ISU Comparative Essay

Another aspect that is present between both these books is the sense of guidance given by the father figures in each book.  In A Million Little Pieces, the visiting with his parents has brought James closer to the cliff from which he’s only begun to retreat.  The fury comes back each day now, and where, only a short while ago, he could find calm in himself simply by focusing on the good things in his life, he now must revert to such ghastly acts as ripping off his own toenail to make the fury go away.  Within this section of the book is the positive turning point for James, however.  He participates in the Family Program with none of the sarcasm that is evident in the first half of the book.  When the time comes for him to hold hands with everyone in the group meeting, he does so without a single protest.  James also voices out loud how awful it is for him finally to be able to see himself as others see him.  He says that he sees himself as a monster and that he is utterly ashamed and embarrassed for his parents.  Being put in an institution where the victim’s problems are supposed to be healed is truly showing the guidance from the father figures and with the participation with James in the Family Program shows guidance and the true feelings of care and love for his son.

Guidance is also shown in Tuesdays with Moorie when Moorie’s personality is further revealed when Mitch relays the story of his former professor’s wild nights at “Dance Free” in Harvard Square.  Moorie is an old man with an exceptionally youthful, enduring spirit, which preserves throughout his illness and will play a key role in his Tuesday lessons with Mitch.  When the body that contains Moorie’s youthful spirit is prescribed an expiration date by medical professionals, Moorie surely feels as if a part of him as been killed, as he can no longer enjoy even dancing, his long-time favourite hobby.  Upon learning of his illness, Moorie wonders why the world does not stop and acknowledge his illness.  He is perturbed at the sight of men and women going about their daily routine, namely because his routine has been capped.  Life as he knows it is essentially over, and the story that follows tells of how Moorie copes with his own death sentence.  Moorie is a very honest man, and throughout the book, must rely on his friends, family, and aides to do nearly everything from him, even the most personal necessities, such as undressing, which Tony must do for him in the pool locker room.  Despite this dependency, Moorie is not embarrassed as it shows that due to his illness, guidance from other individuals to complete is routine tasks are mandatory in order to ensure that his daily schedules flow without interruptions.

One final aspect that is apparent in both of these books is the idea of advice giving.  In A Million Little Pieces, James and his parents reach several milestones, but probably the most important is James’s willingness to initiate the physical contact with them.  He says he can feel the fury rising but quells it.  James is learning that instant gratification is perhaps not a part of the solution.  He also feels a small sense of joy when he initiates contact with his parents.  He seems also surprised to discover that this act creates an immediate sense of family.  The entire time he was looking for something, it was right there all along.  All he had to do was give in a little and accept some help from those who were closest to him.  Another important step is James’s decision to hide his friends and his girlfriend from his parents.  He makes a conscience effort to disclose everything about his current life, telling them that his best friend is some sort of mobster, that his other friends are crackheads and drunks, and that his girlfriend is a pill-popper and former prostitute.  He finds that his parents are more concerned with whether his friends are nice people and whether he loves his girlfriend.  This knowledge is refreshing, and it gives James the capability to be more honest with them as time goes on and as they begin to mine the important parts of his life.  By letting out everything on his mind to his parents, he will now be able to receive advice from his councillors as well as his parents without taking it as severe criticism and this will be beneficial to him in the future as it will help to reshape his life.  

Advice and recommendation is also seen in Tuesdays with Moorie.  Throughout the book, we see Mitch as a character, and how he has transformed from an ambitious, hopeful young man into a money- grubbing professional who has abandoned his long-harboured dreams for financial security.  It is clear that Mitch feels disconnected with the man he was in his youth, but desperately wants to re-establish a connection with his forgotten dreams and values.  Mitch had abandoned his dreams at a very vulnerable period in his life, as he had grown increasingly discouraged by his failure playing the nightclub circuit, and to compound his disillusionment, had lost his favourite uncle, to whom he was very close.  More than any other factor, it is his uncle's death that Mitch finds the most disturbing, and from then on sees life as a race to beat the clock, sucking dry every moment of life to win money and power in the business world.  Mitch feels helpless as he watches his uncle die slowly and painfully of cancer, and yearns for some sense of control in his own life, which he eventually gains when he adopts a steady work routine and gains financial security, two perks absent from his piano touring days.  Mitch's relationship to his uncle is comparable to his relationship with Morrie, in that they have both affected his general outlook on life.  However, it is vital to notice the difference between the two men and Mitch's reaction to each of their lifestyles.  Mitch makes a conscious and earnest effort to be as unlike his uncle as he can possibly be, opting for various jobs in various locales so that he may avoid the terrible monotony of corporate life he had seen his uncle suffer through.  However, Mitch does say that he models himself after his uncle, as he models himself after Morrie.  Both men come across as kind and giving and both have shaped Mitch as a person.  In his reunion with Morrie, though, he realizes that by trying not to live the life his uncle had led, he has only done himself harm.  He has immersed himself in work, not love, and is therefore unsatisfied. Seeking happiness in love versus seeking happiness in money serves as one of Morrie's most important lessons, as it is repeated numerous times throughout the book.  

After comparing both these books with strict and effective examples from each of the novels, A Million Little Pieces written by James Frey, and Tuesdays with Moorie, written Mitch Albom, it is evident that the father-son relationship was prevalent throughout both stories.  This father-son relationship was a helpful source to the main characters of each book and their journeys.  There was the giving of advice and the giving of guidance from the fathers.  As with this theme, there is respect for the father figures by the sons, which easily creates an open relationship between the two members. The father-son relationship is a journey that is filled of growth and fulfillment and it was evident between both of these novels.