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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Why is it ironic that Ivan resents that his death is trivial?
(a) Ivan wouldn't die if he would just take his medicine.
(b) Ivan isn't dying.
(c) Ivan enjoys all the attention his illness is getting him.
(d) His life has been trivial all along and that never bothered him.

2. How satisfied with his life is Ivan Ilych?
(a) Mostly.
(b) Totally.
(c) Not at all.
(d) Only a very small amount.

3. What did the sight of Ivan Ilych seem to convey to Peter Ivanovich?
(a) Anger and hostility.
(b) Conviction and righteousness.
(c) Optimism and joy.
(d) Reproach or warning.

4. In Chapter 6, is Ivan able to replace his thoughts of death?
(a) No, not all the time.
(b) No, it doesn't work anymore.
(c) Yes, it works brilliantly.
(d) Yes, but it takes time.

5. How does Ivan Ilych's relationship with his wife affect his work?
(a) He is unprepared for court.
(b) He becomes more and more ambitious.
(c) He misses several days.
(d) He becomes close friends with the judge.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Ivan Ilych admit to himself for the first time after seeing himself in the mirror?

2. When Ivan Ilych looks in the mirror some time after greeting his brother-in-law, what does he see for the first time?

3. Ivan Ilych finally realizes, after seeing himself in the mirror, that his condition is a question of what?

4. Why does Ivan Ilych take his family there?

5. How does Ivan Ilych deal with the revelation in Chapter 6?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Ivan and his wife's idea of the "good life" extend into Chapter 4?

2. How is Ivan's sense of power juxtaposed in Chapter 2?

3. How does Ivan cope with the knowledge that he is dying?

4. Discuss an example of foreshadowing in Chapter 7.

5. Examine the irony in Chapter 8.

6. Discuss how Ivan's memories of the past make him feel.

7. What is the overarching theme of "The Death of Ivan Ilych?"

8. Is the author's definition of the "good life" the same as that of Ivan and his wife? Support your answer.

9. Why do you think Ivan has more difficulty avoiding the thought of his death at work?

10. In Chapter 11, what does Ivan reveal about himself when he was younger, and what happened to it?

(see the answer keys)

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