1. The Death of Ivan Ilyich - A novella -
Leo Tolstoy
The Death of Ivan Ilyich
- A novella -

2. Unit Learning Target Analyzing theme and author’s tone in a story.
TSWBAT identify theme by analyzing quotes, character’s motives, the use of foreshadowing, and the author’s tone toward their topic.

3. Definition of “Novella”
Story with a compact and pointed plot
Realistic and satiric in tone
Work of fiction intermediate in length – somewhere between a short story and a novel
Approximately 20,000-50,000 words
Originally meant to denote short stories in Italian, French, and German that served as later influences on English prose
Used interchangeably with the term “novelette” in recent history

4. Certainly Tolstoy grounds his novella in a particular social,
The Death of Ivan Ilyich transports
the reader to 19th century Russia, a
world that may seem remote to
twenty first-century Americans.
Certainly Tolstoy grounds his
novella in a particular social,
political, and religious context…
but the universal questions transcend time and place.
His timeless writing did not mean that he was able to incorporate the “truth” in his own life. The struggle still continues to this day for all seek to find the meaning of life.

5. Questions to ask: What provides true happiness?
What does it mean to live a good life?
Does God exist? If so, why would God allow suffering?
What is one’s responsibility to other human beings?

6. About the author
The gap between inner truth and outer appearance is apparent in Tolstoy’s writings and in his own life.
He experienced death in his family at an early age.
He lived a fast and furious life for about 10 years.
He served in the military during the Crimean War. This was a time of prolific writing.
In 1878, he suffered a spiritual crisis that changed the direction of his life and writing.

7. Recognizing tone will help us identify the theme of the novella.
Learning about Tolstoy’s life helps the reader recognize the author’s tone in The Death of Ivan Illych.
Recognizing tone will help us identify the theme of the novella.
Analysis of theme helps us understand why this book is still read today and why this author still has an influence on so many 100 years after his death.
September 1910 photo marked “The Last Wedding Anniversary,” Sophia wrote, “There is no holding him!” A month later, Leo walked out on her forever, leaving a note saying that life at home had become “unbearable” and that he wanted to spend his final days in peace. As is well known, he died soon after in a train station.

9. Our Work Divide into six groups. (Groups of 4 - one group of 3)
Each group will get a number 1 – 3
Remember your number.

10. Research an aspect of Leo Tolstoy’s life and analyze how it might have influenced his writing:
Early years
Marriage and family
Political/Cultural Environment
Write a paragraph to share with the class. Include a topic sentence, three details (one being an ICE quote from one of your sources), and a concluding sentence.

11. About the Author Political/Cultural Influences
Marriage and Family Life
Spiritual Crisis
Early Life
Leo Tolstoy

12. Additional Resources

13. Example Paragraph on Spiritual Crisis
Leo Tolstoy had a spiritual crisis at the age of 50 that had an impact on his life and life’s work. First of all, he regretted his early life pursuits that did not make him happy. Secondly, he became obsessed with death and the meaning of life. He could not find any answers in books or the church, so he decided to start his own “religion” of the simple life. He quite drinking and smoking and refused to be served by others. Finally, this serious inner crisis led him to write religious tracts and fiction that dealt with the “big” questions of life. The biographer from “Leo Tolstoy : The Centennial Anniversay” writes, “He becomes a prophet of his own religion and starts to regard 1881 as the year of his rebirth” (6). After his “rebirth” Tolstoy concentrates on making his own life matter. It is at this time that he writes The Death of Ivan Ilych. In conclusion, while trying to figure out the meaning of life during a spiritual crisis, Leo Tolstoy is changed and that causes his writing to change as well.