The Death of Ivan Ilyich (Masterplots II: Short Story Series, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Leo Tolstoy
- First Published: 1886
- Type of Plot: Domestic realism
- Time of Work: The 1880's
- Setting: St. Petersburg and nearby provinces
- Principal Characters: Ivan Ilyich Golovin, Praskovya Fyodorovna Golovina, Piotr Ivanovich, Vasya, Gerasim
- Genres: Psychological fiction, Short fiction, Domestic realism
- Subjects: Values, Self-discovery, Nineteenth century, Middle classes, Truth, Death or dying, Lawyers, Funeral rites or ceremonies, Terminal illness or terminally ill, Materialism, Russia or Russian people
- Locales: St. Petersburg, Russia
The Story
This story begins with the news of Ivan Ilyich's death reported by his closest acquaintance from law school, Piotr Ivanovich. When his coworkers hear the news, their immediate reaction is one of self-centered concern over their possible promotions and other changes that Ivan's death might bring about in their own lives. Only after these considerations do the dead man's so-called friends think of the tiresome duties of attending the funeral and consoling the widow.
Giving up his usual nap to attend the wake, Piotr, meeting his bridge partner at the widow's...
[The entire page is 1915 words long]
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