Topic Brainstorm: Final Project Brainstorming Ideas Week 13

Three possible topics I'm considering for our final project are:

Option #1:
- Choose one short story or novel excerpt. Write a piece in which you explore the following:
     1. In what ways could this story be considered an artifact of history?
     2. What does this story teach us about history?
     3. How does a story teach us about a time or place differently than a history book?

Option #2:
- Choose a reading. In your project, consider the following:
     What does this work reflect about its historical, social, political and/or economic context? You may focus on race, class, power, cultural values and beliefs, historical events, the author's biography, gender, psychology, etc.

Option #3:
- Choose a reading selection. Then choose ONE of the following questions, and write an argument in response to it:
     1. How does the work reflect the period in which it was written?
     2. What does the work reveal about the cultural behavior contemporary to it?
     3. How are class difference presented in the work? Are characters aware or unaware of the      
        economic and social forces that affect their lives?

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I think the reading selection I'm going to use is Leo Tolstoy's "The Death of Ivan Ilyich." (Pages 735 - 778). I like the story, and I've read it in another English class. Here's a few possible ways to respond to these 3 options, and why I'd like to write about each one.

Option #1: This story could be an "artifact" of history in the sense that it portrays a very simple man, just trying to climb the ladder (in both his work, his home, and with his family). At one point, he claims to feel sorry for his wife and children, but then when he is dying, it's like he takes back feeling sorry for them and instead feels love for them. This could be used as a historical piece because it goes to show that no matter what kind of people your family are (even if they are very self-absorbed), you should still genuinely love and care for them. I think it would be neat to sort of relate this story to history and dig a little deeper for more historical meaning in either the story, the author, or the time in which this story was written.

Option #2: Again, this story would be interesting to tie in historical, cultural and economic points to the story and show how, within the story, there are historical, cultural and economic differences and struggles. I think Ivan's struggle with work shows, to some degree, his economic struggle. His relationship with his wife and children also show the similarities to historical and cultural "norms" of the time and how Ivan shows that through his character.

Option #3: All three of these questions are interesting and could be great starting points for my project. But since it says to only pick one of these questions, I guess the one that stands out most to me is the third question, about class differences. I like this question because I think the relationship between Ivan and his wife is rather interesting, especially since she is super self-absorbed, and honestly doesn't seem to really care whether her husband is sick or not - she seems like she could really care less either way. I also find the relationship between Ivan and Gerasim. The fact that Gerasim, inevitably, cares for Ivan while is is sick. Gerasim, even though he is just Ivan's butler, becomes Ivan's comforter and caregiver, and seems to talk to Ivan and keep him company, which I think helps Ivan cope with what's going on. But their relationship shows the difference in class between husband and wife, and between the man of the house and the butler.