Leo Tolstoy s Death 00 Palm

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National

Endowment for the Arts

TEACHER'S GUIDE

LEO TOLSTOY'S
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Museum,n<iLibrary
SERVICES



The Death
of Ivan llyich

ENDOWMENT
FOR THE ARTS

NATIONAL

w

V

READ
LEO TOLSTOY'S

The Death
of Ivan llyich
TEACHER'S GUIDE

The

National

Endowment

for the Arts

is

a public agency dedicated to supporting

excellence in the arts

—both new and
arts,

established



bringing the arts to

all

Americans,
as

NATIONAL
ENDOWMENT
FOR THE ARTS

and providing leadership
annual hinder of the
cities,

in arts education. Established

by Congress
is

in

1965

an

independent agency of the federal government, the
bringing great art to
all

Endowment
states,

the nations largest

50

including rural areas, inner

and

military bases.

•/..

MuseunriandLibrary
SERVICES

The

Institute

of Museum and Library Services

is

the primary source of federal support for
Institute's

•V"

the nation's 122,000 libraries

and 17,500 museums. The
in coordination

mission
ideas.

is

to create
Institute

strong libraries and

museums

that connect people to information

and

The

works

at the national level

and

with

state

and

local organizations to sustain

heritage, culture,

and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support

professional development.

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Arts

Midwest connects people throughout the Midwest and the world
and understanding
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Additional support for the Big Read has also been provided by the

WK.

Kellogg

Foundation.

Published by
National
1

Endowment

for the Arts

100 Pennsylvania Avenue, N. W.

Washington, D.C. 20506-0001
(202) 682-5400

Sources
Tolstoy, Leo.

The Death ofIvan

llyich.

1886. Trans. Lynn Solotaroff.

New York: Bantam

Dell, 1981.

Acknowledgements
David Kipen,
Sarah

NEA Director of National Reading Initiatives Bainter Cunningham, PhD, NEA Director of Arts Education
Michael Palma for the National

Writers:

Endowment

for the Arts,

with a preface by
for the Arts

Dana Gioia

Series Editor:

Molly Thomas-Hicks

for the National

Endowment

Graphic Design: Fletcher Design/Washington D.C.

Image Credits
Cover
Portrait:

John Sherfhus

for the Big Read.

Page

iv:

The Kremlin

in

Moscow, courtesy of the Library of

Congress Frank and Frances Carpenter Collection; bookcover, courtesy of Bantam Dell, a division of Random

House. Page

1

:

Caricature of Dana Gioia by John Sherffius. Inside back cover:

© Bettmann/Corbis.

4 1

Table of Contents
Introduction
1

Suggested Teaching Schedule

2

Lesson One: Biography Lesson Two: Culture and History Lesson Three: Narrative and Point of View Lesson Four: Characters Lesson Lesson
Five: Stvle

4
5

6

7
8

and Genre
Ficnirative

Six:

Svmbolism and

Language
1

^

Lesson Seven: Character Development
Lesson Eight:

The

Plot Unfolds

1

Lesson Nine:
Lesson Ten:
Essay Topics

Themes of the

Novella

1

1

What Makes

a Great

Rook?

13
1

Capstone
I

Projects

15

landout

One

Russian

Names
1

l(->

HandoutTwo: The Code of 864
Handout Three: The Rebirth
Teaching Resources
of

17
Ilvich

Kan

IS
l)
l

NCI

1

Standards

((

The

awful, terrible act of his dying

was, he could see, reduced by those around him to the level of a casual, unpleasant, almost indecorous incident... and this was done by that very decorum which he had served
his

whole

life

long."

—from The Death of

Ivan Ilyich

Introduction
Welcome
to the Big Read, a major
initiative

from the National Endowment
in

for the Arts. Designed to revitalize the role of literary reading
culture, the Big

American
literature,

Read hopes to unite communities through great

as well as inspire students to

become

life-long readers.

This Big Read Teacher's Guide contains ten lessons to lead you through

Leo

Tolstoy's classic novella, The Death of Ivan

llyich.

Each lesson has four

sections: a focus topic, discussion activities, writing exercises, and

homework

assignments.

In

addition,

we

have provided capstone projects

and suggested essay topics,

as well as

handouts with more background
All

information about the novella, the historical period, and the author.
lessons dovetail with the state language arts standards required
fiction genre.
in

the

The

Big

Read teaching materials

also include a

CD. Packed with

interviews,

commentaries, and excerpts from the book, the Big Read
first-hand accounts of

CD

presents

why Tolstoy's

novella remains so compelling

more

than a century after

its initial

publication.

Some

of America's

most

celebrated writers, scholars, and actors have volunteered their time to

make these

Big

Read

CDs

exciting additions to the classroom.

Finally,

the Big Read Reader's Guide deepens your exploration with

interviews, booklists, timelines, and historical information.

We

hope

this

guide and syllabus allow you to have fun with your students while
introducing

them

to the

work

of a great Russian author.

From

the

NEA. we wish you an

exciting and productive school year

"^j&AAu

H^

Dana Gioia
Chairman. National Endowment for the Arts

National

I

ndowmcnt

tor tin

THE BIG READ

I

Ef!u?5BHt¥r5RHiTTi

edule
1
Day One
FOCUS:
Biography
to the Big Read

3
Day Three
FOCUS:
CD. Read
Narrative and Point of

View

Activities: Listen

Activities:

Explore

possibilities of alternative

Reader's Guide essays. Discuss Tolstoy's

method of
encounter

narration. Rewrite a brief
in

preoccupation with death. Write about
personal reaction to a death.

Chapter

I

from another

character's point of view.

Homework: Handouts One and Two.
Chapters
1-2 (pp. 31-52).*

Homework: Chapters

5-7 (pp. 73-88).

