Select all the correct answers.

What does the black sack in this excerpt from Leo Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Ilyich symbolize?

Till about three in the morning he was in a state of stupefied misery. It seemed to him that he and his pain were being thrust into a narrow, deep black sack, but though they were pushed further and further in they could not be pushed to the bottom. And this, terrible enough in itself, was accompanied by suffering. He was frightened yet wanted to fall through the sack, he struggled but yet co-operated. And suddenly he broke through, fell, and regained consciousness. Gerasim was sitting at the foot of the bed dozing quietly and patiently, while he himself lay with his emaciated stockinged legs resting on Gerasim's shoulders; the same shaded candle was there and the same unceasing pain.

death

missed opportunities

corrupt relationships

childhood

mental conflict

Mark all that apply

I believe that death is the greatest response on this list, however I am not certain that any of the answers are totally obvious. For one thing, we can tell that he has "mental conflict" since he wants to keep pushing through the sack, which appears to have no bottom. Nonetheless, he appears to be extremely tolerant of what is about to happen right before he pushes through the bottom of the bag and emerges on the other side. We are told that many people approach the experience of dying with a kind resignation of "He was frightened yet wanted to fall through the sack, he struggled but yet co-operated." He is conflicted, but seems almost ready to die. Yet, when he gives up and pushes through, he comes out on the other side and has not died, but lives yet another day.