Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
Thematic Discussion Questions
Love
o
What is love? How do you define it?
o
Are there different kinds or types of love? If so, what are they, and
how do you differentiate between them?
o
Are humans capable of loving unconditionally?
Friendship
o
What are some good “rules” of friendship?
o
Does age factor into a friendship? Explain why or why not.
o
What elevates someone to “best friend” status?
Family
o
How do you define “family”?
o
What is the “perfect” family? Explain your answer.
o
What is the best thing about your family? What is the worst thing
about your family?
Aging
o
What is the best thing about aging? What is the worst thing about
aging?
o
Why does society seem to have such a fixation on remaining young?
o
Does wisdom come with age or experience? Explain your answer.
Forgiveness
o
What do you believe about forgiveness?
o
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? “Forgive and
forget.” Explain your answer.
o
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? “Forgive
yourself before you die. Then forgive others.” Explain your answer.
Death
o
Do you fear death or dying? Explain why or why not.
o
What do you think happens when you die?
o
Have you ever had to deal with death? If so, how did you handle the
situation?
Grief
o
How and when do you grieve?
Acceptance
o
What is acceptance?
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
What a Character!
Literary Terms to Know
Define the following literary terms.
1.
antagonist
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2.
character
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3.
characterization
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4.
protagonist
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Characters to Know
Write a brief description about each of the following characters.
1.
Al Axelrad
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2.
Charlie
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3.
Charlotte
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4.
Connie
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5.
David
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6.
Eva
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7.
Janine
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8.
Lou Gehrig
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9.
Maurie Stein
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10.
Mitch Albom
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11.
Morrie Schwartz
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12.
Peter
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13.
Rob and Jon
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14.
Steven Hawking
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15.
Ted Koppel
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16.
Ted Turner
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Skills Practice
Using complete sentences, respond to the following prompts. Be sure your response
contains part of the prompt.
1.
Find an example of direct characterization. Write the text in the space
provided. Identify the character it describes.
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2.
Find an example of indirect characterization. Write the text (or part of the
text) in the space provided. Explain how you interpret the author’s
characterization.
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3.
Select one of the characters listed above. Identify the motivation behind
his/her actions.
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Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
The Curriculum—The Syllabus
Vocabulary
Define the following terms.
1.
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
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2.
demise
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3.
inexplicably
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4.
sociology
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5.
syllabus
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6.
theology
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Study Questions
Using complete sentences, respond to the following prompts. Be sure your response
contains part of the prompt. (Note: You may be able to answer multiple parts of the
prompt in a single sentence.)
1.
a) Where does Mitch Albom’s last class with Morrie Schwartz take place?
b) When do they meet, and what is the subject they study?
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2.
Identify at least three of the topics Mitch and Morrie cover.
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3.
a) Identify Morrie’s fatal illness. b) Give the date of diagnosis and the
prognosis. c) For what famous person is the disease named?
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4.
a) What is the first “loss” Morrie experiences to the disease? b) How do you
think this affects him emotionally? Provide direct textual evidence to support
your answer.
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5.
Identify at least two examples of the following rhetorical devices: simile,
metaphor, personification, or rhetorical question. Then, explain why the
author chose to use each example in such a manner.
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Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
The Student—The Orientation
Vocabulary
Define the following terms.
1.
aphorisms
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2.
deferment
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3.
gaunt
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4.
insatiable
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5.
insidious
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6.
narcissist
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7.
philosophies
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Study Questions
Using complete sentences, respond to the following prompts. Be sure your response
contains part of the prompt. (Note: You may be able to answer multiple parts of the
prompt in a single sentence.)
1.
a) How does Mitch’s life change after his uncle dies? b) Why do you think he
makes these changes?
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2.
Describe Morrie’s physical and mental condition the first time Ted Koppel
interviews him.
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3.
a) Quote one of Morrie’s aphorisms. b) Explain what you think it means.
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4.
During Koppel’s interview, how does Morrie explain his philosophy about
living with a terminal illness?
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5.
Compare and contrast Morrie Schwartz to Mitch Albom (the sports writer).
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Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
I Need a Change of Pace
Literary Terms to Know
Define the following literary terms.
1.
flashback
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2.
pacing
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3.
periodic sentence
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4.
style
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5.
syntax
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Skills Practice
Using complete sentences, respond to the following prompts. Be sure your response
contains part of the prompt.
1.
The following is an example of a periodic sentence on page fifteen.
“My favorite uncle, my mother’s brother, the man who taught me music,
taught me to drive, teased me about girls, thrown me a football—that one
adult whom I targeted as a child and said, ‘That’s who I want to be when I
grow up’—died of pancreatic cancer at the age of forty-four.”
