Tuesday With Morrie Sociology

The book tells the Story of a Sociology professor, Morrie, who has contracted ALS (Lou Gehrig Disease) and therefore has just a few weeks left to live. Instead of just waiting for his death, as most people would do, Morrie decides not only to make the most of the time he has left but also share his experience, knowledge and unfortunate situation with the world: “A professor’s final course: His own death”. The story is told by Mitch, Morrie’s former and probably favorite student, one who he used to have a very strong relationship with. Throughout the book we can perceive Morrie’s experience, interactions and views and can associate those with key sociological concepts. It is clear that their relationship varies during the book. In
Moreover, we notice the presence of Symbolic Interactionism when Mitch gives Morrie “a tan briefcase with his initials on the front” and states “I didn’t want to forget him. Maybe I didn’t want him to forget me”. In this case we perceive the role that this physical object has in his interaction with Morrie. Mitch attaches feelings and emotions to this present, to his gesture and to the subsequent conversation they have. Since his college years until his fourteenth Tuesday with Morrie, Mitch always portrayed his old professor as his significant other; someone close enough to have capacity to motivate his behavior. Mitch mentions the “fatherly conversations” he had with Morrie, conversations that he could not have with his own father; thus, exemplifying the important role Morrie played in his life, probably a “father figure” to Mitch, someone he respected, trusted and looked up to. At a certain point Mitch began to see Morrie as a role model, as Morrie exhibited significant influence on his actions and decisions. For instance, the day Morrie supported and incentivized Mitch to follow his dream and become a musician, when his father wanted him to be a lawyer. Besides, as the story progresses Morrie is able to motivate Mitch’s behavior, change his values and ideals after every
The concept can be applied when Mitch’s Uncle dies and Mitch immediately panics and gives up on his dream of becoming a musician to start working as a columnist for the Detroit Free Press, day in and day out. He is apparently pressured by external forces; social hierarchy, norms and institutions that provided a context to his actions. His role as a husband as a friend and an employee in his company and the way he deals with them are all taken into account when analysis his behavior and decision making. Morrie has developed his Sociological imagination, due to the fact he realizes he is part of a bigger self, more than just an individual on this planet. As he uses the metaphor of the waves that are afraid of crashing into the shore. Morrie concudes that we are part of something much bigger. Pink hibiscus as a metaphor to his own death. Morrie uses his Sociological Imagination to look at death, for the first time, from an entirely different perspective. He attempts to live every day to his fullest, and sharing with the world how it is to experience death, something everyone wants to know. Ultimately, plenty of key sociology concepts are used throughout the book, many of which Morrie uses to advise his dearest friend and the world and teaching how they should be applied. Others that are simply implicitly embedded throughout the book but nevertheless are useful in order to understand