Chapter 1-2
Who was Ivan Ilyich's wife?
Praskovya Fyodorovna
What hobby did Ivan say was the thing that brought him the most "genuine pleasure" in his life?
Ivan derived the most pleasure in his life from playing cards with his friends.
Why does Ivan like Gerasim so much?
Gerasim is a genuine person who cares for Ivan more than anyone else in his life.
What was the only happy period in Ivan's life?
His childhood
Most of chapter 1 is from the perspective of which character?
Pyotr Ivanovich
What is the main thing Ivan wants to find out from the doctor that the doctor refuses to tell him in simple terms?
He wants to know if his illness is serious or not.
What is the Placebo effect?
A beneficial effect produced by a treatment/medicine that is due to the patient's belief in that treatment/medicine.
Who was Liza?
Liza was Ivan's daughter
How did Ivan's coworkers react to his death?
They wanted to take his position
What injury did Ivan receive in chapter 3, which he later blames his illness on?
He fell from a ladder and hit his left side against a window frame when he was decorating his new apartment.
What causes Ivan's mental breakdown in chapter 5?
He seriously contemplates the thought of his own death for the first time
Who was the only person in Ivan's family who understood and pitied him?
His son, Vasya (Vladimir Ivanovich)
Why did Ivan continue to engage in unvirtuous activities despite his feelings of guilt?
Everyone else around him was doing those same things. (It was socially acceptable for someone of his age and status)
In chapter 3, why does Ivan claim his troubled relationship with his wife started to improve?
-He started making more money in his new position at court.
-They were spending less time with each other
What does Ivan always ask Gerasim to do to help relieve his pain?
He always asks Gerasim to raise up his legs.
Why did Ivan start screaming for three days straight?
He looked into his wife's eyes and realized how fake she, and everything else in his life, had been.
What was Ivan's wife most concerned about after he died?
She wanted to know how much money she could get from the government.
At the beginning of chapter 3, why does Ivan have to go live with Praskovya's brother in the countryside for a while?
He gets passed up for a promotion at work, and is no longer able to make ends meet.
Why did Ivan get so angry when a doctor asked him, "What sort of night did you have"?
The doctor obviously knew the answer already (Ivan looked terrible), and didn't really care what Ivan was going to say. He only asked because it was the "proper" thing to do.
What does Ivan finally realize makes life "real"?
Love and genuine human connection
What did Ivan enjoy the most about having a higher level position at court?
-He liked wielding so much power over others
- He liked getting others to do what he wanted.
What analogy does Ivan use when a doctor examines him for his illness for the first time?
He says he was handled like a man on trial. The doctor was professional, proper, and uncaring. This was just like how Ivan, as a judge, treated those on trial.
Why did Ivan have trouble grasping his death?
Before his illness, Ivan had only thought of death as an abstraction (an idea), but now it was becoming a reality for him.
What caused Ivan to question whether he has lived his life in a good way?
He looked at Gerasim and wondered how Gerasim could be so happy despite being a peasant with little money.