Big Read: The Death of Ivan Ilyich  Tags: slavic literature  

Gerasim, the peasant boy in The Death of Ivan Ilyich, cares for the sick man without any sign of distaste. He “donates” his care with tact and kindness. Although Gerasim is Russian, as is Ivan Ilyich, Gerasim seems to come from a different culture. Research who peasants were in Tolstoy’s Russia, including details about their dress, language, religion, diet, and education. Compare the role of Gerasim to a “donor figure” in a film, tv show, or literary work from American culture. Finally, the group is to donate some service to the class or community. Archive your project.

Research tips: Be sure to check the suggestions under "Searching for Tolstoy",   "Google Books", "Another Approach", "Media", and "Biography and Bibliography" if you are having trouble getting started.

The peasants of Tolstoy's time were photographed and are characterized in a great deal of the literature of the day. To find material on the peasants it is probably easiest to search databases such as American Periodicals Series or JSTOR with the simplest of search terms: "Russian peasant". However, be aware that Western perceptions of the life of the Russian peasant, especially at the turn of the century, vary wildly!

Looking at the sources of Tolstoy's time in the American Periodicals Series you will find very different reports. Some will say the the Russian peasant/mujik is the happiest of workers, enjoying the simplicity of his life. This is the approach taken in the article "How the Russian Mujik Lives". Such reports are balanced by Princess Kropotkin's article of the same period, who describes the terrible poverty and back-breaking labor of the Russian peasant. If you decide to look at this database be sure to limit the dates of your search.

Tip: To find later, secondary analysis of the Russian peasantry you may want to consult JSTOR. Since this is a very broad database you will want to limit your search. On the first screen choose "Advanced Search". In the "Advanced Search" you will have a variety of options to refine your search. For example:

If you limit your search just to articles you will get a number of hits on the terms "russian peasant". Here, the search has also been limited to finding articles that have the words "russian peasant" in the title. This was done to limit the number of items returned as, once again, it is a very broad subject.

Once again, in American Periodicals Series be sure to limit the dates you are searching.