Ivan Ilyich Death

1853 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The theme of death used in literature

Mortality in Death of Ivan Ilych

The matters in life that are subject to change that can be influenced to an infinite amount of factors. It depends on how one chooses to cope with the hard times he or she encounters. In the novel, The Death of Ivan Ilych, by Leo Tolstoy, the main character Ivan is confronted with a terminal illness that shifts his priorities of wealth and fame to simply enjoying the little things in life. For Ivan, the proximity to death changed his perspective to make amends towards a life worth living. The story examines the life of Ivan Ilyich who lived an exemplary life in terms of wealth, family, work accomplishments, and the friends he surrounds himself with. Throughout the story, Tolstoy embeds the significance …show more content…

The setting plays a huge role in the story because Tolstoy used the house in St.Petersburg to represent the world and the modern people who live in it. The “modern people” who live in the home with Ivan and the people around it who are selfish and useless to society. Tolstoy shows during the time period of Ivan accomplishments in work, took place where Russian society drove only by the ambition and greed of success and money was evident. The country was full of people who were false and selfish by pleasing others within their society. Tolstoy depicts the society that Ivan lives in by the exaggerate social climb everyone seeked, and constant obsession with impressing one another when it was not genuine. People in the society of modern day Russia were targeted by Tolstoy as to be in a false world with selfish …show more content…

The realization of his meaning of life pushes him further through the sack, which horrifies him. Throughout the course of his torturous suffering, the end of the sack is interpreted to be the escape of death. However, there is a symbolism of light, “just then Ivan Ilyich fell through, saw light, and it was revealed to him that his life had not been what it ought, but that it could still be rectified.”, which can be seen a release from his suffering. When Ivan encounters this “light” all pain and fear went away, which shows he comes in peace with death and the reality of his death. Through the help of Geraism,the model of compassion, allowed Ilyich to break free from the fear of death, and to face the reality of his

Show More
Related

  • Candide, Death Of Ivan Ilyich, And The Metamorphosis

    1380 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy tells the story of Ivan Ilyich, a man who deals with a mysterious illness through introspection. Until his illness, he lived the life he thought he was supposed to live. Like Candide, he was living in blind optimism. He assumed that what he was doing was the right thing because he was told as much. He had a respectable job and a family. Happiness, if it did occur to him, was fulfilling his duties as a husband and father. It was his sudden illness that allowed him to reflect on his choices, concluding that those choices did not make him happy. “Maybe I have lived not as I should have… But how so when I did everything in the proper way” (Tolstoy 1474)? Ilyich had been in a bubble for his entire life, the bubble only popping when he realizes his own mortality. This puts his marriage, his career, and his life choices into perspective. Realizing that he does not get to redo these choices, he distances himself from his old life: his wife, his children, and his career. All that is left is to reflect. This reflection is his personal enlightenment. He had been living in the dark, blind to his true feelings for his entire life. Mortality creates a space in which he can question himself as to why he made the choices he made, and how those choices created the unsatisfactory life he finds himself in

    Read More

  • An Inauthentic Existence In 'The Death Of Ivan Ilyich'

    1606 Words  | 4 Pages

    However, through the enlightenment provided by Tolstoy, and the lessons taught, I now see that I am less satisfied with my existence and more deceivingly complacent with it. To expand on this, I have not done anything of true significance and have lived only to appear content, fooling even myself, while hiding behind a stoic facade. I have lived in an inauthentic way, preoccupied with my superficial social portrayal instead of true inner delineation. Just as I did, I feel as though the protagonist, Ivan Ilyich, would have claimed to have been happy, genuinely believing himself. I see a lot of myself in Ivan, and it makes me fearful. I would seek only what was pleasant and shy away from what is unpleasant. I now see I must be willing to accept my own transience and live genuinely if I want to live a blissful

    Read More

  • Ivan Ilyich Conformity

    716 Words  | 2 Pages

    People usually believe following society is the “right” way of living. In Leo Tolstoy’s novel, Death of Ivan Ilyich, Tolstoy uses a recurring theme of conformity. He illustrates Ivan Ilyich, the protagonist, a middle class man as a modern day conformist. His character lives for society’s approval and in doing so, distracts himself from seeking true happiness. Throughout the novel, Leo Tolstoy uses satire to expose the upper-middle class people as conformists. Tolstoy portrays the damaging effects propriety has on an individual when the individual chooses to disregard compassion and fulfillment in favor of society’s norms.

