Why does the author list the "varying cast of characters"

Which sentence in this excerpt from leo tolstoy’s the death of ivan ilyich suggests that ivan ilyich and his wife couldn’t even agree on how to raise their children?

[he] let his gaze wander to the swirling water of the stream racing madly beneath his feet. a piece of dancing driftwood caught his attention and his eyes followed it down the current. how slowly it appeared to move! what a sluggish stream! what contrasting words are used to describe the stream in this passage?

Which quotation best supports the authors’ claim and purpose?