Question

What is the purpose of the scene in Leo Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Ilyich in which Ivan Ilyich thinks about the following logical argument, known as a syllogism?

"Caius is a man, men are mortal, therefore Caius is mortal.”
A.to show that all men are mortal and therefore Ivan Ilyich, a man, must die
B.to show that Ivan Ilyich finally acknowledges that he is dying
C.to show that Ivan Ilyich’s attitude toward life has not prepared him to face death
D.to show that Ivan Ilyich has had a good education and therefore his thoughts are sophisticated

Answer 1

The answer is:

A. To show that all men are mortal and therefore Ivan Ilyich, a man, must die

Answer 2

The purpose of the following scene is (A) to show that all men are mortal and therefore Ivan Ilyich, a man, must die.

The syllogism draws a conclusion that since Caius is a man, and men are mortal, they (men, i.e. mortals) must all die.