Mitch changes emotionally over the course of the memoir as he visits with Morrie and begins to reconnect with his former convictions and beliefs. Use the activity for Character Evolution.
| PLOT POINT | MITCH'S TRAITS | EXPLANATION |
|---|---|---|
| Exposition | workaholic, self-absorbed, unfulfilled | Mitch is a successful sports journalist with the Detroit Free Press. He is married, but not totally invested in his life with his wife. He is a workaholic and not fulfilled with the path his life has taken, despite the fact that he has lots of money. |
| Conflict / Rising Action | guilty; careful; bottled up; confused; fearful | When Mitch reconnects with Morrie, he feels guilty about the path his life has taken. As he starts his project with Morrie, he continues to hold back his emotions and not acknowledge them. He feels confused about how to get his life back on the right path again, and afraid of opening himself up emotionally. He is also fearful of losing Morrie. |
| Climax | opening up; affectionate; heartbroken | Over the course of his time with Morrie, Mitch has found himself more open with his affections, including not hesitating on holding Morrie’s hand or rubbing his feet and legs. As he says his final goodbye to Morrie, Mitch finally feels his tears welling up as his heart breaks. |
| Falling Action | enlightened; regretful; hopeful; open | After Morrie dies, Mitch wishes he could go back in time and tell himself not to waste time on things that don’t matter. He also wishes he could tell himself to visit Morrie before Morrie loses his ability to dance. He gets in touch with his brother and opens up to him about how much he loves him and wants to stay in touch. They rekindle their relationship. |
| Resolution | reflective; grateful | Mitch feels that he has been blessed by having a teacher like Morrie in his life. His old papers, between him and “Coach” make him miss Morrie, but he also realizes how much he and many others have learned from his wisdom. |
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that shows the evolution of Mitch throughout the course of Tuesdays with Morrie.