Research Guides: Tolstoy, Leo: Critical Articles

Articles

"The Theme of Love and Death in Tolstoy's the Death of Ivan Ilyich" by Temira Pachmuss
Explores Tolstoy's own fear of death and the relationship between "The Death of Ivan Ilyich" and Tolstoy's attempts to come to terms with mortality.
"Caring for Ivan Ilyich" by Blake Charlton and Abraham Verghese
For over a century, Leo Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Ilych has been one of the most influential examinations of how we come to terms with our own mortality. Of the many who care for Ivan Ilych, only the uneducated peasant, Gerasim, is able to help him find meaning and resolution before death. An excerpt that describes Gerasim’s key interaction with Ivan Ilych is provided. Analysis of the text reveals how cultural values may hinder a patient’s ability to confront mortality and how unique social barriers inhibit different caretakers’ ability to care for a dying patient.
"The Gerasim model of caregiving: Reflections on Tolstoy's novella `The Death of Ivan Ilyich'"by Susan L. Taylor
Extrapolates helping behaviors depicted in `The Death of Ivan Ilyich,' a classic novel by Leo Tolstoy manifested by the central character and his servant Gerasim. Illustration on the principles on the theory of caring modeled by Gerasim; Role of classical literature in demonstration of human values.
"Suffering and Personal Agency." by Carl Goldberg and Virginia Crespo
An investigation of those who suffer indicates that while many remain in a disabled and anguished state of being, others find personal meaning in their plight that allows them to transcend their anguish. It is shown here that the capacity to transcend anguish and find personal meaning is a socioemotional process that allows the sufferer to define himself in ways that respect his personal agency. Two literary sources are employed here to explore the issue of personal agency--Leo Tolstoy's The Death of Ivan Ilyich and The Book of Job.
"Teaching The Death of Ivan Ilyich: A Guide to Introducing Tolstoy's Classic" by Gerald Brungard
Masterpieces of literature can bring us deeply into our experiences as patients and physicians, revealing otherwise obscure or hidden truths. Leo Tolstoy's The Death of Ivan Ilyich is such a work of art. This article presents an approach to teaching this novella in a seminar format.

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