Description of Morrie

One of the main characters in Tuesdays With Morrie is Morrie Schwartz. Morrie is an outgoing college professor at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. Although Morrie was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's Disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, he was determined to live his final days as if he was disease free. He even keeps his job at the university although he is plagued by this horrible, terminal disease. He even tells the students that he may not make it through the semester so there are no secrets between them. On one page Morrie even says "Dying, is only one thing to be sad over, Mitch. Living unhappily is something else." He basically tells Mitch that he knows he is dying, but he isn't going down without a fight. He wants to do everything he can while he still can. He isn't even embarrassed by the fact that he has to pee in a beaker and have close friends help him by holding the beaker.In another quote he says, "I asked myself, 'Am I going to withdraw from the world, like most people do, or am I going to live?' I decided I'm going to live-or at least try to live-the way I want, with dignity, with courage, with humor, with composure." This shows that he would not be held back by the fact that he could barely eat without help, but try to make the best of it. He even says about someone having to wipe his bottom that he feels like a baby again, in the way that it makes him more carefree. Morrie looks at the bright side to everything. Mitch, who is Morrie's old student sees Morrie on TV and decides to visit him. They catch up on thing and end up meeting every Tuesday. This is where the title comes from. Mitch is the author of the book. Morrie, although he hasn't seen him in years, hugs and greets Mitch with so much affection it was like Mitch had never left Morrie's side. Morrie teaches him about life, love, and happiness through his own experiences. Morrie says to Mitch, "Shall I tell you what it's like." (talking about dying). Mitch replies with a simple yes, but little does he know his final course with Morrie had just begun. Morrie takes nothing for granted, and ultimately lives life to the fullest in spite of his fatal disease. he's not afraid of death, but he embraces it. He even knows that he will die because his body will be so weak that his asthma will eventually kill him. He tells this to Mitch as if it were nothing. He knows his time is near, but not here.