Which line in this excerpt from Leo Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Ilyich suggests that marriage was a calculated decision for Ivan Ilyich, not an emotional one?
After living there for two years he met his future wife, Praskovya Fedorovna Mikhel, who was the most attractive, clever, and brilliant girl of the set in which he moved, and among other amusements and relaxations from his labours as examining magistrate, Ivan Ilyich established light and playful relations with her.
While he had been an official on special service he had been accustomed to dance, but now as an examining magistrate it was exceptional for him to do so. If he danced now, he did it as if to show that though he served under the reformed order of things, and had reached the fifth official rank, yet when it came to dancing he could do it better than most people. So at the end of an evening he sometimes danced with Praskovya Fedorovna, and it was chiefly during these dances that he captivated her. She



1. After living there for two years he met his future wife, Praskovya Fedorovna Mikhel, who was the most attractive, clever, and brilliant girl of the set in which he moved,

2. While he had been an official on special service he had been accustomed to dance, but now as an examining magistrate it was exceptional for him to do so.

3. So at the end of an evening he sometimes danced with Praskovya Fedorovna, and it was chiefly during these dances that he captivated her.

4. both these considerations: the marriage gave him personal satisfaction, and at the same time it was considered the right thing by the most highly placed of his associates.

Respuesta :

Despite the option not being present in the excerpt, but in the story itself, the correct answer is Option 4. both these considerations: the marriage gave him personal satisfaction, and at the same time it was considered the right thing by the most highly placed of his associates.


This line reveals Ivan's true intentions when considering his marriage with Praskovya, as Ivan examined her characteristics thoroughly before engaging, and in conjunction with the collateral gains of this commitment - being personal satisfaction and the desire for social acceptance, as described in Option 4 -, he made the decision that in the end would fulfill all of his needs.

So at the end of an evening he sometimes danced with Praskovya Fedorovna, and it was chiefly during these dances that he captivated her. She fell in love with him. Ivan Ilyich had at first no definite intention of marrying, but when the girl fell in love with him he said to himself: "Really, why shouldn't I marry?"

!!Hope this helped!!