My first impression of Mitch was that he was an opportunist, only interested in a story, but not really interested in Morrie. As the story unfolds, he softens, and begins to see Morrie as a real person, one who is facing death couragously. He sees a cheerful, resigned attutude that can't but help influence his own attitude about life in general. He learns to love Morrie, and is deeply saddened and devastated when he dies.
My opinion is that Mitch became a better person for knowing Morrie. His whole perspective on life and death became sharper, and he went from being a mear observer to an active participant.
Did your opinion of Mitch change throughout Tuesdays with Morrie? How?
Mitch experiences the ultimate lesson on this book - he learns about himself. What he learns form Maury is that success and happiness are not always measured in dollar signs or in popularity polls. There...
Unlock This Answer Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
is a great deal of humanity in this work. At the start, Mitch is not a likable character. He is self-absorbed, always in a hurry, but for what? Ultimately, we will all die. It is not death that defines us but how we live life.
As readers, we learn a series of lessons alongside of Mitch. We change our opinion of him as we change our views of ourselves. There is a little bit of Mitch in all of us. This is why we are able to connect with him. As we learn Maury's lessons, we learn to like ourselves, and Mitch, just a bit more. we learn to forgive and forget, we learn to accept our limitations, we learn that it is never too late to change, that death is not the end of love, that dreams are important as is our ability to reach for them if we only try. I think this quote from the book sums up much of what Mitch learns:
“So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they’re busy doing things they think are important. This is because they’re chasing the wrong things. 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.” (p. 43)
Mitch is "half-asleep" and going through the motions. He becomes alive because of Maury.
Albom, M. (1997) Tuesdays with Morrie. New York: Doubleday