This short Russian novel depicts the late-nineteenth-century lifestyle of a petty bourgeoisie whose impending death forces him to confront his shallow existence. Tolstoy’s work is a piece of realism persuasive in its prescient candor about the death process. Themes include awakening and use of realism to explore a life worth living.
Students participate in brainstorming, vocabulary study, problem solving, Socratic seminars, and analysis of character relationships. They also research cultural references and religious allusions, write journal entries, and plan a Russian tea party.
Assessments include essay topics and reading comprehension questions.
