The Death of Ivan Ilyich

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Creative Writing: Perceptions of Ivan”

In this activity, students will write a creative piece from the perspective of one of Ivan’s friends or family members during Ivan’s final days.

In the beginning of the novel, Tolstoy establishes that Ivan’s death does not profoundly impact his peers; however, the reader does not receive direct insight into most of these characters’ perspectives. In this activity, you will write a creative piece that explores one of Ivan’s friends or family members in the days before his death. As you draft your piece, consider the following questions:

• Which character are you writing the perspective from?
• How is this character related to Ivan in the story?
• How does this character feel about Ivan’s impending death?
• Is Ivan’s perception of how this character feels correct or incorrect?
• What will this character focus on after Ivan’s death?

Share your creative piece with the class, taking note of any similarities or differences in creative approaches among your classmates.

Teaching Suggestion: This activity invites students to approach Tolstoy’s story from a creative perspective. In the story, Ivan is certain that only Gerasim is honest with him about the reality of his impending death; consequently, he chooses to spend his time in the compassionate company of this character instead of his children or wife.