45 Through his speech, Morrie shows that he is a deep-thought person. He has
concluded that the society has meaningless lives because they chase the wrong things. To Morrie, the way to get a meaningful life is by devoting ourselves to love others, to
our community around us, and to create something that gives us purpose and meaning.
5. Value of Freedom for the Individual
Freedom for the individual has been experienced by the Americans. This value guarantees them to speak their mind and ideas freely. However, sometimes this
value is not put on the right actions. For example, when the newspapers union where Mitch works goes on strike they march by chanting up and down the street, instead of
communicating their problems Albom 44. According to Morrie, the value should
not be used in this way. Freedom for individual should make people solve their problems.
Talking to Mitch, Morrie wonders why the parties involved do not communicate with each other and solve the problems,
“He asked about the newspaper strike, and true to form, he couldn‟t understand why both sides didn‟t simply
communicate with each other and solve their problems ” Albom 49. To Morrie,
value of freedom for the individual may be used to communicate problems and ideas so that we can understand each other and the problems can be solved.
From direct comments, the author tries to describe Morrie as a communicative person.
Through the author‟s comments, Morrie has been described to have suggestions to solve human problems by communicating our problems and ideas.
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46
6. Individualism Value
Morrie‟s illness has brought him into dependency on other people. In his condition, he is not able to use the bathroom by himself. Hence, his helper, named
Connie, will wheel him to the toilet, lift him for the chair, and support him while he is urinating into a beaker Albom 49. One day, when he is interviewed by Ted Koppel
for “Nightline” show, Morrie tells Koppel that what he dreads most about his disease is that someday, someone has to wipe his bottom Albom 22. As his disease
develops, this time finally comes. Morrie needs someone to wipe his bottom and he feels humiliated. Mitch asks why and he says because it is the ultimate sign of
dependency, “Because it‟s the ultimate sign of dependency. Someone wiping your
bottom
” Albom 49. The value of individualism has made Morrie feel powerless
because he cannot rely on himself anymore. Moreover, the culture tells that people
should be ashamed if they cannot wipe their own behind Albom 115-116.
However, knowing he becomes an independent person who must have his bottom wiped by someone, Morrie is not depressed. Instead, he chooses to forget
what the culture says, tries to enjoy the process, and considers himself to be a child one more time.
“Mitch, it‟s funny,” he said. “I‟m an independent person, so my inclination was to fight all of this
– being helped from the car, having someone else dress me. I felt a little ashamed, because our culture tells us we should be ashamed
if we can‟t wipe our own behind. But then, I figured, Forget what the culture says. I have ignored the culture much of my life. I am not going to be
ashamed. What’s the big deal?
“And you know what? The strangest thing.” What‟s that?
“I began to enjoy my dependency. Now I enjoy when they turn me over on my side and rub cream on my behind
so I don‟t get sores. Or when they wipe my brow, or they massage my legs. I revel in it. I close my eyes and soak it up.
And it seems very familiar to me.
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47 “It‟s like going back to being a child again. Someone to bathe you. Someone
to lift you. Someone to wipe you. We all know how to be a child. It‟s inside
all of us. For me, it‟s just remembering how to enjoy it.” Albom 116
Having determined not to be ashamed of his limitation and independency, Morrie decides not to believe in the culture that the society shares so far. He
emphasizes that being in his condition – not being able to walk, not being able to
wipe his ass, and wanting to cry sometimes are not embarrassing. Morrie makes it just the same as women who are not thin enough or men not rich enough Albom
155. To Morrie, dying and cannot do anything for himself are not a shameful thing.
Instead, he views his condition like nostalgia of being a child. Furthermore, he enjoys people‟s assistance to him, such as rubbing his back with cream, bathing him, or
wiping his bottom. From his behavior, Morrie has not believed in the culture and makes his own culture.
From Morrie‟s speech of his views on individualism value, it can be inferred that Morrie is a tough person. Knowing his life is short and he cannot do anything
even for himself, he does not give up. Instead of complaining about his condition, he creates his own culture where he can accept his condition, find his toughness, and
enjoy it.
7. Value of Measurable Achievement
