Question

The literature of nineteenth-century realism depicted everyday life in a realistic way. Choose the statement below that shows that Leo Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Ilyich is a realist text.

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

Answer 1

The correct answer is A. the description of human struggles in the form of Ivan Ilyich's suffering. This part is really realistic - it shows us what can actually happen in life, and what often does, and Tolstoy showed us Ivan's suffering without hiding anything or romanticizing his illness. The other options refer more to Romanticism than to Realism.