Hw 23 - Illness & Dying Book, Part 2

Tuesdays With Morrie
Mitch Albom
Published by Doubleday
Year of Publishing: 1997


For the second- third of the book, Morrie's condition has worsened, meanwhile his "mind" and "soul" as he would say it, was just fine. Through his worsening condition, Morrie's calm demeanor seems to be providing Mitch with some much needed time to reflect on himself and take in even more of Morrie's life lessons. To sum it up the most simple way; along with the progression of Morrie's ALS, came the progression of Mitch's mind. 


(Page 116) Morrie says: "It's like going back to being a child again. Someone to bathe you. Someone to lift you. Someone to wipe you. We all know how to be a child. It's inside all of us. For me, it's just remembering how to enjoy it." 
Morrie is connecting his dependency on others and Charlotte, to being a child again. He is putting  his dependency in a positive spot for him.  


(Page 101) Charlotte says: "There's already so much food. He hasn't eaten any from last time."
I found this quote to be extremely significant because it was one of the first signs of Morrie's ALS slowly draining his life away. This was one of the first indicators to both Mitch, and the reader that Morrie is actually dying. This quote was almost a reality check on the actuality of Morrie's condition. 


(Page 126) Morrie says: "There's a big confusion in this country over what we want versus what we need,"...."You need food , you want a chocolate sundae"
I find that this quote by Morrie basically means Americans have a tendency to be materialistic, and go above and beyond what they need, and get a refined, upgraded version of what they need just to make them happier for the moment. This  message in particular can be directly connected to Mitch, because Mitch valued the power and money he gained with his job. He chose everything job related over the traditional values in his life, such as his family and even Morrie himself. I believe without a doubt, that Morrie intended to get this message in particular through to Mitch, and that Mitch got this message across the strongest of all of Morrie's messages.


In the second- third of "Tuesdays With Morrie", I feel that the portrayal of illness and dying has shifted slightly. Initially illness and dying was portrayed as something you need to make a positive out of, and do the best with your situation, however; now it seems that the insights Morrie is giving to Mitch is giving Morrie a deep sense of responsibility and relevance. I believe the message that "Tuesdays with Morrie" is sending across according to illness and dying is, with the rest of your time, it is necessary to hand down the information and experience that your life (along with illness and dying) has given you to a person worthy of the information. Mitch is this important person for Morrie. Morrie is aware of his allotted time, and feels that it is his responsibility to give Mitch every bit of wisdom and knowledge he has, in hopes that Mitch will do the same for someone else.