Question

Which statement best summarizes the central theme of this excerpt from Leo Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Ilyich?

Answer 1

The part of the excerpt that exhibits the interconnected themes of morality and mortality is: There was no fear because there was no death.
I chose the sentence because I believe that if you lived a moral life, you will not fear your mortality. 

Answer 2

Answer: A) Acceptance of death causes less pain.

Explanation: In literature, the theme is the underlying message of a story, it is  what critical belief about life is the author trying to convey in the writing of a novel, play, short story or poem. Usually this belief, or idea, is universal and transcends cultural barriers. In the given excerpt from "The Death of Ivan Ilyich" by Leo Tolstoy, we can see developed the theme that acceptance of death causes less pain, this is shown in how the speaker doesn't fear death anymore, because he knows that it will free him from all the sufferings.