stay calm, that is the basis of every technique and every method, they each do something different but it all comes down to one thing, the root, the answer to it all.. its stay calm. This is what will help you keep your head in stressful situations and stay on task and organized.
In short, Tolstoy is critical of the way Russian society and its people are detached from one another.
To those around him, the fact that he is dying is just bothersome, as they need to actually pay attention to him and care for him as he cannot do that himself. Ivan's only comfort is Gerasim who actually understands him and empathizes with Ivan and his difficult situation. He is showing humanity that others don't.
We don't have the excerpt, so we cannot really answer your question.
I can help you a bit, however, so if you've read the story, you will know how to answer it yourself.
A flat character is the one who doesn't change at all over the course of a novel, whereas a round character develops and changes his or her characteristics.
A protagonist is the hero of a novel, whereas an antagonist is his "enemy."
