Question

What theme is portrayed in this excerpt from Leo Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Ilyich?

In reality it was just what is usually seen in the houses of people of moderate means who want to appear rich, and therefore succeed only in resembling others like themselves: there are damasks, dark wood, plants, rugs, and dull and polished bronzes—all the things people of a certain class have in order to resemble other people of that class. His house was so like the others that it would never have been noticed, but to him it all seemed to be quite exceptional. He was very happy when he met his family at the station and brought them to the newly furnished house all lit up, where a footman in a white tie opened the door into the hall decorated with plants, and when they went on into the drawing-room and the study uttering exclamations of delight. He conducted them everywhere, drank in their praises eagerly, and beamed with pleasure.

A.the effect of consumerism
B.the power of wealth
C.keeping up appearances in society
D.conforming to societal conventions

Answer 1

One of the recurring themes in the Death of Ivan Ilyich is the two lives that people live in. One is the shallow way of life which consists of materialism and selfishness. The second is the real life which shows the truer meaning of life through deep human relationships, sense of belonging, and strength of character. The shallow life is said to be the one that overshadows the real life because most people only want what is on the surface. Another theme is the acceptance of death. This is seen when Ivan tries to accept death with great difficulty. The sooner he accepted his death, the happier he became and the more he saw the deeper things in life.