The Metamorphosis/The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Franz Kafka/Leo Tolstoy

The Death of Ivan Ilyich, a 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.

This short work combines surrealism and existentialism in Europe during World War I. An accesible tale, The Metamorphosis serves as an allegory about what is real and valuable in life. Themes include isolation of the individual alienated from family and society, the senselessness and futility of modern life, and the dehumanizing effects of meaningless work which separates the individual from an authentic life.

About the Series:

Novel/Drama curriculum units contain complete lesson plans with preliminary and follow-up work, teacher notes with plot summary, background, and rationale, ready-to-use worksheets, and suggested answers for student questions. These study guides encourage the development of thinking, reading, speaking, research, and writing skills as well as critical thinking skills such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.