    Read More

  • The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy

    907 Words  | 2 Pages

    Tolstoy immediately absorbs you into the novel by beginning with Ivan’s death. The actual death scene is saved until the end of the novel, but he shows you the reaction of some of Ivan’s colleagues as they hear the news of Ivan’s death. You are almost disgusted at the nonchalant manner that Ivan’s “friends” take his death. They are surprised by his death, but immediately think of how his death will affect their own lives, but more importantly, their careers. “The first though that occurred to each of the gentlemen in the office, learning of Ivan Ilyich’s death, was what effect it would have on their own transfers and promotions.” (pg 32) As a reader, you have to wonder how Ivan must have had to live in order for people close to him to feel no sadness towards the loss or even pity for his wife. In fact, these gentlemen are exactly like Ivan. The purpose of their lives was to gain as much power as possible with n...

    Read More

  • Irony In The Death Of Ivan Ilyich

    608 Words  | 2 Pages

    Ivan has a strong disconnect with his family and begins feel like he is always suffering, while beginning to question if his life has been a lie. An example of this for prompt number three is when we are giving the quote "Ivan Ilych's life had been most simple and most ordinary and therefore most terrible." Leo Tolstoy implies through the quote that even though he lives an ordinary

    Read More

  • Psychological Analysis of Death: The Death of Ivan Illych

    1016 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...t is . What really accentuated the story's realness was the cold-harsh fact that no one is exempt from death. This was given when Gerasim said to Ivan that everyone dies (p135). As the last book Tolstoy made before his conversion to Christianity: this book, delving deep into death, could reveal some clues about what the bible is trying to tell us about the truth of death. Is death the end, the process, or...the beginning? Who knows? One thing for certain is that every individual goes through the grief process a bit differently, and Tolstoy has proven that through his main character, Ivan Illych.

    Read More

  • How Does Ivan Ilych Contradict The Nature Of Human Existence

    446 Words  | 1 Pages

    Both The Death of Ivan Ilych and Endgame explore the pointless repetitiveness of life and selfish human nature that contradict the importance of human existence. Within the first few paragraphs of The Death of Ivan Ilych, we learn that “Ivan Ilych has died” (Tolstoy 15). The death of a protagonist should come as a heart-wrenching shock at the end of a story, but by giving this information to the reader almost immediately in such a matter-of-fact manner, Tolstoy normalizes Ivan’s death. Ivan Ilych’s death seems almost irrelevant throughout the story.

    Read More

  • Comparing Mitch Albom's Tuesdays with Morrie and Leo Tolstoy's The Death of Ivan Ilych

    3761 Words  | 8 Pages

    Though illness stripped both Morrie Schwartz and Ivan Ilych of their hope for survival, their dissimilar lifestyles led each to a much different end. Morrie found himself in an overflow of compassion while surrounded by family, friends and colleagues. Ivan, on the other hand, found only the obligatory company of his wife and the painful awareness that no one really cared. Both characters ended their lives the way they lived them, as Ivan acknowledges: "In them he saw himself" (Ivn, 149). While Morrie poured himself into every moment of life and every relationship he pursued, Ivan skirted the dangers of emotion to live "easily, pleasantly, and decorously" (Ivn, 115). In the spirit of such an opposition, the two stories become somewhat like responses to each other. Morrie Schwatrz, proclaimed...

    Read More

  • Death Of Ivan Ilyich Analysis

    918 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Death of Ivan Ilyich is a story written by Leo Tolstoy in 1886. Leo Tolstoy was born in 1828 into a Russian society. Tolstoy had a rough childhood growing up. By the age of nine, both of his parents died and he was force to become an orphan. As Tolstoy grew older, he became known for being a womanizer and gambler. He engaged in premarital sex with prostitutes and these women became his downfall. Then he went under an acute conversion. Although Tolstoy converted, he did not adapt the traditional beliefs of a Christian conversion. He rejected the idea of afterlife which plays a role in Death of Ivan Ilyich. This story is about the life of an average man named Ivan Ilyich, who faces the fact that he is eventually going to die. Death is very