2
Day Two
FOCUS: Culture and
Activities:

4
Day Four
FOCUS: Characters
History
Activities:

Discuss the issue of conformity
foil

Discuss the relevance of Tolstoy's

in

the novella. Write about a

to the

social criticism of

the bourgeois. Practice

main character.

patronymics. Write about

how

llyich's

willingness to ruin the lives of others might
satirize

Homework: Chapters

8-12 (pp. 89-1

13).

the bourgeois

class.

Homework Chapters

3-4 (pp. 53-72).

5
Day
Five

FOCUS: Style and Genre
Activities:

Discuss the respective merits of

fantasy and realism.

Write about whether

Gerasim

is

a realistically portrayed character.

Homework: Examine use
symbols
in

of metaphors and

the novella's conclusion.

* Page
77ie

numbers

refer to the
llyich, in

Bantam

Classics

1

98

1

edition of

Death of Ivan

the Lynn Solotaroff translation.

2

*

THE

BIG

READ

National

Endowment

for the Arts

6
Day
Six
Figurative Language
in

9
Day Nine
FOCUS: Themes
Activities:

FOCUS: Symbolism and
Activities:

of the Novella

Analyze symbols

the
in

final

chapter.

Explore Tolstoy's treatment of the
duty, morality,

Write about use of metaphors

the novella.

themes of
life.

and the purpose of

Homework: Apply
Ivan llyich.

the KLibler-Ross model to

Homework: Prepare
essays.

outlines and begin

7
Day Seven
FOCUS: Character Development
Activities:

10
Day Ten
FOCUS.What Makes
Activities: Evaluate the
a
llyich as

Discuss Ivan

antihero.

Great Book'

Write about

Ivan llyich s final epiphany.
List

greatness of the

Homework:
the novella.

turning points

in

the plot of

novella and
a

its

most important themes. Write

defense of the universal relevance of The
llyich.

Deatii of Ivan

8
Day Eight
FOCUS: The
Activities:

Homework:

Finish essays.

Plot Unfolds
possibilities of

Explore

an

alternative plotline.
ability

Write about Tolstoy's

to generate interest and suspense. to

Homework: Handout Three. Prepare
defend Tolstoy's achievement

National

Endowment

tor the

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»

3

The authors
novella.

life

can inform and expand the readers understanding of a

One
life

practice

of examining a

literary

work, biographical

criticism,

looks through the lens of an author's experience. In this lesson, explore the
author's
to

more

fully

understand the novella.
aristocratic family.

Leo Tolstoy was born into an

He

lived like

many

other

young men of his

class,

enjoying the privileges of wealth and rank while

indulging in the pleasures of youth. Yet, unlike

FOCUS: Biography

many

others of his

class,

Tolstoy had a reformer's

spirit

and

a puritan conscience. In the years before

he wrote The Death of Ivan Ilyich, his inner tensions led him to a spiritual crisis and belief in a radical form of Christianity. Although Tolstoy does not
put forward his religious
vanity, worldliness,
beliefs in the novella,

he does

assert his rejection

of

and materialism. In addition, the frequent

strains in

Tolstoy's

own

marriage are echoed in the relationship between Ivan Ilyich

and Praskovya Fyodorovna.

Discussion Activities
Listen to the Big

Read CD. Copy and
your
class into

distribute Reader's

Guide handouts

"Introduction to the Novella," "Leo Tolstoy
Christianity." Divide

(1828— 1910)," and "Tolstoy and

groups and assign an essay to each. Have the

groups present what they learned about their topic from the essay and the CD.

Ask your students why they would he choose to write a
essay?

think Tolstoy

was so concerned with

death.

Why

novella exploring the death process rather than an

Read the
these

first

two and

half

pages

in class,

ending with "paying the

widow

a

condolence
first

call" in

the middle of page 33.

What do we

learn

about

Ivan Ilyich in

few pages? What statement does Tolstoy make about human nature by
alive!'?

having the friends react with: 'Well he's dead but I'm

Writing Exercise
Have your students write about an experience of the death.
feelings

How closely

did their

and responses match those of Tolstoy's characters?

[7]

Homework
Distribute

Handouts

One

and Two. Read Chapters

1-2 (pp. 31-52).

Prepare your

students to read approximately 20 pages per night

4

*

THE BIG READ

National

Endowment

for the Arts

Cultural and historical contexts give birth to the dilemmas and themes at
the heart of a

work of fiction. Studying

these contexts
assist

and appreciating the

intricate details

of the time and place can

us in

comprehending the

motivations of the characters. In this lesson, use cultural and historical
contexts to begin to explore the novella. Ivan Ilyich dies in February 1882 at the age of 45.

He would

therefore

haw

come of age

in the late 1850s, at the

beginning of the reign of Czar
several

FOCUS: Culture and
History

Alexander

II. It

was

a period that
at
all,

saw

major

social reforms, yet life

changed very

little, if

for the vast majority for centuries.

of Russian subjects, and

things remained the
In 1848, Karl

way they had

Marx and

Frederick Engels'

Communist Manifesto
class

defined
of the

and

criticized the "bourgeois" class.

This middle

was not part
trade.

ruling aristocracy, yet held

power over production and

The Manifesto

argues that the bourgeois gains unjust advantage of the poor or proletariat

through financial and material transactions. Recognizing the value of
individual liberty, Alexander
II

abolished serfdom
classes.

in

1861, providing more

wage-earning opportunities for the lower
life

Iolstoy uses Ivan DyidlS
civil rights, liberty,
life.

to explore cultural issues
it

such

as

economics,

and

what

means

to lead an honorable,

worthwhile

Discussion Activities
Use Handout One to
practice Russian patronymics using your students'

names

followed by the names of their fathers.

The

first

two chapters cover
his career.

Ivan llyich's first 17 years of marriage

and the
of 1864

advancement of
change the
life

Discuss Handout Two.

How
it

might the

Code

of a

man

like Ivan Ilyich?

How

would

have affected the lower

classes? Identify five "bourgeois" characteristics

in llyich's life.

