The Death of Ivan Ilyich

Reading Check and Short Answer questions on key points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Reading Check

1. Through which character’s perspective does the reader first “see” Ivan’s corpse?

2. Which event negatively affected Ivan’s initial days of marriage?

3. Why was 1880 the hardest year of Ivan’s life?

4. Why is the idea that Ivan “did not live as [he] should have” so perplexing to him?

5. According to the doctor at the end of the story, what was “more terrible than [Ivan’s] physical sufferings”?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Who is Praskovya Fyodorovna? Describe her main concern at the funeral service.

2. What is the turning point in Ivan’s youth? Identify the socially conventional path he chooses to follow.

3. Describe Ivan’s preoccupation with his health. What is he concerned about? How do these concerns alter his character?

4. As his health deteriorates, what becomes Ivan’s “main torment”? How does Gerasim alleviate this torment?

5. What event makes Ivan have a change of heart before he dies? Describe his final moments.

Recommended Next Reads 

“How Much Land Does a Man Need?” by Leo Tolstoy

• Tolstoy’s 1886 short story follows a greedy Russian peasant who is tempted by the Devil to acquire as much land as possible.
• This story connects with the themes Misplaced Priorities and Personal Gain Overshadows Personal Connection.
• Shared topics include death, social expectations and the acquisition of wealth, and Christian morality.
• “How Much Land Does a Man Need?” on SuperSummary

“Master and Man” by Leo Tolstoy

• Tolstoy’s 1895 short story centers on a journey between a landowner and his worker and the obstacles they encounter.
•  his story connects with the themes Misplaced Priorities and Personal Gain Overshadows Personal Connection.
• Shared topics include death, social expectations and the acquisition of wealth, and Christian morality.
• “Master and Man” on SuperSummary