Leo Tolstoy

The Death of Ivan Ilyich - A novella -

Unit Learning Target

• Analyzing theme and author’s tone in a story.

• TSWBAT identify theme by analyzing quotes, character’s motives, the use of foreshadowing, and the author’s tone toward their topic.

Definition of “Novella”

• Story with a compact and pointed plot• Realistic and satiric in tone• Work of fiction intermediate in length – somewhere

between a short story and a novel• Approximately 20,000-50,000 words• Originally meant to denote short stories in Italian,

French, and German that served as later influences on English prose

• Used interchangeably with the term “novelette” in recent history

The Death of Ivan Ilyich transports the reader to 19th century Russia, a world that may seem remote to twenty first-century Americans.

Certainly Tolstoy grounds his novella in a particular social, political, and religious context…but the universal questions transcend time and place.

Questions to ask:

What provides true happiness?

What does it mean to live a good life?

Does God exist? If so, why would God allow suffering?

What is one’s responsibility to other human beings?

About the author

• The gap between inner truth and outer appearance is apparent in Tolstoy’s writings and in his own life.

• He experienced death in his family at an early age.• He lived a fast and furious life for about 10 years.• He served in the military during the Crimean War.

This was a time of prolific writing.• In 1878, he suffered a spiritual crisis that changed

the direction of his life and writing.

• Learning about Tolstoy’s life helps the reader recognize the author’s tone in The Death of Ivan Illych.

• Recognizing tone will help us identify the theme of the novella.

• Analysis of theme helps us understand why this book is still read today and why this author still has an influence on so many 100 years after his death.

Our Work

• Divide into six groups. (Groups of 4 - one group of 3)

• Each group will get a number 1 – 3• Remember your number.

• Research an aspect of Leo Tolstoy’s life and analyze how it might have influenced his writing:

1. Early years2. Marriage and family3. Political/Cultural Environment

Write a paragraph to share with the class. Include a topic sentence, three details (one being an ICE quote from one of your sources), and a concluding sentence.

About the Author

Marriage and Family Lifehttp://tolstoy.beckerfilmgroup.com/3.html

Political/Cultural Influenceshttp://tolstoy.beckerfilmgroup.com/61://.html

Early Lifehttp://tolstoy.beckerfilmgroup.com/1.html

Spiritual Crisishttp://tolstoy.beckerfilmgroup.com/51.html

Leo Tolstoy

Additional Resources

• http://www.biography.com/people/leo-tolstoy-9508518?page=2

• http://www.biographyonline.net/writers/leo-tolstoy.html

• http://www.biography.com/people/abraham-lincoln-9382540

• http://www.neabigread.org/books/deathivanilyich/readers-guide/

Example Paragraph on Spiritual Crisis

Leo Tolstoy had a spiritual crisis at the age of 50 that had an impact on his life and life’s work. First of all, he regretted his early life pursuits that did not make him happy. Secondly, he became obsessed with death and the meaning of life. He could not find any answers in books or the church, so he decided to start his own “religion” of the simple life. He quite drinking and smoking and refused to be served by others. Finally, this serious inner crisis led him to write religious tracts and fiction that dealt with the “big” questions of life. The biographer from “Leo Tolstoy 1828-1910: The Centennial Anniversay” writes, “He becomes a prophet of his own religion and starts to regard 1881 as the year of his rebirth” (6). After his “rebirth” Tolstoy concentrates on making his own life matter. It is at this time that he writes The Death of Ivan Ilych. In conclusion, while trying to figure out the meaning of life during a spiritual crisis, Leo Tolstoy is changed and that causes his writing to change as well.