By portraying

Ilyich as

bourgeois,
discuss

is

Tolstoy making a statement about this
in

lifestyle'

Have the students

whether Tolstoy's descriptions
of their family and friends.
life?
If

Chapter 2

relate to their

own

lives

and

the

lives

so,

do they

find

any

validity in Tolstoy's

criticism of middle class

^ Writing Exercise
At the end of Chapter
and the importance of
anybody." Write
class.
2. Ilyich reflects

on

a cultivated aloofness, avoiding his family
is

his "official duties." Ilyich
this

proud to be able to "ruin
a satire

two pages on how

might present

of the bourgeois

Choose examples from

the text to support your argument

23

Homework
Read Chapters 3-4
(pp.

53-72) What does Ivan

Ilyich dislike

about the doctors'

treatment of him ; Does

this feeling lead him. at this point,

to any deeper insight'

National

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tor the

THE BIG READ

5

The

narrator

tells

the story with a specific perspective informed by his or

her beliefs and experiences.

The

narrator can be a major or

minor character

within the novella.
ignorance and

The

narrator weaves her or his point of view, including

A first-person narrator participates in the events of the novella using "I." A distanced narrator
bias, into

the telling of the

tale.

(often not a character) does not participate in the events of the story

and

uses third person (he, she, they) to narrate the story.

The

distanced narrator

FOCUS:
Narrative and Point of

can be omniscient, able to read the minds of all characters within the
novella. Ultimately, the type

of narrator determines the point of view from

which the story

is

told.

View

The Death ofIvan Ilyich is told from a third-person omniscient point of view. As early as the second page, Tolstoy presents the unspoken thoughts
of several different characters before focusing on the viewpoint of Pyotr
Ivanovich for the
himself, at
feelings
first

rest

of the chapter. Thereafter, the focus

is

on Ivan

Ilyich

from the

outside, then increasingly in terms of his

own

and

attitudes.

But throughout the book, the narrator shows us the
characters
so.

private thoughts

and emotions of other

wife

—when



especially Ivan Ilyich's

it

suits his larger

purposes to do

Discussion Activities
The
tact that Pyotr Ivanovich
is

the point-of-view character for so

much
in

of the

first

chapter might

make the reader assume
is

that he will be a major figure

the novella,

yet after that opening chapter he

given only a few passing mentions.
Ilyich's

Tolstoy give so

much

attention to his reactions to Ivan

death?

Why does How do his
in

private reactions to the situation help to
novella?

communicate Tolstoys

intentions

the

Writing Exercise
We see Pyotr Ivanovich take
view of
his
Ilyich's

leave of Praskovya

Fyodorovna

(pp.

39-4
1

),

and

briefly

encounter her children. Have students imagine
wife, daughter,

this

encounter from the point of
feelings as well as

or son. Include the character's inner

or her perception of Pyotr Ivanovich. To go deeper, write

this character's
Ilyich's

perspective about the dance (Chapter 3) and as he or she witnesses

deepening

illness

(Chapter

4).

C3

Homework
Read Chapters 5-7
interior
life

(pp. 73-88).

We are shown

more and more

of Ivan

Ilyich's

as his illness progresses.

Ask students to consider whether they

find

themselves growing

more sympathetic

to him as the novella proceeds, and to

consider the reasons for their responses.

6

*

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National

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for the Arts

The main

character in a

work of literature

is

called the "protagonist."

protagonist often overcomes a weakness or ignorance to achieve a

The new

understanding by the works end.

A

protagonist

who

acts

with great courage

may be
virtue
is

called a "hero."

A

protagonist of dubious tenacity and questionable

an "antihero." Readers often debate the virtues and motivations of

the protagonists in the attempt to understand whether they are heroic.

The

protagonists journey

is

made more dramatic by

challenges presented by

FOCUS: Characters

characters with different beliefs.

A

"foil"

provokes the protagonist so as to

highlight

more
foil,

clearly certain features

of the main character. The most

important

the "antagonist," opposes the protagonist, barring or

complicating his or her success.

Most of the

characters in the novella are, like Ivan Ilyich himself educated
profess the

and sophisticated people who
obvious exceptions

same

false values

he does.

—and

The

the characters that most clearly represent the

works

positive values

of honesty; simplicity, and compassion
llyich's son,



are the

servant Gerasim

and Ivan

Vasily Ivanovich.

Tolstoys most pointed attacks on conformity take place in Chapters 2-3. In
his view,

conformity abdicates conscience, moral

responsibility,

and humane

sensitivity;

Perhaps the description of Ilvichs furnishings (pp. 56-58)
is

provides the most stinging critique. Ilyich
that
else.

so thoroughly
in

commonplace
like

when he

tries to

be original, he succeeds

becoming

everyone

Discussion Activities
llyich's foiled
.

bridge game, at the end of Chapter
.

4. results in a

sense that

his

life is

"poisoned. .and poisoning others.
terrified of death. In

on the brink of
falsity

disaster."
.

He

begins to be

Chapter

7.

"the

around him.

.did

more

than anything

to poison his days."
illness?
Ilyich
Is

What

is

the

falsity

that poisons Ilyich?

Is it

the source of his

the falseness related to conformity?
live

Or

is

it

the dawning knowledge that

can neither relinquish nor

with

his

conformist tendencies?

Q

Writing Exercise
As
Ivan llyich's illness

grows worse, he becomes more and more impatient with

people

who

continue to act as he did

when he was

well,

and

finds himself
lines,

drawn
as a

to completely different

modes
either

of feeling and behavior Along these

have
foil

students describe
to Ivan
Ilyich.

how

Gerasim or Praskovya Fyodorovna functions

n

Homework
Read Chapters 8-12 (pp 89-113). As Ivan Ilyich approaches death, consider whether he seems to react to his situation in the way that a real person would

National

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To
to

fully

understand and enjoy a work,

it is

sometimes helpful to know

its

historical

background and
it

cultural context, including the category or genre
rules or

which

belongs,

and the
it

conventions that apply to that
to dismiss

category. Obviously,

would be inappropriate
don't sing

Animal Farm on
is

the grounds that pigs can't talk, or to say that West Side Story

ridiculous

because teenage gang

members

and dance down the

street.

