The Death of Ivan Ilyich

The Death of Ivan Ilyich

• Genre: Fiction; novella
• Originally Published: 1886
• Reading Level/Interest: College/Adult
• Structure/Length: 12 chapters; approx. 86 pages; approx. 2 hours, 45 minutes on audio
• Protagonist and Central Conflict: Ivan Ilyich, an esteemed judge, falls while hanging curtains and suffers a pain in his side. As his pain worsens, so does his relationship with his family. Diagnosed with a terminal illness, Ivan must contend with his own mortality and whether he has lived a good and fulfilling life.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Death and dying     

Leo Tolstoy, Author

• Bio: 1828-1910; Russian writer regarded as one of the greatest authors of all time; born to a family of Russian nobility; fourth of five children; studied law and Asian languages at Kazan University but did not graduate; served as an artillery officer during the Crimean War; married Sophia Andreevna Behrs in 1862; had 13 children, 8 surviving to adulthood; profound influence on the development of Christian anarchist thought and that being a Christian requires pacifism; nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature every year from 1902-1906 and the Nobel Peace Prize in 1901, 1902, and 1909; died at age 82 of pneumonia; funeral procession was attended by thousands of peasants who lined the streets
• Other Works: Childhood (1852); Family Happiness (1859); War and Peace (1869); Anna Karenina (1878); Resurrection (1899)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Unit:

• Misplaced Priorities
• Personal Gain Overshadows Personal Connection
• Light Versus Darkness

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Unit, students will:

• Develop an understanding of the sociological contexts regarding traditional social expectations and their role in Tolstoy’s literary work as they impact the protagonist Ivan during his final days.
•  Analyze paired texts and other brief resources to make connections via the text’s themes of Misplaced Priorities and Personal Gain Overshadows Personal Connection.
• Draft and present a creative writing piece that demonstrates an understanding of Tolstoy’s ­development of characterization, based on text details.