In the book The Death of Ivan Illych & other stories, Tolstoy discusses the human condition with all of its frailties & vices, such as murder, greed, lust, vanity, love. 1)What do Tolstoy’s stories tell us about these frailties & about 19th century Russia? For Tolstoy, love & compassion were the center of his Christian spiritual beliefs. 2) What did love & compassion mean to Tolstoy? 3) What did Tolstoy’s stories tell about the Russian person, both male & female, of the 19th century? 4) What do Tolstoy;’s stories tell us about the Russian "soul"? 5) Is there anything Americans can learn from Tolstoy’s conception of love & compassion from the Russian soul?