Question

Which statement best summarizes the central theme of this excerpt from Leo Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Ilyich? And suddenly it grew clear to him that what had been oppressing him and would not leave him was all dropping away at once from two sides, from ten sides, and from all sides. He was sorry for them, he must act so as not to hurt them: release them and free himself from these sufferings. "How good and how simple!" he thought. "And the pain?" he asked himself. "What has become of it? Where are you, pain?" He turned his attention to it. "Yes, here it is. Well, what of it? Let the pain be." "And death...where is it? " He sought his former accustomed fear of death and did not find it. "Where is it? What death?" There was no fear because there was no death. In place of death there was light. A. Acceptance of death causes less pain. B. Death is painful and cannot be avoided. C. Death should be feared since it is painful. D. Freeing oneself from death is impossible.

Answer 1

The correct answer is A. Acceptance of death causes less pain.

Indeed, Ivan Ilyich has always thought he has lived a rightful life, a life where he has behaved honorably and has risen in society to a position of some wealth and influence. However, his wife does not love him and is completely self-centered. His daughter shows the exact same attitude and only his son does show some compassion.

When he falls ill and his death reveals to be inevitable, he discovers a sense of meaning that he had always ignored. His servant’s Gerasim’s example in being caring and compassionate towards other human beings shows him this and helps him prepare for the inevitability of death. Because Ivan is compassionate towards his family as he is dying, his newly found awareness on the meaning of life helps him overcome both the fear of death and the pain of the dying process.