<p>In "The Death of Ivan Ilyich" and "The Kreutzer Sonata," Leo Tolstoy explores the profound themes of mortality, existential despair, and the complexities of human relationships. While the former exists as a poignant novella revealing the stark confrontation between life and death, emphasizing the futility of materialism, the latter takes the form of a powerful novella that critiques bourgeois marriage and explores moral dilemmas surrounding lo...