Explain the significance of the author’s decision to use this type of sentence
at this point in the story.
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2.
Pages fifteen and sixteen supply the reader with examples of distinctive shifts
by the author in sentence length and complexity, subsets of style. Identify
at least one of these examples by writing the text (or part of the text) in the
space provided. What purpose did the author have for adjusting his style at
this point in the story?
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3.
Reread the two flashbacks in this section (pages fourteen through thirtyone). Why did the author include them?
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4.
Identify at least one use (there are several) of an em dash (—) in this
section (pages fourteen through thirty-one). Write the text (or part of the
text) in the space provided. What purpose did the author have for including
it?
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Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
The Classroom—Taking Attendance
Vocabulary
Define the following terms.
1.
gingerly
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2.
lamented
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3.
paparazzi
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4.
tabloids
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Study Questions
Using complete sentences, respond to the following prompts. Be sure your response
contains part of the prompt. (Note: You may be able to answer multiple parts of the
prompt in a single sentence.)
1.
a) How does Mitch analyze his life during the past sixteen years? b) Explain
whether or not you think he is happy with his life.
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2.
Why does Morrie describe himself as “a bridge”?
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3.
a) Explain what Morrie means by the “tension of opposites.” b) How does this
phrase exemplify Mitch’s life since college? c) Identify some of the tension of
opposites in your own life.
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4.
a) How does Mitch react to the news about the strike at the newspaper?
b) Why does he react in such a manner?
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5.
Why do you think Morrie and Mitch have such a connection, even when Mitch
is in college?
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Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
The First Tuesday—The Second Tuesday
Vocabulary
Define the following terms.
1.
atrophied
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2.
cynical
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3.
thesis
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4.
time warp
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Study Questions
Using complete sentences, respond to the following prompts. Be sure your response
contains part of the prompt. (Note: You may be able to answer multiple parts of the
prompt in a single sentence.)
1.
What does Morrie mean when he tells Mitch they are “Tuesday people”?
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2.
a) State Morrie’s aphorism about the most important thing in life. b) Explain
why you agree or disagree with this aphorism.
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3.
a) What does Morrie plan to teach his college students by silence? b) Explain
why you are more comfortable with silence or noise.
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4.
How far does Mitch travel for his Tuesday visits with Morrie?
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5.
a) Why does Mitch describe Morrie’s students in the “Group Process” as lab
rats? b) How would you react in a class like this?
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Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
The Third Tuesday—The Professor
Vocabulary
Define the following terms.
1.
ambivalence
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2.
communal
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3.
exploited
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4.
grapple
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5.
hawked
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6.
murky
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7.
nostalgia
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8.
opiate
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9.
Yiddish
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Study Questions
Using complete sentences, respond to the following prompts. Be sure your response
contains part of the prompt. (Note: You may be able to answer multiple parts of the
prompt in a single sentence.)
1.
a) Mitch identifies what subjects as important enough to discuss with Morrie?
b) Explain which of the subjects on Mitch’s list is most important to you.
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2.
What “pain” has Morrie retained for seventy years?
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3.
Why does Morrie feel responsible for David’s illness?
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4.
What significance did Eva hold in Morrie’s life?
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5.
a) How does Morrie feel about the fur factor? b) What vow does he make
because of this feeling?
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Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
The Fourth Tuesday—The Fifth Tuesday
Vocabulary
Define the following terms.
1.
agnostic
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2.
conservative
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3.
fates
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4.
lavaliere
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5.
prophet
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6.
transcend
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Study Questions
Using complete sentences, respond to the following prompts. Be sure your response
contains part of the prompt. (Note: You may be able to answer multiple parts of the
prompt in a single sentence.)
1.
a) How does Mitch react to the newest addition to Morrie’s house on the
fourth Tuesday? b) Explain what Mitch’s reaction reveals about him.
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2.
Explain what Morrie means by the following aphorism: “Once you learn how
to die, you learn how to live.”
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3.
Explain the following metaphor: “He [Morrie] was a religious mutt.”
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4.
Explain Morrie’s philosophy about family.
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5.
a) What is the state of the relationship between Mitch and Peter? b) What is
the author’s purpose in including the flashback on pages ninety-eight and
ninety-nine?
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Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
The Sixth Tuesday—The Seventh Tuesday
Vocabulary
Define the following terms.
1.
diffused
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2.
entails
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3.
levitate
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4.
reincarnation
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5.
revel
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Study Questions
Using complete sentences, respond to the following prompts. Be sure your response
contains part of the prompt. (Note: You may be able to answer multiple parts of the
prompt in a single sentence.)
