Existentialism In Leo Tolstoy's The Death Of Ivan Ilyich

Almost all of us are familiar with the word “existentialism”. Perhaps we’ve taken a philosophy class, read a book about this topic, or maybe we’ve been in an existential crisis ourselves. Either way, existentialism is a word used by many. Nevertheless, when this word is put it into perspective, it becomes easier to understand and appreciate the craziness of life. Throughout reading The Death of Ivan Ilyich, the idea became clear - the main character was going through an internal crisis. After reading Confessions, also wrote by Leo Tolstoy, the idea was understood -Tolstoy was reflecting his own thoughts and beliefs through the character Ivan Ilyich. In the story, Ivan Ilyich is told he is going to die. On his deathbed, he questions his life

How do we know that we exist? You cannot prove you exist, as well as, you cannot prove anyone else in the universe exists. The main idea existentialism focuses on is the question “If it wouldn’t exist without us, does it exist with us even though it is subconsciously in our minds?” Once you begin to understand how existentialists think and perceive life in general, there is a new outlook on Leo Tolstoy’s work. Repeatedly throughout The Death of Ivan Ilyich, Ivan Ilyich is struggling to accept his fate. He is determined to find a meaning to his life before it’s too late. He is frozen between what is real and what was just an illusion in his mind. In the book, What is Existentialism? By William Barrett, Barrett goes on to say “In a story by Tolstoy, ‘Ivan Ilyich’, the hero lies on his deathbed facing for the first time the prospect of his own death… ‘all men are mortal, Caius is a man, therefore Caius is mortal.’ Precisely – Caius was mortal, but who was Caius? Caius was not he, Ivan Ilyich, who had had that childhood, those parents, this particular life.” When it comes to ourselves, we often have a hard time facing the one true fact- everything that lives must eventually die. We have a hard time connecting this to ourselves, with our own experiences and memories. The Death of Ivan Ilyich is realistic- Leo Tolstoy vividly predicts popular beliefs and questions before these beliefs are known.