Tuesdays with Morrie
by Mitch Albom
What is a symbol?
when something has additional meaning
beyond its literal significance
 When they represent something other
than what they are, they are symbolizing
something.

There are symbols all around us.


What does this peace sign symbolize?
What does this recycling sign symbolize?
Find the symbols in the following video
..\..\Education Videos\Symbolism.mp4
What does the hibiscus plant
symbolize?
Hibiscus Plant Symbolizes
the natural life cycle which eventually
leads to death
 as Morrie's condition worsens and he
becomes more dependent on people, the
pink petals wither and fall

What does the ‘Waves on the
Ocean’ story symbolize?
‘Waves on the Ocean’ symbolizes
small wave symbolizes Morrie (happy,
loving life)
 small wave is happy until he realizes all the
waves are going to crash into shore and
“die”
 another wave comes by and says "you're
part of the ocean" (something larger,
bigger than himself)
 Morrie has come to the realization that
he is going to be part of something bigger
in the afterlife

What does Morrie’s bed symbolize?
Morrie’s bed symbolizes
death (to him)
 Morrie prefers to sit in his chair in his
study so he can be surrounded by books,
pictures, and look out his window.
 Morrie moves to his bed in his final days,
symbolizing his surrender to death.

What is theme?

the central meaning or dominant idea in a
literary work
Don't follow popular culture,
develop your own values.
But what does this mean?
This means…
Most people dictate their choices
and values on what popular culture
focuses on (greed, violence,
superficiality, etc.)
 Morrie encourages Mitch and others
to reject popular culture and focus
on love, accepting others,
forgiveness, and open
communication.

How about this one?
Love each other or die.
This means…

Love is the essence of every human
and every person craves it. Without
love in one's life, there is no point in
living.
What is a motif?

a recurring subject, theme, idea, etc
Some motifs in Morrie…
the media
 food

But why are they motifs?
The Media
The media is portrayed as evil.
 Throughout the story Mitch references
events going on in the media - OJ
Simpson trial, celebrity gossip, murders,
theft, crime.
 The evil media serves to juxtapose (show
the opposite of) Morrie's goodness
(Mitch and others watch OJ Simpson
verdict while Morrie is in the other
room).

Food
Mitch brings Morrie his favorite foods
every Tuesday, even after he can no longer
eat them.
 It reminds Mitch of college days when he
was passionate about life and Morrie was
healthy.
 Mitch feels it is the only gift he can give
Morrie; he doesn't want to accept that
Morrie is closer and closer to death.
