Question

Which two parts of this excerpt from Leo Tolstoy's The Death of Ivan Ilyich reflect the author's opinion that the members of the rising middle class can never throw off their emotional masks? Apart from this lying, or because of it, what most tormented Ivan Ilyich was that no one pitied him as he wished to be pitied. At certain moments after prolonged suffering he wished most of all (though he would have been ashamed to confess it) for someone to pity him as a sick child is pitied. He longed to be petted and comforted. He knew he was an important functionary, that he had a beard turning grey, and that therefore what he longed for was impossible, but still he longed for it and in Gerasim's attitude towards him there was something akin to what he wished for, and so that attitude comforted him. Ivan Ilyich wanted to weep, wanted to be petted and cried over, and then his colleague Shebek would come, and instead of weeping and being petted, Ivan Ilyich would assume a serious, severe, and profound air, and by force of habit would express his opinion on a decision of the Court of Cassation and would stubbornly insist on that view. This falsity around him and within him did more than anything else to poison his last days. It was morning. He knew it was morning because Gerasim had gone, and Peter the footman had come and put out the candles, drawn back one of the curtains, and begun quietly to tidy up. Whether it was morning or evening, Friday or Sunday, made no difference, it was all just the same: the gnawing, unmitigated, agonizing pain, never ceasing for an instant, the consciousness of life inexorably waning but not yet extinguished, the approach of that ever dreaded and hateful Death which was the only reality, and always the same falsity. What were days, weeks, hours, in such a case?

Answer 1

Leo Tolstoy's 'The Death of Ivan Ilyich' reflects on the emotional dishonesty of the rising middle class, showing Ivan Ilyich's longing for authentic pity and his struggle with maintaining a false front despite his desire for sincere emotional connections.

Step-by-step explanation:

The passage from Leo Tolstoy's The Death of Ivan Ilyich reveals the author's perspective on the pretense and emotional disconnection prevalent in the rising middle class through its focus on the protagonist's desire for genuine pity and his habitual self-concealment. The first part of the excerpt highlights Ivan Ilyich's deep yearning for sincere compassion, akin to that received by a sick child, reflecting his inner vulnerability and need for emotional support. Despite his status as an important functionary and his grown beard symbolizing maturity, he longs for comfort and finds solace only in Gerasim's attitude, which offers a glimmer of the authenticity he craves.

The second part portrays Ivan Ilyich's struggle with the false front he maintains, particularly when he suppresses his emotional needs in favor of discussing legal opinions with his colleague Shebek. This contradiction between his internal desires and external expressions exemplifies the inescapable falsity that poisons his remaining days, symbolizing the emotional masks that individuals of the middle class often cannot escape. Ivan Ilyich's experience is illustrative of the broader societal issue where genuine emotional expression is stifled by the social expectations and pressures of maintaining a certain demeanor.

Answer 2

This falsity around him and within him did more than anything else to poison his last days