FOCUS: Style and

The Death of Ivan Ilyich belongs to the genre of Realism, which succeeded the Romantic movement that dominated the first part of the 1 9th century.

A heightened style, epic events, and larger-than-life protagonists, as in Goethe's Faust or Melville's Mo by-Dick, often characterized romantic
narratives. Fiction in the realistic

Genre

mode, by

contrast, tends to be written in a

straightforward
surface of daily

and often
life,

plain style, to give precise descriptions of the

and

to focus that

on ordinary
all face.

protagonists confronting the
controlling assumption of

same kinds of problems
Realism
is

we

The

that

an accurate depiction of real

life is

a solid foundation for an

exploration of its larger significance.

Discussion Activities
Examining Chapters 8-12,
find

examples of Realism. Have students break into

groups with each group responsible for one chapter. Have them report examples
to

show where the

novella

embraces Realism or

strays

from Realism.

Works

of fantasy such as Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings have gained large

audiences. Have students discuss
popularity.

why such books and

films acquire

such

Can they think of films that embrace the Realism reflected in the novella? What do audiences gain from Realist artworks and what do they gain

from non-Realist artworks?

Writing Exercise
Examining Chapters 8-12, determine whether Gerasim
is

realistically

portrayed.

Explain and defend your conclusion with specific references to the text

EJ

Homework
Instruct students to pay particular attention to the use of
(relatively rare in

metaphors and symbols
experience of dying

the novella) to try to capture Ivan

llyich's

for example, the
(p.
1 1

"narrow black sack"
1

(p.

99), the "executioner"
is

and "black hole"
creating a sense of

1),

and the

"light" (p.

13).

How

effective

this

technique

in

that experience?

8



THE BIG READ

National

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Writers often use non-literal language to invite readers to visualize events,

view internal

conflicts,

glimpse

social

themes, or grasp abstract concepts

like

beauty, truth, or goodness.
to stretch

An

author uses figurative or non-literal language

our imaginations, challenging us to decode the references and
similes,

Lesson Six

meanings bound within images,
are interpretive keys to the text.

metaphors, and symbols. Symbols

FOCUS:

Symbolism
and
Figurative

Most frequently, a specific object will be used to reference (or symbolize) a more abstract concept. The repeated appearance of an object suggests a non-literal or figurative meaning above and beyond face value. By decoding symbols, attached to the object



any reader can

reveal a

new

interpretation of the novella.

Like his great admirer Ernest Hemingway, Tolstoy was renowned for his
clear

and

direct style,

which emphasizes straightforwardness over
of

figurative

description. Also,
theories

when he wrote The Death
is

hum

llyich, his artistic

Language

were developing toward simplicity of expression

in the service of

moralistic themes. Tolstoy

sparing in his use of symbolism, but there are

details that function symbolically in the larger context,

such

as the

medallion bearing the inscription respicefinem
(p.

(p.

45) or the game of whist

61).

Discussion Activities
Return to the symbols used
hole," "the light."
in

the

last

chapter



the "executioner," the "black

How

do these usages serve to

reinforce Tolstoy's spiritual
llyich?

message

in

the novella? Just

how

spiritual

is

The Deatli of Ivan

Writing Exercise
In his

manner

of handling his

official duties.

Ivan llyich
is

is

virtuoso (pp. 59-60), and the "celebrated physician"
addressing a prisoner (pp. 65-66).
the larger themes of the novella?

compared to a musical compared to a judge
illustrate

How

do these comparisons serve to

rj

Homework
Acquaint your students with Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross's'Tive Stages of Grief"

Have them apply the Kubler-Ross model to
closely Tolstoy

Ivan llyich's experience

and |udge

how

conforms to



or.

more

properly, anticipates

—her

conclusions.

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9

Novels and novellas trace the development of characters that encounter a
series

of challenges. Most characters contain a complex balance of virtues

and

vices. Internal

and

external forces require characters to question

themselves, overcome fears, or reconsider dreams.

The

protagonist

undergoes profound change.

A close study of character development maps
Still,

the evolution of motivation, personality, and belief in each character.

the tension between a character s strengths and weaknesses keeps the reader

FOCUS: Character

guessing about what might happen next, affecting the
^liile
all

drama and the

plot.

the other characters in this novella are static

and two-dimensional,

Ivan Ilyich himself undergoes as profound a change, or series of changes, as

Development

can be imagined. Through most of the book, he

is

a thoroughly ordinarv

man.
cheat
his

He
on

has no

real virtues in

any

active sense; his positive qualities are

merelv the absence of negative ones: he does not take bribes; he does not
his wife or mistreat her

and

their children, etc. Self-centeredness
itself in pettiness

is

most prominent
irritability,

characteristic,

which often manifests

and

usually directed at his wife. Until very near the end, the
less to

changes he undergoes have
his character

do with an

alteration or
live as

enlargement of
to.

than with his increasing inability to
his

he wishes

When
It is

he

finally

acknowledges that
trivial

whole

life

has been wasted in the pursuit of
is

false

and

goals (pp. 108-09), his reaction
last

terror

and

despair.
it

not until the very

chapter that he achieves true grace, and with

understanding and peace of mind.

Discussion Activities
Returning to the terms employed
Ivan llyich's role as an "antihero"
in

Lesson Four, generate a

class discussion of
class

through most of the novella. Then have the

consider whether or not he has. by the end of the
"hero."

book

achieved the status of

Wa Writing Exercise
Define the term "epiphany" to your students and give examples from literature.

Have them write about

Ivan llyich's epiphany at the very

end of the

novella.

2J

Homework
Beginning with Chapter
2,

have the students page through the book once again
in

and

list

as

many

turning points

the plot as they can

find.

