Question

The literature of nineteenth-century realism depicted everyday life in a realistic way. Which statements show that Leo Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Ilyich is a realist text?

the description of human struggles in the form of Ivan Ilyich’s suffering
the faithfulness of relationships that Ivan Ilyich experiences toward the end of his life
the romantic tension that occurs between Ivan Ilyich and his wife
the difference between superficial and authentic living
the plot ending with a surprising turn of events

Answer 1

The description of human struggles in the form of Ivan Ilyich’s suffering. The idea of realism implies that there is no fantastic or happy endings. Realism is very cynical and down to earth.

Answer 2

• The description of human struggles in the form of Ivan Ilyich’s suffering
• The difference between superficial and authentic living

Step-by-step explanation:

The Death of Ivan Ilyich, by Leon Tolstoy, a novel published in 1886, depicts with acute depth the theme of death and the meaning of life, personalized in Ivan Ilitch, a Russian judge who in the antechamber of death makes a profound reflection on all stages of his life unraveling himself.

In this book, Tolstoy provides the reader with the account of a reckoning, revealing the futility of the bourgeois model of life, through a quality realist literature that reveals human struggles and the difference between superficial and authentic living. It will be, bound to the bed, in the face of certain death, that the life of Ivan Ilyich will be freer, more authentic and powerful. it is at the moment of death that Ivan realizes that mundane concerns and worldly affairs have kept him from thinking of living authentically.