Falsity in Praskovya
What does Praskovya ask Peter after she weeps about Ivan’s death?
She asks Peter about how much she can make off Ivan’s death
Why does Ivan play cards, and why is he a workaholic?
Ivan does not have a good relationship with his wife so he ignores it and goes to play cards and work most of the time to make money.
How did the co-workers react to Ivan's death?
They reacted like they didn’t care, and were more concerned about their promotions.
Where does Pyotr go when the funeral is over?
He goes to play cards after the funeral as if nothing happened.
Who were the few characters that cared at Ivan’s funeral?
Ivan's son and Gerasim
Why does Praskovya keep inviting “famous” doctors to examine Ivan when he is sick?
Praskovya thinks that inviting famous doctors will make Ivan think that she cares about him
What does Ivan do to show he is materialistic in chapter 3?
Even though Ivan does not have any money he tries to act like he does. Ex. decorating
What idea does Schwartz keep suggesting at Ivan's funeral?
Schwartz just wants to keep on playing cards and goofing off because he never valued Ivan as a friend.
Why does Pyotr go to play cards after the funeral?
He goes to play cards because Schwartz kept bugging him on it. This may be because he doesn't care about Ivan and he faked his personality when Ivan was around.
Why did no one care about Ivan at his funeral?
Everybody was just using Ivan for materialistic things and none of his relationships were authentic.
Why does Praskovya wish for Ivan to die when he is sick, but soon take it back?
Because Ivan is the family's only source of income
Why was it ironic that Ivan Got the job of a judge?
Ivan got the job because they stopped discriminating against people's classes but Ivan chooses his friends and partners based on their class, not authenticity.
Who was the coworker that was Ivan’s “best friend” but showed no sympathy or remorse at his funeral?
Peter was the one coworker, and he was the first to leave and ended up playing cards instead of mourning.
When Pyotr learns of Ivan’s Death he says he is going to transfer his wife’s brother over from Kaluga, how does this show falsity?
This shows falsity because Ivan’s so-called best friend’s first thought after he dies is for his own personal gain.
What is the average bourgeoisie family like according to the book?
Being part of the bourgeoisie means that you are trying to appear as a higher class when you are in a lower class.
How different does Praskovya treat Ivan before and after marriage?
Before marriage, Praskovya was all sweet and kind but afterward, she became annoyed with Ivan and started faking her personality.
How does Ivan being a workaholic make him a good judge?
Ivan is very focused on his job and making money, so he tries his very best at work and doesn't let his emotions overcome him in court, so he doesn't show favoritism.
Did the coworkers take Ivan’s illness seriously when he was still alive?
Ivan’s coworkers didn’t care about his illness and even joked about it.
What main detail at the beginning shows that Ivan and Pyotr weren’t really as close as they were described?
When Pyotr heard that Ivan died his first reaction was that his family would get personal gain from it.
What made the doctors not being straightforward with Ivan?
They only cared about how much they were being paid
Why does Praskovya keep on telling Ivan that he is not going to die because of his illness?
Praskovya thinks that telling Ivan he is okay will make him think he really is fine and stop complaining.
Is Ivans's relationship with Praskovya important to him?
Ivan does not care about Praskovya and her feelings and he often just works when she is frustrating him.
How does Ivan’s death show us his relationship with his coworkers and job position?
It shows they were not close or emotionally attached to Ivan and faked their relationship with him.
Based on Pyotr’s reaction to Ivan’s death what inference can we make as to why he went to visit him before he died?
Based on his reaction, we can assume that he only went to visit him because he felt pressured to go for personal gain.
Why did Ivan care so much about holding up the false impression of good health and wealth?
Ivan is materialistic and is just trying to appeal to the upper class.