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The author
suspense,

artfully builds a plot structure to create expectations, increase

and inform character development. The timing of events horn
riveting.

beginning to middle to end can make a novella predictable or
plot, propelled

A

by a

crisis, will

reach a climax, and close with a resolution

Lesson Eight

(sometimes called denouement). Foreshadowing and flashbacks allow the
author to defy time while
telling the story.

A

successful author will keep a
tale,

reader entranced by clever pacing built within the

sometimes

FOCUS:

confounding a simple plot by

telling stories

within

stories.

The

Plot
Discussion Activities
Point out to the class that by taking the
first

Unfolds

chapter and putting

it

after the last

one, you can give the

book

a perfectly linear narrative that

proceeds from
is

beginning to middle to end. Have the students imagine that the novella

constructed
last chapter,

this way.

(You might want to read them the
first

last

few paragraphs of the
In

followed by the

and the

last

page of the opening chapter.)
published?
Is it

what

ways

is

this

version a different

book from the one Tolstoy

a better

book, or a worse one?

Writing Exercise
Remind your students of the
(at that

point theoretical) discussion of Lesson One:
its

How
death

can a
is

work generate
in

interest
title?

and suspense when
briefly

principal character's
this subject in
in

announced

the

Have them write

on

the

light

of their reading of the book:

How

successful has Tolstoy

been

overcoming the

handicaps he placed on himself?

ET]

Homework
As Tolstoy
himself

showed

in

What

Is

Art?,

even the most sublime work can be
it

made

to sound insipid or ridiculous by summarizing

in

a snide way. In the

same

fashion,

someone might

say about 77ie Deatii of Ivan //^ch."A boring bureaucrat

gets sick, feels sorry for himself, and dies.

So what

; '*

Students should be prepared

to explain

why

this

is

an inadequate characterization of Tolstoy's achievement

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Profound questions
to explore the

raised

by the story allow the character (and the
life

reader)

meaning of human

and

extract themes.

Themes
intellectual

investigate topics explored for centuries
scientists, historians,

by philosophers,

politicians,

and theologians.

Classic

themes include

freedom versus censorship, personal moral code
justice,

in relation to political

and

spiritual faith versus rational

commitments.

A novella can shed
and

light

on

these age-old debates,

by creating new

situations to challenge

FOCUS:
of the Novella

explore

human

nature.

Themes

Discussion Activities and Writing Exercise
Use the
support
following questions to stimulate discussion or provide writing exercises
in specific

in

order to interpret the novella
ideas,

ways. Using historical references to
llyich

explore the statements The Death of Ivan

makes about the

following themes:

Duty
Ivan llyich
duty,
is

described as a
his

man
duty

"strict
all

to carry out whatever he considered

his
in

and he considered
(p.

things that

were so designated by people

authority"

44).

Does Tolstoy endorse

Ivan llyich's

view of what

his

duty

is?

What

are the dangers

of adhering to such an attitude?

Morality "As a student he had done
vile

things which, at the time,

seemed to him extremely
seeing that people of high

and made him

feel

disgusted with himself; but
things,

later,

standing had

no qualms about doing these
recalled

he was not quite able to
feel

consider them good but managed to dismiss them and not

the least

perturbed

when he

them"

(p.

44).

Which
life is

of Ivan

llyich's

reactions to his behavior does Tolstoy imply to be the
in

proper one? Does the novella support the idea that the most important thing
to
feel

good about
of Life

oneself?

The Purpose
Ivan llyich has

devoted

his

whole existence to career advancement,
have these things prepared him for

social position,
his final crisis?

and material comfort.

How well

U3

Homework
Ask students to begin
due the next
their essays, using the Essay Topics
in this

guide. Outlines are

class period.

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Works of fiction
our daily
lives

illustrate

the connections between individuals

and

questions of humanity. Great stories articulate and explore the mysteries of

while painting those conflicts in the larger picture of

human
and

struggle. Readers forge

bonds with the story

as the writers voice, style,

sense of poetry inform the plot, characters, and themes.

By

creating

opportunities for learning, imagining, and reflecting, a great

book

is

a

work

of art that

affects

many

generations of readers, changing

lives,

challenging

FOCUS:

assumptions, and breaking

new ground.

What Makes
a Great Book?

Discussion Activities
Ask students to make
the board.
a
list

of the characteristics of a great book. Write these

on
any

What

elevates a

book

to greatness?

Then ask them to
llyich? Is this a

discuss, within

groups, other books they
of these books remind

know

that include

some

of these characteristics.

Do

them

of The Death of Ivan

great book?

A great writer
create
in

can be the voice of a generation.
llyich?

What
tell

kind of voice does Tolstoy
for

The Death of Ivan

Does
does

this

book speak
voice
in

more

than one

man

and

his

personal concerns?
life

What

this

us about the choices and

responsibilities of

for a middle-class

man

19th century Russia?

Divide students into groups. Have each group determine the single most

important theme of the novella. Have a spokesperson from each group explain the
group's decision, with references from the text

Write these themes on the board.

Do

all

the groups agree?

Ef Writing Exercise
Ask students to write
explaining
a letter to a friend,

perhaps one

who

does not

like

to read,

why The Death of Ivan llyich is a good book. The student should make argument that explains why the novella has meaning for all people, even those

an

who

have no interest

in

other times or other places.

H

Homework
Students
the
class.
will finish their

essays and present their essay topics and arguments to

riorul

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13

.

^^MVUBBM
The
as

discussion activities

and writing

exercises in this guide provide

you with

possible essay topics,
their

do the Discussion Questions

in the

Readers Guide. Advanced students can come up with

own
here.

essay topics, as long as they are specific

and compelling. Other

ideas for essays are provided

For

essays, students

should organize their ideas around a

thesis
its

about the novella. This statement

or thesis should be focused, with clear reasons supporting

conclusion.

The

thesis

and

supporting reasons should be backed by references to the

text.

1

Several times over the course of the novella,

5.

