person gets meaning in his or her life?

 What happens when Mitch returns from London? How does Mitch react?

 List three things that you learn from the memory at the end of this chapter.

The 1st Tuesday

 Why does Morrie try to stay caught up on the news? To whom does Morrie feel the closest?

 How is Morrie’s reaction to the world’s news different than Mitch’s reaction?

 Explain the following quotation “Maybe death is the great equalizer, the one big thing that
can finally make strangers shed a tear for one another.”

 Explain the experiment that Morrie conducts with his class at Brandeis. What does the reader
learn about Mitch and Morrie through the experience?

 What is the reader supposed to learn from this chapter?

The 2nd Tuesday

 Describe how Mitch is changing through these Tuesday meetings.

 How has the disease progressed?

 Describe how Morrie perceives self-pity and mourning.

 Would you consider Morrie a pessimist or an optimist? Explain your choice.

 What is happening with the strike at Mitch’s newspaper? What does it illustrate in light of the
conversations that Mitch and Morrie are having?

 Describe the event that prompts Mitch to realize that time is running out with Morrie.

 When Mitch says that he needs to do something, what do you think he is going to do?
  How does Mitch’s memory of his junior year in college compare with his experiences with
Morrie now?

The 3rd Tuesday

 How does Morrie respond to Mitch’s question?

 What conclusion does Mitch make about Morrie’s response?

 Explain the purpose of the last line of the chapter.

The list was in my bag when I returned to West Newton for the fourth time, a Tuesday in late August
when the air-conditioning at the Logan Airport terminal was not working, and people fanned
themselves and wiped sweat angrily from their foreheads, and every face I saw looked ready to kill
somebody

 To what time does the memory take the reader?

 Morrie encourage Mitch to write an honor’s thesis. What is the topic?

 How does Morrie’s reaction to Mitch’s thesis illustrate the tension of opposites?

The Audiovisual, Part Two

 Compare Ted Koppel’s first visit with Morrie to this visit. How do things change?

 Who is Morrie Stein?

 What does Ted Koppel wonder about Morrie’s relationship with his friend Morrie Stein?

 What does the reader learn about Morrie as he relates a letter to Ted Koppel?

The Professor

 Explain the connection between this chapter and the previous chapter. How does the focus of
this chapter change from the story so far?

 How is the way Morrie confronted his mother’s death similar to the way Mitch confronted
Morrie’s death?

 Describe Morrie’s childhood.

 Describe how does Morrie’s childhood influence his adulthood?

 Does Mitch agree with Morrie’s career choice? How do you know?
The 4th Tuesday

 Describe Morrie’s mood as the chapter begins.

 What does Morrie believe are people’s attitudes about death?

 According to the book, what question should a person ask himself or herself every day in
order to live life to the fullest?

 What does Morrie observe about Mitch’s life? Do you think his observation is correct? Explain
why or why not.

 Describe Mitch’s attitude toward spiritualism?

The 5th Tuesday

 What does Morrie imply when he says:

There is no experience like having children. That’s all. There’s no substitute for it. You cannot do it with
a friend. You cannot do it with a lover. If you want the experience of having complete responsibility for
another human being, and to learn how to love and bond in the deepest way, then you should have
children.

 Would Morrie agree that everyone should have children? Why or why not?

 Describe the differences between Mitch and his brother.

 What happens to Mitch’s brother? How does Mitch feel about this?

 How does his brother deal with the illness?

 How does the memory that Mitch inserts in the story connect with the previous chapter?

The 6th Tuesday

 What does the food that Mitch brings Morrie represent in this chapter?

 What does Charlotte tell Mitch that he brings to Morrie? Why does she tell him this?

 What does Morrie want Mitch to learn how to do? Why does this confuse Mitch?

 Explain Morrie’s “Theory of Detachment.”

The Professor, Part Two

 Before Morrie is a professor, where does he work? Why?

 What does Morrie learn through his observations of the female patient at the hospital?

