The Death of Ivan Ilyich (Masterplots, Revised Second Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Leo Tolstoy
- First Published: 1886
- Type of Work: Novella
- Type of Plot: Psychological realism
- Time of Work: 1880’s
- Setting: St. Petersburg and nearby provinces
- Principal Characters: Ivan Ilyich Golovin, Praskovya Fedorovna Golovina, Peter Ivanovitch, 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:
During a break in a hearing, a group of lawyers gathered informally. One, Peter Ivanovitch, interrupted the good-natured arguing of the others with the news that Ivan Ilyich, a colleague they greatly respected, was dead. Unwittingly, each thought first of what this death meant to his own chances of promotion, and each could not help feeling relief that it was Ivan Ilyich and not himself who had died.
That afternoon, Peter Ivanovitch visited the dead man’s home, where the funeral was to be held. Although he met a playful colleague, Schwartz, he attempted to...
[The entire page is 2460 words long]
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