"Ivan llyich suffered
lie

most of

all

from the

lie,

the

we
he

find

statements very

much

like this
life

one: "So
as

which, for

some

reason, everyone accepted:

that

on the whole
it

Ivan llyich's

proceeded
(p.

that he

was not
is

dying, but

was simply

ill..."

(p.

felt

should
first,



pleasantly and properly"

86). Why

this "lie"

so disturbing to Ivan

llyich,

52).

Ones

instinctive reaction to

such

and what does he
people?

really

want from other
is

comments might
that? 2.

be, "Well, what's

that?" What, according to Tolstoy,

wrong with is wrong with

How consistent
does
this

this

hatred of

delicate pretense with his attitudes before his
illness?

What

whole experience
character, and about
in

What

sort of person

is

Praskovya Fyodorovna?

suggest about Ivan
Tolstoy's

llyich's

Why

did Ivan llyich

marry her?

How would
Does
his

you
6.

view of human nature

general?
its

characterize their relationship?
attitude

As

Ivan llyich's illness progresses

toward

toward her seem

justified

by her

inevitable end, his
different attitudes

two
and

children have very
feelings

personality and behavior?
3.

toward him and
and impending

At the beginning of Chapter
1880 was "the most
life" (p.

3,

we

his situation.

are told that
his children

What

are the reactions of each of
his suffering

toward

difficult

year

in

Ivan llyich's
face,

53).

What

difficulties

does he

and

death? Each one's feelings align him or her with
another,

what does he seek by way of a solution to them? How is the situation resolved, and what
are his reactions to that resolution?
this

more prominent

character.

Who are
two

these other characters, and what are the
similarities in attitude?

What

does

Which

of these

whole experience

tell

us about Ivan

contrasting responses, the daughter's or the
llyich's

son's,

character and his values?
4.
Like

does Tolstoy

affirm,

and why?
is

many people
with

7.
in

Consistent with the omniscient narrative

the

adverse circumstances,

Ivan llyich
afflicted

wants to know why he has been
his illness,

tone of the

writing,

which

is

authoritative and

what he has done to

frequently judgmental. Suppose that, after the
first

deserve

this cruel fate.
is

Does Tolstoy
is in

chapter, the authorial voice had confined

in fact

itself

suggest that there

any cause-and-effect
any way a
lived?
If

to narration and the omniscience had
limited to Ivan llyich himself, with
his

relationship, that his illness

been

punishment for the way he has

everything presented within the limits of
not,

what
illness

is

the larger thematic function of his
suffering?

own
by

perspective. What might have been gained

and
BIG

this

approach? What would have been

lost?

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Teachers

may

consider the ways in which these activities

may

be linked to other Big Read

community
a bookstore.

events.

Most of these

projects could be shared at a local library, a student assemblv, or

1

Have the students create
Petersburg
in

a

photo

gallery of

St

4.

Have the students write and stage
which
Ivan llyich
is

a skit

in

the late

1

9th century, with both

the judge on a television
lines of Judge

exterior and interior scenes, to give a sense of

program along the
he
described

Judy or The

what the outer circumstances of
in

life

were
If

like

Peoples Court (have him portrayed, however, as
is

the world that Tolstoy

is

describing.

in

the novella, not

in

the

possible, try to include scenes
reflective of the novella: an

and persons

smirking and hectoring
judges).

manner of many TV

apartment of a wellin his

The

skit

should include not only the

to-do

family, a

law court, a judge
in

uniform,

presentation of the case and the verdict, but
also the exit interviews with the winning and
losing parties.

and so on. Display the gallery

the classroom

or school
2.

library.

Show your
television

class the

DVD

of the

1

979

British

5.

Have the students draw
the

a series of portraits of
life:

drama A

Question of Faith, which
llyich

Ivan llyich at various stages of his
child;
idealistic

the happy

draws upon both The Death of Ivan
Tolstoy's

and

adolescent; the young
his

man

own

life.

Following the screening, lead

just

embarking on

career and marriage; the

a class discussion to explore the accuracy of

prominent and prosperous judge; the middleaged

the portrayals of the novella and the novellaist,
in

man

troubled by the onset of

his illness;

both

detail

and

spirit

the gaunt and agonized sufferer at the point of
death; the dead

3.

Divide the class into groups, and have each

man

in his coffin

whose
reminder to

group prepare one of the following:

a

speech by

expression was "a reproach or
the
living" (p. 35).
in

a

one of

Display these "Stages of a Life

Ivan llyich's colleagues at a testimonial
his

dinner for him; a eulogy to be delivered at
funeral; a detailed

and Death"
6.
If

the classroom.

New York Times-style
is

obituary

your

class has previously studied
is

Greek or
with the

of him.

In

each instance, the idea

to give a
his
life

Shakespearean tragedy, and

familiar

serious and respectful

summation of

and

conventions of the genre, select two teams of
three students each and stage
a

character as he appeared to the outside world,

formal debate
llyich Is

not the private
us.

man

that Tolstoy portrays for

with the following topic: Resolved. Ivan
a Tragic

Hero

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5

HANDOUT ONE

Russian

Names
Gerasim shows
respect,

Most people who have never read The Death of
Ivan Ilyich probably assume that Ilyich
protagonists
last
it

not

familiarity,

when he

is

the

addresses his master that way. Notice that Gerasim,
like the

name.

No
the

doubt many people

other servants, has no patronymic; while

who

have read

make

same assumption. They
refers to

patronymics are universal nowadays, they began

must wonder why Tolstoy always
his full

him by

among

aristocrats

and only gradually spread
It

to

name, and so do other characters when

other levels of society.

cuts right to the heart of

they talk about
learn

him and even

to

him. In

fact, as

we

Tolstoy's intentions that the

most

truly honorable

from the obituary notice on the
last

first

page of
is

character in the

book

is

also the least "respectable"

the novella, the central characters
Ilyich at
all.

name

not
It

one. In

His

full

name

is

Ivan Ilyich Golovin.

more

familiar or intimate relationships,
(as

follows the standard Russian pattern: given

name,
diminutives are used

with

Bill for

William or

patronymic, family name.
Betty for Elizabeth). There are different forms for

The patronymic
of one's
father.

is

derived from the given
Ilyich's

name

different relationships. For example, at

one point

Ivan

patronymic was

Ivan Ilyich recalls his childhood,

when he "had

established

when

his father

was born and was
as

been

little

Vanya." Ivan
is

Ilyich's

daughter,

who

is

named
Ilyich

Ilya.

