Question

What does the candle symbolize in this excerpt from Leo Tolstoy's The Death of Ivan Ilyich? "When I am not, what will there be? There will be nothing. Then where shall I be when I am no more? Can this be dying? No, I don't want to!" He jumped up and tried to light the candle, felt for it with trembling hands, dropped candle and candlestick on the floor, and fell back on his pillow. A. Ivan Ilyich's shallow lifestyle B. Ivan Ilyich's troubled conscience C. Ivan Ilyich's murky past D. Ivan Ilyich's approaching death

Answer 1

Answer -D

Explanation:He is feeling depressed and feeling suicidal moods, so he decides to "jump" and light the 'candle" which is a symbol for death, but is also ironic because "light" often means happiness but in this case it is used as a double entantdre.