In Tuesdays with Morrie, Mitch and his younger brother, Peter, are not as different as they might seem. Sure, the explicit biographical detail sets them immediately apart—Mitch is the tee-totaling, straight-A student, and Peter is the free-wheeling, reckless baby brother who experimented with drugs and took off to Europe to live. However, a closer examination reveals a lot of similarities.
Both are extremely stubborn and insular. Peter discourages visits and calls from his family as he's undergoing cancer treatment, and Mitch constantly buries himself in his own work rather than trying to find a way back to his brother. Both brothers are reluctant to nurture meaningful relationships, and they pride themselves on taking care of themselves. Consequently, Peter and Mitch fail to cultivate meaningful familial relationships, which is a central tenant to Morrie's teaching.
Keep in mind, Peter is a very minor character in this book. His story serves as an example of Mitch's regret, and their estrangement, whether Mitch wants to admit it or not, weighs on him.
Mitch and Peter are different in a number of respects. For one thing, Mitch is very much the golden boy of the family, the straight A student, whereas Peter has always been perceived as the black sheep. Mitch understands through Morrie that it's essential to have people around you, those who can provide you with love, care, and support. Yet Peter doesn't believe this for a moment. Despite suffering from acute pancreatic cancer, he doesn't want help from his family, or anyone else for that matter. He's determined to assert his independence to the very last.
Mitch isn't a very emotional person, unlike Morrie, but even he appreciates how important it is for Peter to establish some kind of contact with his family to get him through his terrible illness.
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