Question

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

“When I am not, what will there be? There will be nothing. Then where shall I be when I am no more? Can this be dying? No, I don’t want to!” He jumped up and tried to light the candle, felt for it with trembling hands, dropped candle and candlestick on the floor, and fell back on his pillow.

Answer 1

What the candle symbolizes in this excerpt from Leo Tolstoy's The Death of Ivan Ilyich is Ilyich's approaching death. He doesn't want to die, and the candle represents his ending life. He wants to light it and save it at any cost, however, he fails to do so, which symbolizes that his life is going to end quite soon, just like the candle was extinguished.