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?

Answer 1

Leo Tolstoy's 'The Death of Ivan Ilyich' embodies realism by depicting everyday life in an authentic way, focusing on a character's personal struggle with mortality and societal norms, which is characteristic of 19th-century realist literature.

Step-by-step explanation:

Leo Tolstoy's The Death of Ivan Ilyich is seen as a realist text because it portrays everyday life and experiences in a truthful and straightforward manner. This novel reflects the realist tradition of focusing on the mundane and the ordinary, representing life as it was experienced by individuals. Tolstoy's work provides a detailed, psychological exploration of a man facing his mortality, grappling with the authenticity of his existence, and the societal conventions of the 19th century. The sobering recognition of his superficial life and the pursuit of genuine human connection is the heart of the novel's realism. It stands as a commentary on the human condition, reflecting the mundane aspects of life, even those laden with suffering and alienation, which were central themes for realist writers.

Answer 2

The first quotation could be "And that is really what it was. I was going up in public opinion, but to the same extent life was ebbing away from me. And now it is all done and there is only death." due to the realistic description of death. Death is one of life's only promises and Tolstoy uses it frequently to depict how life goes on and changes based on view points and facts but death is the only thing experienced by everyone and a part of everyday life.
Another case of realism in the text is when Tolstoy writes; "Suddenly some force struck him in the chest and side, making it still harder to breathe, and he fell through the hole and there at the bottom was a light…Just then his schoolboy son had crept softly in and gone up to the bedside. The dying man was still screaming desperately and waving his arms. His hand fell on the boy's head, and the boy caught it, pressed it to his lips, and began to cry." This is a form of realism because its not a description of thoughts or meaning but it is just something that is and that happens. Its realistic because everyone loses someone important to them at one time or another yet some people do not know how horrible and traumatizing it can be. Tolstoy describes this in a dark and realistic way using this quotation.