In the

same manner,

soon

as Ivan

called Liza,

affectionately referred to as Lizanka

was given was

his first

name, the patronymic of
of his

at several points in the novella.

And when
salary,

he has

his children

established, as in the case

secured his

new

position

and higher

and

surviving son, Vasily Ivanovich.

has decorated the family's
Petersburg, Ivan Ilyich
is

new apartment
such a good

in St.

in

mood

that

The patronymic

is

usually

formed by adding
he even thinks of his wife in terms of her

—ovich or —evich to the
of,

father's

name, meaning son
diminutive, Pasha.

or by adding —ovna or —evna to the father's
of. (In

name, meaning daughter

an exception to

Interestingly,

Praskovya Fyodorovna does not use

the general rule, the patronymic
Ilya
as
is

meaning son of
is

an affectionate diminutive to address her husband,

Ilyich,

not Ilyevich.)

A woman

identified

which helps

to

emphasize the coolness of their

her father's daughter, not her mother's. Thus, the
Ilyich's

relationship. Instead, she calls

him

Jean, the French
is,

patronymic of Praskovya Fyodorovna, Ivan
wife, indicates that her father's

equivalent for Ivan.
course,

(Its

English equivalent

of

name was

Fyodor.

John



yet another

way

in

which Tolstoy

But women's

last

names

are given the feminine

emphasizes the ordinariness of his character; had
the

form: the obituary notice at the beginning of the
novella refers to her as Praskovya

book been written

in English,

he might very

Fyodorovna

well have been called

John Smith.) Jean not only
it

Golovina.
First

sounds
is

less

intimate;

also

shows an
is

affectation for

French names and phrases that

part of the larger
is

name and patronymic
It is

the polite form of
pattern of falsity

and pretension

that Tolstoy

address in Russian.

appropriate for Tolstoy's
satirizing in the novella.

protagonist to be called Ivan Ilyich not only by his
professional colleagues but also

by

his servants.

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HANDOUT TWO

The Code
On

of 864
1

page 46 in The Death of Ivan

Ilyich,

we
an

are

Legal reform was brought about by the

Code of
of the
separate,

told that Ivan Ilyich "was offered a post as

1864, which created a

total restructuring

examining magistrate and he accepted
lengthy description of his

it."

After a

judicial system. Previously, there

had been

new

duties

and the

cumbersome
estates

legal

systems for each of the four
the nobility, the clergy, those
rural

manner

in

which he

carried

them

out, Tolstoy

of society



concludes

this discussion

with the statement: "This
first

who

lived in cities

and towns, and the

type of work was new, and he was one of the

peasantry. All of these systems were

under the

men

to give practical application to the judicial

absolute control of the emperor and administered

reforms instituted by the

Code of

1864."

by the

official

bureaucracy.

In the mid-nineteenth century, the Russian empire

Under

the

Code of 1864,

everything was unified

was

still

a medieval feudal society.

The

state

into a single system.

A

bar association was formed.
of the executive

maintained absolute power, and individual rights

The

judiciary

became independent

were extremely limited. Calls for reform had been
increasing for decades.
Russia's

power of the emperor. The
of all
first

principle of the equality

They were

intensified

by

parties before the law

was introduced

for the

stunning defeat by France, England, and
in the

time.

So was

trial

by

jury,

with panels of twelve

the
56),

Ottoman Empire

Crimean War (1853social

jurors to decide guilt or innocence

and three judges

which highlighted the economic and

to

impose sentence. Other reforms included open,

backwardness of Imperial Russia.

public hearings; the right oi the accused to be
represented

Czar Alexander

II,

who had assumed power upon
saw
that reform

by qualified

legal

counsel: the right of

the accused to present evidence favorable to his or

the death of his father in 1855,
inevitable.

was
her case; and an appeals process.

He

When

these
a

preferred that

it

come by means

oi

reforms were put into practice, there was
limited

sharp

and controlled expansion of freedom,
increase in the

number

of not -guilty verdicts in

instead of by revolution

and violent
his

social upheaval.

criminal

trials.

The

first

and most famous of

major reforms
serfs.

came

in

1861 with the emancipation of the
rural peasants

These were millions of

who

were

held in bondage to the private landowners

on

whose property they
were also made

lived

and worked. Reforms

in the areas of education, finance.

and

local

government.

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HANDOUT THREE

The Rebirth
The Death of Ivan
its

of Ivan llyich
of
but he cannot see that their attitude proceeds from
the very

llyich begins with the death

main

character, a

man who

is

thoroughly

same

values that he has lived

by

all

his

life

unimaginative, small-minded, self-centered, and

and

still

refuses to reject.

who

has devoted his entire existence to comfort

and conformity.

How

In the brief but devastating final chapter, Ivan
is it

that out of such
llyich arrives,

both physically and

spiritually, at

the

unpromising materials Leo Tolstoy was able to

end of his journey. At the conclusion of the
fashion one of the greatest novellas in
literature?
all

of world
previous chapter, the gnawing voice within

him

could no longer be denied, and he surrendered to
In line with Tolstoy's larger purposes, the
first
is

the awareness that he had wasted his
reaction
is

life.