 How does what the reader learns about Morrie in this chapter reflect what Morrie tries to
teach Mitch?

The 7th Tuesday

 The chapter begins with the following lines:“Morrie lost his battle. Someone was now wiping
his behind.”How is this a turning point for Morrie? How does he deal with the situation?
  Why has Mitch gone from being proud of saying his age to not wanting to bring it in to
conversation? What is Morrie’s response?

 What does Morrie envy about young people?

The 8th Tuesday

 Explain Morrie’s view of materialism.

 How does Morrie believe a person should find a meaningful life?

 How does Mitch feel about his life as it reflects his attitude toward materialism?

 Describe the wealth the surrounds Morrie.

 According to the quote from Mahatma Gandhi, does one have to die to be reborn? Explain.

The 9th Tuesday

 What does Morrie want on his tombstone?

 What does Mitch believe is Morrie’s special talent?

 Describe the relationship between Morrie and his father. How does it influence the type of
father Morrie is today?

 Describe Morrie’s father’s death. How did his death prepare Morrie for his own death?

 What does the story of the Desana reflect about life?

The 10th Tuesday

 Who is the new visitor that comes to see Morrie? What do we learn about this person based
on this visit?

 What does Mitch discover when he and Janine come to visit Morrie? How does Mitch react
to this discovery? What does he decide to do instead?

 How does Mitch describe the commitment of marriage?

Discussion Questions for Next Class

 Morrie claims that American/Capitalist culture make people feel threatened, which in turn
makes people mean and nasty. How do you think a culture/society can threaten someone?
Do you ever feel threatened by your culture/society? (Culture)

 What does Morrie mean when he talks about creating your own little subculture? (Culture)

 What do you think of people speaking to God or a god? (Audiovisual)

 Morrie states that we need to forgive ourselves before we die, and then forgive others. Why
do we need to forgive ourselves? Do you think it is easier to forgive ourselves or others?
(Forgiveness)

The 11th Tuesday

 How does the reader know that Morrie is close to the end?

 How does Morrie believe that people can change?

 Explain the irony when the Trial of the Century reaches its conclusion and its connection to
Morrie’s life.

 How does the story about the 1979 basketball game reflect who Morrie is as a person?

The Audiovisual, Part Three

 Describe Morrie’s relationship with Ted. Would Morrie consider it a relationship or a business
deal?

 How is this interview different from the previous two?

 How does Morrie respond when Ted asks him if he is more afraid of death now that it is
near?

 What glimpse do we get of Morrie’s religion? Does it seem consistent with the way Morrie
spoke about religion before?

The 12th Tuesday

 How does Morrie need to forgive himself?

 Again, Mitch is surprised that Morrie feels lucky in spite of his disease? Why does Morrie feel
lucky?

 Explain the symbolism in the following statement: “The hibiscus plant behind his head was
still holding on, small but firm.”

 Describe the place Morrie chooses to be buried.

 What does Morrie ask Mitch to do after Morrie passes away?

The 13th Tuesday

 Why does Morrie want to be cremated?

 Morrie believes that we are part of nature. The reader is reminded of this imagery every time
the text describes the life cycle of the hibiscus plant. Even though we are part of nature, how
does Morrie believe that we are different?

 Explain the following quote: “Death ends a life, not a relationship.”

 Why does Morrie believe that he could never become the man he once was?

The 14th Tuesday

 Why does Mitch continue to bring food to Morrie’s family?

 Morrie’s aphorism “When you’re in bed, you’re dead” seems to be working. How does this
image work its way in to the chapter?

 What is Morrie finally able to make Mitch do?

Graduation

 How is Morrie’s death different from the way in which he lived his life in the months before
his death?
  How might Morrie’s and Mitch’s relationship be considered circular?

Conclusion

 Describe Mitch before and after his renewed relationship with Morrie.

 What becomes of Mitch’s relationship with his brother Daniel?

 Explain why Mitch Albom wrote the book.

 Explain what you believe to be the ultimate lesson the reader is supposed to take away from
the book.