Tuesdays with Morrie: Symbolism
“In the novel, Tuesdays with morrie, there are many important things that symbolize Morries life. Some of these are waves, his bed, food and the hibiscus plant outside his window. The waves represent his fear and understading of death, his bed represents the acceptance of his death, the food represents the time when he was not sick, and the hibiscus plant represents Morrie’s body.
Each of these things have a very powerful meaning to Morrie after he was diagnosed wih ALS because they represent his feelings and his journey through death. These symbols are important to Morries life and to his death.
In the novel, Morrie tells Mitch a story about a wave that saw other waves infront of him crash on the shore. The wave feared hitting the shore and dying; the wave felt better after another wave told him that he will not crash and die on the shore, but he will hit the shore and comeback to become part of something bigger. This wave represents Morries fear of dying, but he is also comforted by something else, his belief of him returning to something larger in the afterlife.The second wave says, ‘No, you don’t understand. You’re not a wave, you’re part of the ocean.’ I smile. Morrie closes his eyes again. Part of the ocean, he says, part of the ocean. I watch him breathe, in and out, in and out. (180) Morrie believes that just like the wave, when he dies he will make part of something bigger than himself. Morrie’s bed is also a very important detail in the story, it represents his acceptance of death.Morrie refuses to stay in bed, so most of the time he is on his chair in his study. He wants to live the days he has left to their fullest and be as happy as he can.””When you’re in bed, you’re dead”” (131).
Morrie beliefs that if he is to stay in bed, he is basically renouncing himself to death by giving up the pleasure he gets from being in his study, where he has memories that remind him of loved ones. He can see the outer world from his study but he cant go out, but he still feels alive in someway, because he is not giving himself up to the bed or death. That is until he gives up and accepts that its time to go to bed and give himself to death.
