Characters
Who is Gerasim?
Ivan Ilyich's butler and the only one around that understands him and what he is going through
Why does Ivan hate his wife so much during his illness?
She blames him for his illness and has a bad attidue towards him
How does Ivan's illness make the days seem?
All the same and blurred together
Why does the questions and consultations of the doctors bother Ivan so much?
They are all useless and feed into the deception that he is only ill and not dying.
What role did you choose and why?
Psychologist
Philosopher
Writer/Teacher
Young person
Who is Liza?
Ivan Ilyich's Daughter and the fiancé of Fyodor Petrovich
What is one thing Ivan wants from his friends and family?
Ivan wants is pity from other people. He wants to be treated like a little boy who is sick, with love and care.
What does Gerasim do to relief Ivan's pain?
By lifting his legs up
How does Ivan feel about being left alone?
He hates and and is scared of being left alone
Why doesn't the people around Ivan care as much as they should have concerning his illness?
They are too focused on his status and they see him as annoying.
Who is Vassily Ivanovich (Vasya)?
Ivan's son and apart from Gerasim the only other person who understood and pitied him.
How would Ivan and his family be described by their character?
Self centered and only cares about their images.
What two organs are affected?
His kidney and appendix
What lie torments Ivan the most?
The deception that he was just ill and not dying
Who cared the least about the death of Ivan Ilyich?
His wife
His friends
His daughter
Pyotr Ivanovich
How is Liza similar to her mother (Praskovya)?
They are both insensitive to Ivan's illness.
What are two of Ivan Ilych's symptoms?
A strange taste in his mouth and some discomfort on the left side of his stomach.
Why does dying bother Ivan so much
He cannot understand it.
Does Ivan deserve the treatment he received from his family while he was dying? Why and why not
There is no right or wrong answer!
Who is Praskovya Fedorovna Golovin?
Ivan's wife and the mother to his children
How are Russian names structured?
First name, patronymic, and surname.
(female patronymics end in -ovna or -evna)
(male patronymics end in ovich or -evich)
What does Ivan take to ease his pain?
Opium and injections of morphine. Although this does not ease the pain.
His hair is flat and he is extremely pale.
Which character contributed the most negatively while Ivan Ilyich was alive and why?
Praskovya
The "celebrities"