    Read More

  • The Death of Ivan Ilyich

    1577 Words  | 4 Pages

    In his novella, The Death of Ivan Ilyich, Leo Tolstoy satirizes the isolation and materialism of Russian society and suggests that its desensitized existence overlooks the true meaning of life—compassion. Ivan had attained everything that society deemed important in life: a high social position, a powerful job, and money. Marriage developed out of necessity rather than love: “He only required of it those conveniences—dinner at home, housewife, and bed—which it could give him” (17). Later, he purchased a magnificent house, as society dictated, and attempted to fill it with ostentatious antiquities solely available to the wealthy. However, “In reality it was just what is usually seen in the houses of people of moderate means who want to appear rich, and therefore succeed only in resembling others like themselves” (22). Through intense characterizations by the detached and omniscient narrator, Tolstoy reveals the flaws of this deeply superficial society. Although Ivan has flourished under the standards of society, he fails to establish any sort of connection with another human being on this earth. Tragically, only his fatal illness can allow him to confront his own death and reevaluate his life. He finally understands, in his final breath, that “All you have lived for and still live for is falsehood and deception, hiding life and death from you” (69).

    Read More

  • Theme Of Fate In The Death Of Ivan Ilych

    1492 Words  | 3 Pages

    Ivan Ilych was a member of the Court of Justice who was "neither as cold and formal as his elder brother nor as wild as the younger, but was a happy mean between them—an intelligent, polished, lively, and agreeable man” (Tolstoy 102). He lived an unexceptionally ordinary life and strived for averageness. As the story progresses, he begins to contemplate his life choices and the reason for his agonizing illness and inevitable death. “Maybe I did not live as I ought to have done, but how could that be, when I did everything properly?” (Tolstoy

    Read More

  • "The Death of Ivan Ilych", by Leo Tolstoy

    840 Words  | 2 Pages

    The story of In "The Death of Ivan Ilych", was written by Leo Tolstoy around who examines the life of a man, Ivan Ilyich, who would seem to have lived an exemplary life with moderate wealth, high station, and family. By story's end, however, Ivan's life will be shown to be devoid of passion -- a life of duties, responsibilities, respect, work, and cold objectivity to everything and everyone around Ivan. It is not until Ivan is on his death bed in his final moments that he realizes that materialism had brought to his life only envy, possessiveness, and non-generosity and that the personal relationships we forge are more important than who we are or what we own.

    Read More

  • Tolstoy's War and Peace

    933 Words  | 2 Pages

    A. The Epic of Russian Literature. New York: Oxford University Press, 1950. 309-346. Tolstoy, Leo. "

    Read More

  • Life in The Death of Ivan Ilyich

    1135 Words  | 3 Pages

    The life of Ivan Ilyich, we are told, "had been most simple and most ordinary and therefore most terrible" (Tolstoy, Ch. 2).  In analyzing this description of Ivan's life, we see that Ivan has always done what is expected of him in the eyes of others (wife, co-workers, employers, etc.).  While Ivan believes his life has run easily, pleasantly, and decorously like it should, we see that in reality it is an unfulfilled life.  Ivan's closest associates are more worried about who will be next in line for promotion now that he is gone, and at his funeral they are more concerned over a bridge game than grieving for the loss of a friend, "The more intimate of Ivan Ilyich's acquaintances, his so-called friends, could not help thinking also that they would now have to fulfill the very tiresome demands of propriety by attending the funeral service and paying a visit of condolence to the widow" (Tolstoy Ch. 1).

    Read More

  • War And Peace By Leo Tolstoy

    1116 Words  | 3 Pages

    Alongside with these historical events, Tolstoy describes the different classes of Russian society in terms of their participation in the war and what kind of an impact war had on their lives. In the beginning of the novel, the Russian aristocratic class, which was in the czar’s circle, wanted Russia to participate in the war. They wanted a quick victory and pride for the Russian nobility. They did not anticipate that the war would destroy homes, agriculture, and take many Russian lives. This class is shown in Anna Pavlova Sharer’s salon, with it’s upper class aristocracy, who talk only in French, viewing the Russian language as uncivilized and useful only for peasants. They adopted French culture and wear French style clothing, and at the same time they want to fight Napoleon. However, the majority of this class doesn’t want to participate themselves in the war, but want to win the war with the hands of the peasants. These aristocrats, despite their high education and power, will do nothing to help win the war. They live like parasites on the body of Russia’s society. This is how Tolstoy describes this class in general, but he also depicts two representatives of this upper class, Andrew Bolkonsky and Pierre Bisuhov, who were the more intellectual ones, and whose lives and views of war and life changed as the result of the war.

    Read More

More about Ivan Ilyich Death

Open Document