Tuesdays With Morrie Essay

“The subject was The Meaning of Life. It was taught from experience.”(Albom,2) Tuesdays with Morrie is the final lesson between a college professor, Morrie, and one of his long-lost students and the author of the book, Mitch Albom. After seeing his professor in an interview on the show called Nightline, Mitch is reminded of a promise he made sixteen years ago to keep in touch with him after college. In this novel, the author uses dialogue and flashbacks to display the theme that following the popular culture is not always the best way. Album Clearly demonstrates this theme in many ways. At the beginning of the story, he uses he uses a flashback to show the theme. “ Some of us are agitated. When is lie going to say something? We squirm,

My are we embarrassed by silence? What comfort do we find in all the noise? I am not bothered by the silence. For all the noise I make with my friends, I am still not comfortable talking about my feelings in front of others—especially not classmates. I could sit in the quiet for hours if that is what the class demanded.” (Album, 16). Album uses this flashback to show how the culture we live in doesn’t encourage silence. Instead, they encourage everyone to know what they are doing and how cool it is. You can see this when everyone is checking their watches and looking out the window to be above it all. He then emphasizes this theme by using quotes. “‘Well, for one thing, the culture we have does not make people feel good about themselves. We’re teaching the wrong things. And you have to be strong enough to say if the culture doesn’t work, don’t buy it. Create your own. Most people can’t do it. They’re more unhappy than me—even in my current condition.’”(Album, 11). Album uses this quote that Morrie said to show how the culture is made to bring people down and not lift them up. Those people should talk to other if they are having a bad day and be strong enough not to bring other people down and not follow everyone else create your own path.