Tuesdays with Morrie: The Ninth Tuesday Summary & Analysis

By now, fall has officially arrived and Mitch notices the trees changing color as he drives from the airport. He says that in Detroit, the strike continues and both sides are digging in and accusing each other of not communicating. Mitch says that stories in the news are equally depressing—a teenage girl was hit by a thrown tombstone as she drove with her family on a religious pilgrimage, and the US is still entirely obsessed with the coming conclusion of the O.J. Simpson trial, which is being broadcast even in the airport. Mitch even tried calling his brother and left several heartfelt messages asking to talk, but Peter replied that he was okay but didn't want to talk.

Morrie seems to be melting into his chair as he declines. He now has a catheter and can no longer move his head, although he insists on spending his days in his study so he can watch his hibiscus plant, saying to Mitch "when you're in bed, you're dead."

Morrie tells Mitch that Koppel wants to do another show with him, but they want to wait a while. Mitch is offended by this and feels they're using Morrie, but Morrie says it's okay because even if they're just looking for drama, Morrie's using them to spread his message to millions of people. However, since his voice is now at risk, he told Nightline that they'll have to come back soon. Morrie is already having to turn visitors away because he believes that he can't help them if he's incapable of giving them the appropriate attention. Mitch feels guilty then about the tape recorder and offers to skip the visit, but Morrie declines. He says that this is their last thesis and they have to get it right.

Mitch thinks about his first thesis with Morrie and the encouragement he received from Morrie to write it. He considers the current situation, thinking that this time, he's not in so much of a hurry to finish this thesis.

Morrie says that the day before, someone asked him if he worried about being forgotten after he died. He says he doesn't think he will be because of the close relationships he's had with people. Mitch comments that it sounds like a song lyric, but Morrie counters by asking Mitch if he ever hears Morrie's voice in his head. Mitch admits he does, which Morrie says proves his point that he won't be forgotten. He then reminds Mitch that it's okay to cry.

Morrie has decided what he wants on his tombstone: “A Teacher to the Last.”Mitch agrees that it's a perfect phrase for the tombstone.

Mitch takes a moment to step out of the narrative and talk about how Morrie makes everyone feel special when they're with him. He knows how to pay attention and listen to people because he believes in being fully present. Mitch remembers that Morrie taught this idea in one of his classes at Brandeis, and at the time Mitch had scoffed at what seemed like such a silly topic. Now though, he sees how self-absorbed his generation is and thinks they could benefit from this lesson.

Mitch returns to the conversation. After motioning for Mitch's hand, Morrie says the problem is that everyone's in a hurry to go and acquire material goods. Morrie relates how when he could still drive, if there was someone who wanted to get in front of him, he'd raise a hand as though to make a rude gesture, and instead, he'd wave and smile at the people in the passing car. He said that they'd often smile back.

Mitch partly returns to his reverie, saying that Morrie was always ready to display emotion and truly listen to people. People loved him because of the attention he paid to them. Mitch tells Morrie that he's the father everyone wishes they had.

Stepping back in time, Mitch tells the reader the story of Morrie's father's death. Every day after dinner, Charlie would go for a walk, and as a child Morriewatched him go and wished for affection from him. He never received it, and Morrie decided he'd always show affection for his own children when he had them. Years later, while Morrie raised his own family, Charlie continued to live in the Bronx. One night, while he was on his walk, two robbers accosted him and pulled a gun. Charlie threw down his wallet and ran all the way to a relative's house, where he collapsed on the porch with a heart attack and died.

Morrie was called to New York to identify the body. He looked at his father through the cold glass and confirmed that it was indeed Charlie. Morrie was so horrified, he couldn't even cry, but the experience made it clear to Morrie that when he himself died, he wanted it to be warm and for everyone to say the goodbyes they needed to say. He didn't want his family finding out from a phone call or a telegram.

Mitch continues to research different cultures' view on death, and he shares the views of the Desana people, a South American rainforest tribe. They believe the world has a fixed quantity of energy, so that every birth equals a death elsewhere and vice versa. Both Mitch and Morrie like this idea, and Mitch says that Morrie seems to feel more and more like the Dasana do as time goes on.