Why is the tone at the beginning of marigolds depressing?

When you don’t understand a concept during the lecture, it’s to flag it in your notes and leave a blank space so you can fill in more

Which two sentences in this excerpt from leo tolstoy's the death of ivan ilyich reflect the author's belief that russia's rising middle class was unable to express genuine emotion?

In the excerpt above, what can be inferred by the statement, "the dillingham had been flung to the breeze during aformer period of prosperity.?