Reading Questions
Reading Questions are due on the date the chapters are assigned
Reading Questions 1The Curriculum/The Syllabus
1. When did Mitch graduate from college? Explain Morrie’s parting request of Mitch and Mitch’s reply? 2. Identify Morrie’s fatal illness. Give the date he receives the diagnosis and prognosis. What famous person is the disease named for? 3. What is the first “loss” Morrie experiences? How do you think this affects him emotionally? 4. How does Morrie initially react to the diagnosis of ALS? Quote and explain the simile that describes his feelings. 5. How does Morrie conduct his “living funeral”? Why does he do so? What happens? |
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Reading Questions 2The Student/The Audovisual/Orientation
1. Identify three major events in Mitch’s life since he last saw Morrie. 2. How does Mitch’s life change after his uncle dies? Why do you think he makes these changes? 3. How does Mitch learn about Morrie’s illness? 4. Describe Morrie’s physical and mental condition the first time Ted Koppel interviews him. 5. During Koppel’s interview, how does Morrie explain his philosophy about living with a terminal illness? What does he most dread about the decay of his body? Why do you think this especially bothers him? 6. What does Mitch begin to call Morrie at Brandeis? What are Mitch’s two overwhelming desires during his friendship with Morrie at Brandeis? 7. Do you think Mitch is happy with his life? Why or Why not? |
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Reading Questions 3The Classroom/Taking Attendance/The First Tuesday/The Second Tuesday
The Classroom 1. How does Morrie explain the interest people have in him since his appearance on “Nightline”? Why do you think he refers to himself as “abridge”? 2. The phrase “what happened to me” is used a lot in the chapter - The Classroom Why does he repeat “What happened to me”? What were some of the changes in his life that he writes about? List them. 3. How does Morrie think he will die? 4. What does Morrie mean by the “tension of opposites.” How does Mitch's life since college show a "tension of opposites"? Taking Attendance 5. On page 35, Morrie says that we need to "create your own culture." What does he mean by that? On page 42, name 3 things he does to create his own culture. 6. What important things were included in Mitch’s culture? 7. What are three things that Morrie says we need to devote ourselves to have meaning in our lives? Do you agree with him? Why or why not? The First Tuesday 8. How do Mitch and Morrie differ when it comes to crying? Explain. 9. What does Morrie says is the most important thing in life? The Second Tuesday 10. What is self-pity? 11. After he mourns a bit, what two things does Morrie concentrate on? |
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Reading Questions 4The Third Tuesday/The Audiovisual, part two
The Third Tuesday 1. What does it mean to regret something? What kinds of regrets do people usually have? 2. What does Morrie suggest that we should do to avoid having regrets? 3. What is on the list of things that Mitch wants to discuss with Morrie? What do these words have in common/ The Audiovisual, part two 4. Why does Morrie become emotional and cry during his interview with Ted Kopell? |
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Reading Questions 5The Professor/The Fourth Tuesday
The Professor 1. What happened when Morrie was eight years old? 2. Why did Morrie feel responsible for David having polio? 3. What did Morrie promise to himself about working? The Fourth Tuesday 4, What does Morrie mean when he says, “Once you learn how to die, you learn how to live”? According to Morrie, how does facing death change the way we live? |
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Reading Questions 6The Fifth Tuesday
1. “The fact is, there is no foundation, no secure ground, upon which people may stand today if it isn’t the family…If you don’t have the support and love and caring and concern that you get from a family, you don’t have much at all”. Do you agree with Morrie’s statement? Why or why not? 2. Morrie quotes a line from a poem by Auden: “love each other or perish”? What does that mean to you? 3. What is one thing Mitch wants to do in his life that he is afraid might “tie him down”? How does Morrie’s situation help Mitch see that family is important? 4. Summarize the story Mitch tells about his younger brother. |
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Reading Questions 7The Sixth Tuesday/The Professor, Part Two
The Sixth Tuesday 1. Describe the changes in Morrie’s physical condition. 2. What does Morrie want Mitch to learn how to do? Why does this confuse Mitch? 3. Explain Morrie’s “Theory of Detachment.” 4. As Morrie and Mitch discuss dying, they also discuss reincarnation. Morrie concedes that he believes in reincarnation. What is reincarnation? How does Morrie want to return? The Professor, Part Two 5. Before Morrie is a professor, where does he work? Why? 6. What does Morrie learn through his observations of the female patient at the hospital? 7. As Mitch learns about life through Morrie’s experiences with death, he also learns about how different cultures view death. Why does he include the story about the tribe in The Arctic? |
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Reading Questions 8The Seventh Tuesday/The Eight Tuesday
The Seventh Tuesday 1. The chapter begins with the following lines: “Morrie lost his battle. Someone was now wiping his behind.” How is this a turning point for Morrie? How does he deal with the situation? 2. Why has Mitch gone from being proud of saying his age to not wanting to bring it in to conversation? What is Morrie’s response? 3. What does Morrie envy about young people? The Eighth Tuesday 4. How does Morrie feel about music? How does this connect with what he is trying to teach Mitch about money? 5. What is materialism? What is Morries views on materialism? 6. How does Morrie believe a person should fi nd a meaningful life? Cite the passage directly from the book. 7. Describe the wealth that surrounds Morrie. Describe the wealth that surrounds you. |
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Reading Questions 9The Ninth Tuesday/The Tenth Tuesday/The Eleventh Tuesday
The Ninth Tuesday 1. Why does Morrie insist on being out of bed? 2. What does Morrie want on his tombstone? 3. What does Mitch believe is Morrie’s special talent? 4. Describe the relationship between Morrie and his father. How does it infl uence the type of father Morrie is today? 5. Describe Morrie’s father’s death. How did his death prepare Morrie for his own death? The Tenth Tuesday 6. How has Morrie’s conditioned worsened since Mitch’s last visit? 7. What does Mitch discover when he and Janine come to visit Morrie? How does Mitch react to this discovery? What does he decide to do instead? 8. What does Morrie believe about marriage? List the rules that he has for marriage. List each one the way Morrie says it and in a few words. The Eleventh Tuesday 9. How does the reader know that Morrie is close to the end? 10. How does Morrie believe that people can change? 11. What secret does Morrie share with Mitch? |
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Reading Questions 10The Audiovisual, Part Three/ The Twelfth Tuesday/The Thirteenth Tuesday
The Audiovisual, Part Three 1. How does Morrie respond when Ted asks him if he is more afraid of death now that it is near? 2. Morrie says that the world may be a better place if we can learn what lesson? The Twelfth Tuesday 3. How does Morrie need to forgive himself? 4. Again, Mitch is surprised that Morrie feels lucky in spite of his disease? Why does Morrie feel lucky? 5. Describe the place Morrie chooses to be buried. 6. What does Morrie ask Mitch to do after Morrie passes away? The Thirteenth Tuesday 7. Explain the following quote: “Death ends a life, not a relationship.” 8. What does Morrie believe are the ultimate questions? 9. Describe Morrie’s perfect physical day? Describe your perfect day? What do our perfect days tell us about ourselves? 10. What does renewal mean? How does it relate to Mitch's relationship with his brother? |
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Reading Questions 11The Fourteenth Tuesday/Graduation/Conclusion
The Fourteenth Tuesday 1. Why does Mitch continue to bring food to Morrie’s family? 2. What is Morrie fi nally able to make Mitch do? Graduation 3. How is Morrie’s death different from the way in which he lived his life in the months before his death? Conclusion 4. What becomes of Mitch’s relationship with his brother Daniel? 5. Explain why Mitch Albom wrote the book. |
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