1.
a) How does Morrie think a person should approach emotion? b) How does
this contrast with Mitch’s thinking? c) Explain which approach is closest to
your own manner of coping with emotion.
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2.
a) What is Morrie’s first work experience after receiving his Ph.D.? b) How
does this affect his future?
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3.
What effect does the Vietnam War have on Morrie’s department at Brandeis
University during the 1960s?
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4.
How would you react to becoming as dependent as Morrie—needing others
for everything but breathing and swallowing food?
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5.
Briefly summarize Morrie’s view on aging.
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Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
The Eighth Tuesday—The Ninth Tuesday
Vocabulary
Define the following terms.
1.
a cappella
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2.
engender
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3.
ironies
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4.
stagnated
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Study Questions
Using complete sentences, respond to the following prompts. Be sure your response
contains part of the prompt. (Note: You may be able to answer multiple parts of the
prompt in a single sentence.)
1.
a) What does Morrie mean when he refers to the “brainwashing” taking place
in the United States? b) Explain why you agree or disagree with Morrie.
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2.
What is Morrie’s philosophy about money and power?
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3.
a) What does Morrie believe is the key to a meaningful life? b) Explain
whether you agree or disagree.
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4.
Interpret and explain the quote from Mahatma Gandhi (page 129).
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5.
Explain whether or not “A Teacher to the Last” portrays Morrie’s life.
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Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
The Tenth Tuesday—The Eleventh Tuesday
Vocabulary
Define the following terms.
1.
alabaster
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2.
calisthenics
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3.
inherent
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4.
intuitive
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Study Questions
Using complete sentences, respond to the following prompts. Be sure your response
contains part of the prompt. (Note: You may be able to answer multiple parts of the
prompt in a single sentence.)
1.
a) What does Mitch think is his generation’s primary struggle with marriage?
b) How does Morrie respond to Mitch’s concerns?
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2.
What are your views on what makes for a successful marriage?
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3.
a) For what reason does Mitch mention the biblical character, Job, to Morrie?
b) What is Morrie’s response?
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4.
How has Mitch evolved during the months he has been visiting Morrie?
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5.
a) What does Morrie mean about people building their own little subculture?
b) Explain why you agree or disagree.
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Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
The Audiovisual, Part Three—The Thirteenth Tuesday
Vocabulary
Define the following terms.
1.
exotic
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2.
mantra
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3.
nurtured
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4.
patriarch
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5.
raspy
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6.
stoic
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7.
tenor
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8.
whimsical
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Study Questions
Using complete sentences, respond to the following prompts. Be sure your response
contains part of the prompt. (Note: You may be able to answer multiple parts of the
prompt in a single sentence.)
1.
a) What does Morrie tell Koppel living means to him? b) Explain whether or
not you agree with Morrie.
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2.
a) Quote Morrie’s aphorism about dying. b) How does Morrie want to die?
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3.
a) Quote Morrie’s aphorism about forgiveness. b) Explain how this applies to
himself and to others. c) Why do you think may people struggle with
forgiveness?
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4.
What are two regrets Morrie has about his life?
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5.
a) Who is Norman? b) Why is he significant to Morrie?
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6.
How does Morrie apply the “tension of opposites” to himself?
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7.
a) What does Morrie ask Mitch to do after his death? b) Why is this
significant?
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8.
a) What does Morrie consider to be the important questions in life? b) Which
of these is the most important to you? c) Why?
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9.
a) What conclusion does Mitch draw from Morrie’s depiction of a perfect day?
b) What is your idea of the perfect day?
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10.
a) What does Morrie tell Mitch about his brother? b) Speculate how Morrie’s
words might have impacted Mitch.
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Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
The Fourteenth Tuesday—The Conclusion
Vocabulary
Define the following terms.
1.
buoyant
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2.
hospice
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Study Questions
Using complete sentences, respond to the following prompts. Be sure your response
contains part of the prompt. (Note: You may be able to answer multiple parts of the
prompt in a single sentence.)
1.
a) Briefly summarize Morrie and Mitch’s farewell visit. b) How has each
changed since their first visit began?
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2.
For what purpose did the author title the chapter about Morrie’s death and
funeral “Graduation”?
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3.
a)Which of Morrie’s words does Mitch recall as he watches Morrie’s ashes
being placed into the ground? b) Why is this significant?
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4.
What does Mitch want to tell the person he was before he rediscovered
Morrie?
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5.
Predict the nature of Mitch and Peter’s future relationship since reestablishing
contact.
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6.
What does Mitch say about Morrie in the conclusion of the book?
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