His

first

chapter does litde to prepare us for what
follow, a powerful

to

terror

and

despair, for

now

he has

examination of the most
existence.

nothing

—not only nothing
upon
son
kiss his

to

show

for his forty-

profound questions of human
at the satirical presentation

We smile
as
his

five years

the earth, but also nothing to
It is

of human nature,

sustain

him

in his final agony.

only

when he

Ivan

Ilyich's friends

and

colleagues,

and even

feels his

hand

that he fully experiences

widow, are affected by
its

his death largely in terms

of

the true

meaning of life

interference with their pleasures
are troubling hints

and comforts.

genuine caring for others
over death and
fall

— emotion and —and he can triumph
honest
is

There
coffin,



Ivan llyich in his

into the light.

with his "expression a reproach or a
living;" Ivan Ilyich's son,

We are
that.

never in suspense about what

going to

reminder to the
"eyes
will

whose
happen.

were red from crying"

—but

The

first

page



the

title itself

—has told us
die,

their significance

But a much more

significant suspense has

not become

fully clear until the

end of the
carried us to the

end

—how

(not physically, but

book.
emotionally and spiritually) will Ivan llyich

With

the onset of his

illness,

things begin to

and what

will

be the meaning of his

life

and death?

change
painful

for Ivan llyich,

but

it is

a long and

In the end, Ivan llyich achieves the status of a true

—and
He

thus very realistically portrayed

Everyman, not only because death
all,

will

come

to us
as

process.

notices that the doctors treat

him with
treated

but on a

much

deeper

level.

As harrowing

the

same

indifference with

which he had

the conclusion of the novella

is, it is

also hopeful: if
as Ivan

prisoners in court, but his sense of the injustice of
his

even so thoroughly commonplace a person
llyich

being treated
his

this

way does not

lead

him

to re-

can see the truth
is

at last

and find peace and

examine
fact

own

previous behavior.

He

accepts the

salvation, then there

hope

for everyone.

of human mortality in the

abstract, as

shown
resists

in the syllogism
its

of Caius, but he strenuously

application to himself.

When

he does accept the

fact that

he

is

dying, he bitterly resents the refusal
it,

of his friends and family to openly acknowledge

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What
is

Art?

1

897.

http://www.yasnayapolyana.nj/english/museumymemoriaiy

index.htm
Kubler-Ross, Elisabeth.
Macmillan,
Inc.,

On Death and

Dying.

New York:

The website
site

of Leo Tolstoys home.Yasnaya Polyana.This

1997.

contains a history of the house and the

works written

Wilson, A. N.

Tolstoy:

A

Biography. 1988.

New York WW.

there.

Norton & Company,

Inc.,

2001

http://www.utoronto.ca/tolstoy

The

University of Toronto's Tolstoy Studies Journal. Contains a

gallery of public

domain images taken during Tolstoy's

life.

http://www.hermitagemuseum.org

The website
Russia
is

of the Hermitage

Museum

in

Saint Petersburg.

an excellent resource for learning about Russian

culture, history,

and

art.

National

Endowment

tor the

THE BIG READ

|

9

National Council of Teachers of English
1

(NCTE) Standards
(e.g.,

Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts,

6.

Students apply knowledge of language structure,
language conventions
spelling

and

of themselves, and of the cultures of the United
States and the world; to acquire

punctuation), media techniques, figurative
language, and genre to create, critique, and

new

information; to respond to the needs and

discuss print and non-print texts.
7.

demands of
fiction

society and the workplace; and for

personal fulfillment

Among
classic

Students conduct research on issues and
interests by generating ideas

these texts are

and questions, and

and nonfiction,

and contemporary

by posing problems. They gather, evaluate, and
synthesize data from a variety of sources
print
(e.g.,

works.
2.

Students read a wide range of literature from

and non-print

texts, artifacts, people) to
in

many genres to build an understanding of the many dimensions (e.g., philosophical, ethical, aesthetic) of human
in

many periods

communicate
suit their

their discoveries

ways that

purpose and audience.

8.

Students use a variety of technological and
information resources
(e.g., libraries,

experience.
databases,
3.

Students apply a wide range of strategies to

computer networks, video) to gather and
synthesize information and to create and

comprehend,
texts.

interpret, evaluate,

and appreciate

They draw on

their prior experience,

communicate knowledge.
9.

their interactions with other readers

and

Students develop an understanding of and
respect for diversity
in

writers, their

knowledge of word meaning and

language use, patterns,

of other texts, their
strategies,

word

identification

and

dialects across cultures, ethnic groups,

and their understanding of textual
sound-letter correspondence,
1

geographic regions, and social roles.
0. Students

features

(e.g.,

sentence structure, context, graphics).
4.

whose
in

first

language

is

not English

make use of their
Students adjust their use of spoken, written,

first

language to develop

competency
curriculum.
I

the English language arts and to

and

visual language (e.g., conventions, style,

develop understanding of content across the

vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a
variety of audiences
5.

and for

different purposes.
I .

Students participate as knowledgeable,
reflective, creative,

Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process

and

critical

members

of a

variety of literacy communities.
1

elements appropriately to communicate with
different audiences for a variety of purposes.

2. Students use spoken, written,

and

visual

language to accomplish their
(e.g.,

own

purposes

for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and

the exchange of information).

'This guide

was developed with

NCTE

Standards and State Language Arts Standards

in

mind. Use these standards to guide and develop

your application of the curriculum.

20

*

THE BIG READ

National

Endowment

for the Arts

Erwr

not to solve a question irrefutably, but to force people to love life in all its innumerable,
goal of the artist
is

The

inexhaustible manifestations."

—LEO TOLSTOY
in

an 1865

letter

Kili

MfiF
1 1¥ J4t,

*»»X

*»,i

had been most simple and commonplace and
Ivan llyich's
life



most

horrifying."
Ilyich

-LEO TOLSTOY
from The Death ofIvan

NATIONAL
FOR THE ARTS

ENDOWMENT
The Big Read is an
initiative

of the National

Endowment for
to the center

the Arts designed to restore reading

ofAmerican culture. The NEA presents The Big Read in partnership with the Institute of
Services

Museum and Library
with Arts Midwest.

and in

cooperation

A great nation deserves great art.
•tfi . -INSTITUTE
•:.:.
ol
,

.,

MuseurriandLibrary
SERVICES

.•V;

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