Tuesdays With Morrie Essay Questions

Did you have a special relationship with a teacher or adult? Explain their impact.

Here students can write about a special teacher, parent or adult in their lives. This can be someone who has made an impact on their lives so far. What lessons have they learned from this person? This can even expand into the relationship they hope to have with this person in the future.

Have you struggled with finding your purpose in life? Explain. Mitch had trouble finding a purpose in his life. Here, students can explain if they have found their purpose or if they know what they want to accomplish in life. Who are some examples of people who have found their purpose and have been successful in life that they wish to emulate?

Morrie says everyone knows death will happen, but no one really believes it will happen to them. What are your thoughts on death? Do you feel invincible? Youth tends to have an air of invincibility about them. Here, the student can discuss their feelings on the subject. Do they feel fear? Pressure to accomplish much in the time they have remaining?

Morrie says he appreciates the small things in life, such as looking out the window at nature. What things do you appreciate and what do you think people take for granted? One of Morrie's big points to Mitch is to appreciate the small things, such as looking at nature out your window. Here, students can discuss the small things in life that have meaning to them. Also, they can ponder ways to appreciate smaller parts of their lives.

What is your perfect day and who would you spend it with? Mitch asks this question to Morrie and his answer is a pretty plain day, with no extravagant plans. Here students will explain their perfect day and the person they'd like to spend it with.

Morrie says there's no such thing as too late to do something in life. What would you like to accomplish? Is there anything that seems out of reach? Morrie tells Mitch that no matter the age or the state of your life, as long as you're living, you can still accomplish something. In his dying days, Morrie was able to teach Mitch many lessons. Students may take the book and try to apply it to their own lives.

Mitch wanted a connection with his brother. Why was this so important to him? After Morrie pressed on about their relationship, Mitch was determined to get into contact with his brother. His brother was fighting cancer and Mitch realized he needed to check in. He realized the importance of this while he watched his professor waste away and wondered if his brother was suffering a similar fate, alone.

Morrie was not a fan of the media and the images it portrayed to society. Why do you think he was so willing to let Ted Koppel and the ABC crew into his home? Morrie wanted to show a real look at aging, not the glorified, plastic surgery look we tend to see. He says people are afraid to get old. He shows that while it's not a field day, it's nothing to fear.

The reader gets a brief look into Morrie's childhood. How did his relationships with his mother, father, stepmother and brother shape him into the man he became? Morrie learned a lot from these people: death from his mother, how not to love from his father, how to love from his stepmother, and compassion and care from his Polio-stricken brother.

Morrie had a hibiscus flower in the study where he spent most of his time. How does that flower relate or compare to Morrie's life? This plant represents a circle of life. It started out young and vibrant, like Morrie, but as it aged, petals would wrinkle up and fall off. As Morrie aged, parts of his body would fail to work. They both live and they both die.