An Inauthentic Existence In 'The Death Of Ivan Ilyich'

1606 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Essays on personality development

Theodore Baca 004706844 An Inauthentic Existence The western world is a superficial and materialistic society, consumed with the need for admiration and the feeling of prominence. A large portion of the bourgeois society participate in an inauthentic existence, denying both life and death. As a byproduct, we hide our empathy and compassion in order to represent ourselves in a socially acceptable way. When asked how one is doing, many reply “well”, regardless of how they are actually feeling inside. This is what social media is built off of: falsehoods and misrepresentations. By being preoccupied with status and wealth, we are robbed of our ability to experience life. Through the reading of “The Death of Ivan Ilyich”, we are able to see that to genuinely live a life with meaning, we have to rise above the imperceptiveness of our society. Living a life of inauthenticity and confirming to social norms leaves you vacuous. This idea that social status and appearance does not define happiness speaks volumes to me, and …show more content…

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

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

  • 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

    middle of paper ... ... He is trying to teach us that although Ivan died while he was trying to convert to Christianity, he died unsatisfied and in agony because the process was not yet finished. Most people live more Christian lives than Ivan Ilyich, but if they are never able to live their lives in a completely Christian manner, they will have the same outcome Ivan. It may occur on their deathbed, or in the afterlife, but even if it is unconscious, they will suffer with the knowledge that they did not live their lives to the fullest of their abilities.

    Read More

  • Metamorphosis Compare And Contrast Essay

    1210 Words  | 3 Pages

    I think many people have experienced the feelings that Ivan has felt. You just try to manage to get through the day. Everyone wants to believe that they are special and have great fulfilling lives but never do. It is no ones fault but their own, in order to have greatness you must work for it. You have to take risks and if you don't you’ll end up like Ivan Ilych and regret your entire

    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

  • Analysis Of The Death Of Ivan

    936 Words  | 2 Pages

    Why does the story begin with the death? Most books use mystery in the beginning and announce the death at the end. But Tolstoy used a different chronology, he started with the death of Ivan and then uses a flashback to show the reader what really happened. Also he chooses to start with the death to make the story seem real and not fictional. At Ivan’s funeral, nobody seemed devastated by the loss of Ivan, which gave the reader an understanding of how little Ivan’s life meant to the people even the ones close to him. Later in the reading, but before his death Ivan questions how he lived his mortality life and what if he lived his life properly. Before his death he had come to the realization that his death would benefit all the others around him. "The Death of Ivan Ilyich" begins with the death of Ivan in order to get it out of the way. In essence the

    Read More

  • Tartuffe and The Death of Ivan Ilyich

    1006 Words  | 3 Pages

    What exactly is dysfunctional? Who wrote the rules to proper family or societal behavior? How does one know exactly what the proper reaction is? Every family has its crazy members and every city it’s insane citizens, but many do a great job of covering it up. Especially when it comes to high in social standing. Many are very careful not to air their dirty laundry in public. There are times when it can get out of hand and the unthinkable may happen. Is it right for one person to automatically appoint themselves as head of the household such as, Orgon in Tartuffe? What about Ivan Ilyich? Would he have been considered the head of the house, because he allowed his wife’s attitude to predict the family’s social standing? These two stories are classic of situational irony not only from families, but in human nature. To analyze Tartuffe and The Death of Ivan Ilyich and then compare them, one must have an open mind to all sorts of behavior and believe that these situations are indeed a reality.

    Read More

  • Death Of Ivan Ilyich Analysis

    918 Words  | 2 Pages

    It is important that everyone lives their lives according to God’s purpose for them. Many people in today’s society fear death. Those who fear death have little to no knowledge about what God has planned for all of his children. On the other hand, some people fear death because they feel as though they have not fully completed their life’s purpose; or lived accordingly. This work brings about many real-life situations. There will always be people who use others to advance their own lives. Then there will be people who want the best for others. Continuing a study of this work will allow readers to make a connection to his or her current society. The Death of Ivan Ilyich is an easy read, that will automatically catch the reader’s

    Read More

  • The Death of Ivan Ilyich

    1577 Words  | 4 Pages

    Leo Tolstoy argues in The Death of Ivan Ilyich the importance of compassion in life and the pivotal role it plays in allowing an individual to live a truly satisfying life. In his eyes, the Russian nobility did not actually live since their sole priorities were themselves and obtaining possessions. While the poor, on the other hand, understood the importance of their time on this earth and seized every second of it. Although written in the late nineteenth century, Tolstoy’s work continues to apply to American society even today. People continue to isolate themselves from the world and suppress all difficult emotions, believing that their wealth-oriented lives are noble.

    Read More

  • The Theme of The Death of Ivan Ilych

    613 Words  | 2 Pages

    One Work Cited        In "The Death of Ivan Ilych", Leo Tolstoy examines the life of a man, Ivan, 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 what will become the major theme of the story: that the personal relationships we forge are more important in life than who we are or what we own.

    Read More

  • Chasing True Happiness: Beyond Wealth and Possessions

    2092 Words  | 5 Pages

    The problem we have in today’s society is that people work to acquire as much money and possessions as they can and they think this will achieve happiness. Unfortunately, nobody told these people that happiness cannot be purchased and our possessions will fade no longer keep our interest. As we engulf ourselves in our daily busy work, our relationships are becoming strained and we are distancing ourselves from real happiness. We are seeking the means of work and money as an end, and we are chasing the wrong things in life. We hide from our unhappiness by watching television or partake in activities to distract ourselves from our problems. We need to find true happiness and this is found in becoming virtuous, creating good friendships,

    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

  • Social Contradictions in Fyodor Dostoyevsky's Notes from the Underground

    968 Words  | 2 Pages

    This man is the absolute opposite of everything society holds to be acceptable. Here is a man, with intelligent insight, lucid perception, who is self-admitted to being sick, depraved, and hateful. A man who at every turn is determined to thwart every chance fate offers him to be happy and content. A man who actively seeks to punish and humiliate himself. Dostoyevsky is showing the reader that man is not governed by values which society holds to be all important.

    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

More about An Inauthentic Existence In 'The Death Of Ivan Ilyich'

Open Document