View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What has Ivan stopped doing?

2. Who seems to answer Ivan's questions?

3. What does Ivan think may have been real after all?

4. What does Ivan figure out in Chapter 10 about his life?

5. One evening, Ivan's wife comes into his room to visit dressed how?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Is there a reason Tolstoy does not give a name to Ivan's disease? How does the unnamed disease relate to the central themes? Why would Tolstoy not name the disease that kills Ivan?

Essay Topic 2

Explain the "black sack" in Chapter 9. What could the black sack represent to Ivan? Why does Tolstoy use the metaphor of the "black sack?" How does Tolstoy use the metaphor? Do you think Tolstoy uses this metaphor effectively? Can you think of a more effective metaphor Tolstoy could have used to make his point clearer?

Essay Topic 3

Why would Tolstoy choose "The Death of Ivan Ilych" as the title if he writes about Ivan's life? Is Tolstoy writing about more than just Ivan's physical death in the novel? How so?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 260 words (approx. 1 page at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample