The Death of Ivan Ilyich Quiz

Study Notes

The Death of Ivan Ilych

The story begins with the death of Ivan Ilych, announced by his friend Peter Ivanovich to a group of judges in a private room of the courthouse.
The judges are more concerned about the potential promotions and transfers resulting from Ivan's death than mourning his loss.

Ivan's Funeral and Backstory

Peter Ivanovich attends Ivan's funeral and is struck by the expression of disapproval and warning on Ivan's face.
Ivan's wife Praskovya inquires about maximizing her dead husband's government pension.
Peter encounters Gerasim, Ivan's sick nurse, who comments that everyone dies someday.

Ivan's Life

Ivan is the second of three sons, an average and commonplace person.
He attends the School of Law at 13 and assimilates the values and behavior of high social standing individuals.
Ivan becomes an examining magistrate and moves to a new province, where he marries and has a family.
As his family grows, Ivan distances himself from them and focuses on his official work, adopting a formal attitude at home.

Career and Personal Life

Ivan moves up in the ranks but is passed over for a promotion, leading to a sense of injustice and a move to the country.
He travels to St. Petersburg to find a higher-paying job and is eventually awarded a new position.
Ivan buys and furnishes a new house, where he experiences a minor accident while hanging drapes.

Illness and Decline

Ivan begins to experience discomfort in his left side and an unusual taste in his mouth, which gradually increases and leads to depression and fear.
The doctors he visits disagree on the nature of his illness, and Ivan becomes irritable and quarrelsome.
His physical condition degenerates rapidly, and he begins to think about mortality, which terrifies him.
Ivan tries to suppress his thoughts of death but is unable to do so, and his suffering increases.

Description

Test your understanding of Leo Tolstoy's novel, The Death of Ivan Ilyich, which explores the themes of mortality, morality, and the human condition. This quiz covers the plot, characters, and symbolism in the novel.