Clarisse Mae Bondoc

BSDevCom II

Tuesdays with Morrie

Moorie Schwartz is a professor at Brancheis University in the city

of Waltham, Massachusetts teaching Social Psychology. Every
Wednesday night, Morrie used to go this church in Harvard Square for
Dance Free. He twisted and twirled, he moved his arms like a
conductor. No one there knew he was a prominent doctor of sociology,
they just thought he was an old man wanted to dance.
But then he stopped dancing, he developed asthma on his
sixties. And now he was weary all the time, he had trouble in sleeping.
He also began to see doctors. Lots of them tested his blood, urine and
put a scope up his rear end and looked inside his intestines but nothing
could be found. One doctor ordered a muscle biopsy. The lab report
came back suggesting a neurological problem. On August 1994 Morrie
and his wife, Charlotte went to a neurologists office to know the
results. But unfortunately the result broke their heart. Morrie had a
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Lou Gehrigs disease, a brutal,
unforgiving illness of the neurological system. Amyotrophic Lateral
Sclerosis (ALS) is like a lit candle, it melts your nerves and leaves your
body a pile of wax. Often, it begins with the legs and works its way up.
Day by day, week by week that was the end of his arriving on his way,
walking free and the end of his privacy.
Morrie came to Brandeis campus to teach his final college course
and hobbled into the classroom. The university understood the
situation of Morrie. Morries condition was not became a burden to stop
living instead he proved that the word dying was not synonymous with
useless.
Until one day Mitch saw his old professor in an interview with Ted
Koppel, the host of Tvs Nightline. Mitch promised to Morrie that they
will still in touch but unfortunately it didnt happen. Mitch uncle died in
pancreatic cancer, at age 44. Mitch promised to himself that he will not
end up like his uncle. Mitch strived harder and took a job in Detroit as a
Columnist for the Detroit Press Columnist. Mitch met Janine and after
seven years of courtship they got married, despite of busy schedule of
Mitch, Janine doesnt complained why his husband buried himself in
works and accomplishments.
On West Newton of a large Japanese maple tree three figures
sitting near in the driveway, a young man and a middle age woman is
flanking a small old man in wheel chair. After 16 years Mitch and Morrie
saw each other again. Every Tuesday Mitch and Morrrie scheduled to
have a class on Morries office, they talked about different meaning of
life and how to live into the fullest.

2. List down three questions that come to your mind while

reading the text,
Then choose one and explore it more fully.
* What was the best lesson that Mitch got from Morrie?

* Why other people are not contented with what they have?
* Why Morrie was not afraid to die?

I selected the third question why Morrie was not afraid to die.
Before Morrie died he became an inspirational to others especially to
Mitch. Morrie shared his thoughts to Mitch on how life could be, on how
life goes and how to face life with courage. As the story goes on, Morrie
is not afraid to face the death because he knows he left something to
the people, his words of wisdom. This story also teaches us not to be
afraid of death. As Morrie said, we will die anyhow. It was part living.
We will live and we will die. It proves that there's nothing permanent in
this world.

3. Explain the emotions that the literary text awoke in you or

which you felt while or after reading the piece.
After Ive read this story I felt that Im so grateful to my life, to
my family and to those people who sticks on me no matter what I am.
Also always put your feet on the ground and be contented.
Whatever happens, look at it in a positive way.

4. Copy a part of the literary text which is striking, puzzling or

enlightening for you and why?
Once you learn how to die, you learn how to live
As they say, no gains without pain. We need to experience
struggles or hardships before we appreciate life. Sometimes we lose
special people in our lives to appreciate the ones left; financial
problems for us to realize how difficult sometimes life could be.

5. Identify the theme of the story.

It states the importance of life. Do the things that could make
you happy but always remember when you make decisions, choose
what is right, not just what makes you happy. It also tackled about
death, that we must not afraid to face death.

6. Write a critique of the work using an appropriate literary

approach or theory.
READER-RESPONSE THEORY

This story is amazingly inspirational it teaches how to value our

life and family. At the end of the day, your family is the only one who
will stick on you no matter what and who you are, they will love and
support you. The fact is, there is no foundation, no secure ground,
upon which people may stand today if it isnt the family. If you dont
have the support and love and caring and concern that you get from a
family, you dont have much at all. Love is so supremely important.
"Learn to forgive yourself and to forgive others" We are all
humans we can commit mistakes, but everyone deserve a second

chance. Live life into the fullest.