The Associated Press Sports Editors named Albom the #1 Sports Columnist in the Nation, the highest honor in the field, twelve times in thirteen years. The more than 100 writing awards Albom has received include five first-place APSE honors for feature writing as well as honors from AP, UPI, Headliners Club, the American Society of Newspaper Editors and National Sportswriters and Broadcasters Associations.
An accomplished songwriter and lyricist, Albom is a Philadelphia native with a background that ranges from stints as a nightclub singer and pianist to an amateur boxer. He holds masters degrees in journalism and business administration from Columbia University. He is married and lives in a suburb of Detroit.
An Analysis of Mitch Albom
Tuesday’s with Morrie
“Accept what you are able to do and what you are not able to do’; “Accept the past as past, without denying it or discarding it;” Learn to forgive yourself and to forgive others”; “Don’t assume that it’s too late to get involved ” – Morrie Schwartz
- Setting
The setting took place by a window in the house of Morrie Schwartz where he could watch a small hibiscus plant shed its pink leaves. The class between Mitch Albom and Morrie Schwartz met on Tuesdays. Their conversation is about “The Meaning of Life” and it was taught from experiences.
- Characterization
- Main Characters
2.1.1 Morrie Schwartz - Mitch's favorite professor from Brandeis University, suffers from ALS .He shares his emotions openly. He has an enthusiasm of dancing. He accepts whatever he has. He admits his aging and death. He educates Mitch about “The Meaning of Life”.
2.1.1.1 good guy
2.1.1.2 victor- man vs. himself
2.1.2 Mitch Albom - The student of Morrie Schwartz who learned “The Meaning of Life” that accepts aging and death. He is a sports writer. He graduated from Brandeis University.
2.1.2.1 good guy
2.1.2.2 victor- hero
2.2 Supporting Characters
2.2.1 Connie - Morrie's home helper who always there to assist Morrie eating his meals, wiping Morrie’s butt and lifting to get to his chair.
2.2.2. Charlie - Morrie's unemotional father who immigrated to America to escape the Russian Army. He raised Morrie and Morrie’s younger brother David
2.2.3 Janine – She is Mitch's wife and a professional singer. She is shy about her talent and a perfectionist about conditions.
2.2.4 Peter - Mitch's younger brother who tries to find a treatment on his pancreatic cancer.
2.2.5 Charlotte – She is Morrie’s wife and a professor at M.I.T. She take care Morrie from the ALS
2.2.6 Rob and Jon – They are Morrie’s beloved two adult sons.
2.2.7Eva - An Immigrant woman who Charlie marries after Morrie's mother dies. She stands as a loving stepmother for Morrie and David.
2.2.8 Norman - An old friend of Morrie's who sculpted a bust of Morrie.
2.2.9 Ted Koppel - A famous interviewer from the show “Nightline”. He had a conference with Morrie Schwartz for three interviews.
2.2.10 David - Morrie’s younger brother who born after his mother’s death. He suffered from Polio after playing in the rain with Morrie.
3. Point of View
3.1 Third Person Omniscient
Mitch Albom, The Author of “Tuesday’s with Morrie”, knows and sees what happened on the novel. He narrates the life of Morrie during his college years,
And by time Morrie suffered from ALS. He reveals the feelings and reactions of every character in the novel.
- Plot
- Romance
The story revolves around with Morrie and His student Mitch. They have a close relationship with each other. Mitch use to promise Morrie that he will keep in touch. They have a so-called “class” that instructs about “The Meaning of Life”.
Mitch shows his tender care for Morrie by bringing bunch of grocery foods yet Morrie is not able to eat it.
- Conflict, Climax, Anti-Climax, Ending
- Conflict
The novel is a man vs. himself. When Morrie Schwartz diagnosed from ALS, he gave up his hobby of dancing. His condition worsens because he could no longer enjoy eating solid foods. He feared that one time he won’t longer able to wipe himself after using the bathroom and it signifies his ultimate dependency.
- Climax
Morrie stood up for his self. He became more appreciated on the things around him. He used to write letters to his’ friends and relatives. He accepted his occurrence of death and aging. Every Tuesday, Morrie and Mitch had conference with each other.
- Anti-Climax
Morrie was featured in the show called “Nightline” interviewed by Ted Koppel. On Their first Tuesday, Morrie and Mitch talk with each other about what was happening in the world. The next Tuesday, They share their feeling sorry for self. The third Tuesday, Mitch wrote his regrets on his life. The fourth Tuesday, they talked about death. And the following Tuesdays they discussed about family, emotions, aging, money, how love goes on, marriage, culture, forgiveness, perfect day and saying good-bye with each other.
- Ending
Morrie taught everything to Mitch. He also instructed Mitch to show love and care. Every teaching from Morrie was based on his experiences. On there last Tuesday, Morrie told Mitch to tell stories about Mitch’ brother. Morrie prophesy that Mitch will once more become close with his brother, a prophecy which, after Morrie's death, is realized. At Morrie's funeral, Mitch recalls his promise to continue his conversations with his professor and conducts a silent dialogue with Morrie in his head.
- Main Theme
The novel refers to facing of fear, being considerate and show love for others. Even though life has limit, we should not fear nor be a pessimistic person. Even our life looks like incomplete; we should be considerate on the things around us. We must learn to give love and accept love. No matter neither what race we are, nor status in our life we must know that we are equal.
- Literary Devices
- Dialogue
“Morrie, can you talk?” Connie asked
“I’m visiting with my own pal now;” he announced
“Here’s the Thing” he said
- Monologue
“What happened to me?” I asked myself
I asked myself “am I Going to withdraw from the world, like most people do, or am I going to live?’ I decided I’m going to leave or at least try to live the way I want, with dignity, with courage, with humor, with composure”
- Flashback
“By the start of my senior year,…. Morrie suggests I try an honor thesis”
“It is the late spring of 1979... When the ceremony was over, we threw our caps in the air and we are officially graduated from college….”
“It is a winter in my childhood, on a snow-packed hill on our suburban neighborhood.”
“It is my freshman year, Morrie is older than most of the teachers…….”
“It is our first class together, in the spring of 1976.”
- Foreshadowing
“The last class of my old professor’s life took place once a week in his house, by a window in the study where he could watch a small hibiscus plant shed its pink leaves. The class met on Tuesdays.”
- Style
Mitch Albom’s ways of using words were simple yet inspiring. The story is fully detailed from the flashback to foreshadow. The content of the novel is significant. The styles of Mitch Albom were quite unique because it is like a biography but a motivating story.
- Bibliography
Reference:
Tuesday’s With Morrie
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