Chapter 5 Summary

Two months later, Ivan's brother-in-law comes to visit. Ivan sees shock in his brother-in-law's eyes when he first sees Ivan. Examining himself in a mirror later, Ivan sees for the first time how thin and yellow he has become.

After a few hours of trying to think positively about his situation, Ivan realizes that his condition is not a question of whether the appendix or kidney is diseased, but a question of life and death. For the first time, Ivan admits to himself that he is dying. Anger rises up in him. He hears the rest of his family visiting down the hall and he hates them for their good health and merriment.

Chapter 5 Analysis

Although Ivan's denial is not yet broken, he has seen the first crack in that shield when he sees himself through his brother-in-law's eyes. Ivan's response to this...