Chapter 10 Summary

For two more weeks, Ivan never leaves his sofa and he has stopped thinking about his kidney or appendix. Now, he just thinks about death. In his loneliness, Ivan lives only in memories from the past. His memories lead him back to childhood, which is painful, so he brings himself to the present only to begin remembering again. Time after time, he sees that the further back he goes in his memory, the more there was that was good in life and the more life there was. The only explanation for this is that he has not lived as he ought, but he cannot yet admit this possibility.

Chapter 10 Analysis

This chapter continues the illustration of Ivan's struggle to face the truth. He is lonely in the web of lies he has created out of his whole life. Today, in hospice circles, this...