Billy Budd and Ivan Illych

Melville’s Billy Budd,Sailor and Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Illych are both well-known short stories. Melville’s Billy Budd comes from the era of Romanticism, while The Death of Ivan Illych comes about later on in the Realism era. There are many similarities and differences between the two short stories. We know already that one big difference is that both of the stories come from different time periods. One great thing about both of the stories is that both Billy Budd and Ivan Illych’s stories make Biblical references. Billy is seen as a Christ figure that lives a good life, while Ivan lives a life full of sin and cares more about material items rather than living for God.

In Melville’s, Billy Budd,Sailor, Billy has a far off better attitude than Ivan Illych. Billy is seen as having a sense of purity and innocence almost like a child but, still yet a handsome sailor. Billy takes life each day at a time and goes along with whatever comes his way Billy’s character is seen as living in this world confined from all opportunities of helping others. Ivan on the other hand is egocentric and self-indulgent for attention. Ivan describes his life as being “Most simple and most ordinary therefore his life was terrible (Pg.1336).” One can already see that Ivan has a negative outlook on life and a bad attitude. Ivan has everything he could possibly need or want but, is still not happy for what God has given him. Once Ivan finds out he is ill he is worried about making others feeling sorry for him and ruining everyone else’s life around him. We know this because the text says “Ivan’s life and other peoples life’s around him were poisoned and became more penetrated (1350).” On the other hand Billy Budd is far from egocentric. B...

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... of Ivan Illych, is both two great stories to show the similarities and differences between. We see in both stories how different both characters lived and looked at life. We see how Billy is looked upon and represented as a Christ figure while Ivan is a born every day sinner. Over time we see how Ivan transforms and becomes more like a Christian living for God, Just like Billy Budd. Billy’s character represents what all people should strive to be like. To live more how God would want us to.

Works Cited

Tolstoy, Leo. "The Death Of Ivan Illych." The Norton Anthology Western Literature. 8th ed. Vol. 2.

New York: Norton &, 1984. 1330-368. Print. Western Literature.

Melville, Herman. "Billy Budd, Sailor." The Norton Anthology Western Literature. 8th ed. Vol. 2.

New York: Norton &, 1984. 931-985. Print. Western Literature.