Tuesday’s with Morrie Journal Prompts Journal 1 • Mitch Albom did not title his novel carelessly. Why do you think he chose An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life’s Greatest Lesson as the subtitle? What lessons could these people learn from each other? It common for young people to learn from the older generation, but what can older people learn from the young? • Write a paragraph in which you explain what each age group could learn from the other. Journal 2 • In “The Curriculum” and “The Syllabus” there are several examples of figurative language (metaphor, simile, hyperbole, and personification) used to describe things, actions, and people. • Find 10 examples you found within these chapters. • MLA Citations! Example: (Albom 11). Journal 3 • In this brief chapter, Albom goes into detail about the man he was as a college student and the man he becomes after graduating. Albom’s dreams are shattered after a career setback and the death of a loved one. As a result, he throws himself entirely into the world of work and money. Albom’s descriptions of himself present an image of the man he was and what he has become. Consider Albom’s journey from idealist college student to harried sports journalist, and note particular examples of how he has changed. • Draw a T-chart on your paper. Then draw a cartoon picture of Mitch before and after. Label your picture with HOW Mitch has changed. Journal 4 • Think about the following quote: “So many people walk around with a meaningless life…The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.” • Respond to the following questions in 5-6 complete, well-written sentences: • What do you think about Morrie’s statement? How can you apply it to yourself? How can such a statement “change” the world? Journal 5 “What happened to me?” • As Mitch interacts with Morrie for the first time in 16 years, he is reminded of the person he used to be back in college. • Flip back through the chapter entitled “The Classroom” and find the moments where Mitch asks himself the question. • Create a bullet-point list of what Mitch thinks about as he questions where his life has gone • You will need at least 6 bullets Journal 6 • When Mitch arrives home from London, he is shocked and dismayed to learn that his union at the newspaper has gone on strike. This means that Mitch will not be able to work for the newspaper until the strike is resolved. He cannot report on sports matches for the paper, but more significantly, he will not be allowed to write for the newspaper. Mitch is most alarmed about this because it is his newspaper writing that brings him the most joy. • Mitch is upset to learn that not writing his column has no affect on the world at large. He thought his readers would miss his writing, but they seem completely unconcerned with the fact that Mitch’s column has not been in the paper. It is as if the world continues, even without his input. This idea of the world going on despite sadness is very similar to what happened to Morrie when he first learned that he was deathly ill. • Write a paragraph of 4-5 well-written sentences that reflects the similarities and differences between Mitch’s situation and Morrie’s. Journal 7 PART A (3-4 sentences): Explain why you are more comfortable with silence or noise. What could we learn from silence or from quieting “noise”? How might these lessons teach Morrie’s belief that “the most important thing in life is to learn how to give love out and to let love come in”? PART B (2 sentences): “Sometimes you cannot believe what you see, you have to believe what you feel.” • Explain your feelings about this belief of Morrie’s and why you agree or disagree. Journal 8 PART A (2 sentences): What is the significance of the tape recorder Mitch brings to his sessions with Morrie? PART B (2 sentences): Morrie’s first appearance on “Nightline” was so well-received that Ted Koppel returns to do a follow-up interview. Television viewers seem to have really connected to Morrie and his story. What do you think could be the attraction to Morrie? Journal 9 • PART A (3 sentences): Henry Adams is quoted as saying, “A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.” Do you agree with this quote? Why or why not? • PART B (1 sentence): When Mitch comes back to visit Morrie, the topic turns to death. This is a pretty deep philosophical topic, as everyone has some opinion about death and how to cope with it. Of death, Morrie says that, “Everyone knows they’re going to die, but no one believes it.” What exactly does Morrie mean by this statement? Journal 10 • PART A (2 sentences): Analyze Mitch’s relationship with his brother Peter, both as children and as adults. • PART B (2 sentences): Analyze the simile comparing Morrie to a prisoner in leg irons on pg. 108 of the novel and compare the imagery of Morrie and a gazelle. Journal 11 • PART A (5 BULLET POINTS): Morrie says that age is irrelevant. People who envy others for their youth do so because they are living unfulfilled lives. He says that people can have wellrounded and fulfilled lives if they “find what’s good and true and beautiful” in their lives. What kind of things are there in everyday life that are “good and true and beautiful?” Make a list of five things that you consider “good and true and beautiful” in life. • PART B (2 SENTENCES): Most of Tuesdays with Morrie consists of replays of conversations between Mitch and his former teacher, Morrie. This may seem like a pretty boring topic, yet Mitch Albom felt the need to write this book. Mitch could have easily just gone to visit his old professor, chatted with him, and left it at that. Why do you think that Mitch Albom felt the need to share his story? Journal 12 • PART A (2 SENTENCES): What is the significance of Morrie’s aphorism “When you’re in bed, you’re dead,” on pg. 131? • PART B (2 SENTENCES): Personal opinion – are you enjoying reading this book? Why or why not? Give at least 2 specific reasons for your response that directly reference the text. Journal 13 • PART A (2 SENTENCES): Morrie thinks that marriage “is an important thing to do” and that people will miss a big part of their lives if they don’t get married. In our society today, however, marriage is not exactly a necessity. Many people live together and even start families without being married. Is it really important, then, for people to get married at all? • PART B (2 SENTENCES): Mitch’s story about Morrie at the college basketball game is humorous. Apparently, at a game at Brandeis in the 70’s, the crowd began shouting, “We’re number one!” Morrie, puzzled, stood up in the middle of the gymnasium and shouted, “What’s wrong with being number two?” We seem to lose our sense of pride in simple accomplishment as we grow up. When we are children, most of us, for example, are just happy to be on the baseball or football team. We’re really not concerned about being “number one.” What do you think accounts for this change? Explain. Journal 14 • PART A (1 SENTENCE): Koppel asks Morrie for his final words, the one piece of advice that he wants to share with the millions of people who have continued to watch him on television. Morrie’s response is, “Be compassionate.” What does Morrie mean by this response? • PART B (3 SENTENCES): The following aphorism begins the chapter about forgiveness: “Forgive yourself before you die. Then forgive others” (pg. 164). What is the significance of Morrie’s own need to forgive himself and others? Journal 15 • Morrie believes that death is a natural process. It is the body that dies, but not the spirit. He says that after death, “you live on— in the hearts of everyone you have loved and nurtured while you were here.” • 3 SENTENCES: What do you think will be Morrie’s legacy to the world? What is the most important part of Morrie that lives on?
