In conjunction with our reading of Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Ilyich, I’d like you to complete the second of your three “Reader Response” assignments. In this case, rather than simply responding to the question, “Is this a great work?” that we used last time, I’d like you to reflect on what it’s like to read this particular text at this particular moment in time. After all, as you know, Tolstoy’s novella describes how the rhythm of Ivan Ilyich’s daily life is interrupted by profound illness, and it explores the responses of Ivan and the other characters to the fact of his mortality. Your response can take whatever form you like as long as it addresses or reflects what it was like for you to encounter this text amid the disruption and uncertainty of this moment in our own history.
Your responses should be posted to the blog as “new posts” and should be a minimum of 350 words.
