Category: The Death of Ivan Ilyich

At its heart, Leo Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Ilych is concerned with illness and dying within upper-middle class life. In his pursuit of wealth and hypocritical relations, Ivan’s terminal illness – read as a form of pancreatic cancer – is a figure for an “unhealthy” upper middle-class life lived at the wrong side emotionally, socially, and physically. When considering the symbolic representation of illness – of cancer in particular – as exemplified in Susan Sontag’s Illness as a Metaphor, Tolstoy’s writing implies that it is not his physical illness but rather the artificial life of the aristocracy, with its fixation on appearance, that is the true ailment afflicting Ivan, ultimately resulting in his death.

Throughout the novel, Tolstoy satirizes the lack of authenticity and sincerity as well as the self-interest that characterizes upper-class interactions and reveals them to be inadequate and ultimately unfulfilling. When Ivan’s colleagues and friends learn of his death, their first thought is of promotion, not sympathy, grief, or even pity. They talk “of what implications the death might hold for him, what reshufflings it might occasion for him and his colleagues” (Tolstoy 2). Even Peter, who has known Ivan since childhood, “could think only of…the funeral to endure, the visit to pay the widow” (Tolstoy 3). Attending Ivan’s funeral and paying condolences to his widow are seen by Ivan’s “friends” as obligations of propriety, not as opportunities to pay last respects or comfort the grieving. Even his widow’s focus is on maximizing her husband’s government pension rather than grieving of seeking comfort. In this lifestyle, materialism supersedes human connection. The members of the aristocratic society care little for authentic human relationships or emotions, desiring only status and pleasure.

This bourgeois materialism particularly manifests itself in Ivan’s obsession with decorating his house. He recreates on a splendor that “grew toward the ideal he had set for himself” (Tolstoy 31). His home, a symbol of status, becomes another aspect of his life that must fit the expectations and standards of the members of high society as Ivan reaches the highest rungs of the social ladder. Given his rise in social status, Ivan’s near-fall from the stepladder is especially symbolic: “he had stumbled and nearly fallen, but…managed to catch himself and merely knocked his side on a knob on the window frame. The bruise was painful, but it healed quickly” (Tolstoy 32). It is with time that he begins to have a “strange taste” in his mouth and “pain in his side” (Tolstoy 46), although his illness is never defined in the novella. Therefore, the text seems to suggest that his fall is the apparent cause of the illness that leads to his death. However, when reading Ivan’s illness as pancreatic cancer, it is clear that a fall would not be the cause behind the judge’s sickness and eventual death; instead, by creating the apparent causal link between the fall and subsequent illness, Tolstoy seems to be hinting that Ivan’s illness is as metaphorical as it is literal.

Indeed, Ivan’s understanding of his illness is indicative of the metaphorical way in which people understand cancer. As his disease progresses, he becomes more aware of “something terrifying, new…was happening within him. And only he himself understood it” (Tolstoy 46). Furthermore, his “gnawing” pain (Tolstoy 48) is described as “poison” penetrating his body (Tolstoy 49). The word “gnawing” indicates a consumption of the body, one where the illness tears the body from the inside, destroying internal tissue relentlessly. Indeed, an early figurative definition of cancer was: “‘Anything that frets, corrodes, corrupts, or consumes slowly and secretly’” (Sontag 10). Therefore, cancer – a word that comes “from the Greek karkinos and the Latin cancer, both meaning crab” (Sontag 10) – claws at him from the inside, presenting as a problem to his living. Thus, illness becomes a metaphor for the wrong kind of life, one which is artificial and preoccupied with “feigned propriety” and appearance rather than truth and understanding (Tolstoy 82). In this light, Tolstoy presents Ivan’s illness as a punishment for the artificial life he has been leading. Indeed, cancer itself is said to be “a disease of middle-class life, a disease associated with affluence, with excess” (Sontag 15). In this view, the causality between Ivan’s “fall” and his illness implies that the true disease is Ivan’s conformity to the artificiality that characterizes high society. Moreover, considering the terrible pain Ivan experienced prior to his death, cancer is “invariably, excruciatingly painful… a wretched [death]” (Sontag 16). In fact, as dictated by cancer mythology, “it is generally a steady repression of feeling that causes the disease” (Sontag 22). It is as if Ivan’s lack of authenticity in his life, his lack of meaningful relationships and truth, brought him his painful illness and eventual death.

It is only when he realizes the falsity of his life and accepts the value of emotion and human connection that Ivan is able to accept death and ease his suffering, Indeed, it is the lies and deception that torture him the most, particularly “the lie – known by everyone to be a lie – that he was merely sick, not dying, and that he needed only bedrest and treatment, and would be fine” (Tolstoy 69). Ivan despairs by the falsehood around him. His illness forces him to reconsider the life he has been leading and reconcile that it is his life that has been wrong, not his body. The pain he feels is that of hiding the death of authenticity and following a false life.

Indeed, Ivan, Praskovya, Peter, and most everyone in Ivan’s company symbolize this materialistic, artificial life with its shallow relationships, self-interest, and materialism. They focus on outward appearance rather than substance, the appearance of truth rather than the actual truth. This false life is countered by Gerasim, who represents the meaningful, authentic life, filled with compassion and even pity and affirming interpersonal contact within human relationships. Gerasim is described as “a clean, fresh-faced young peasant grown chubby on town food. Always cheerful, always bright…clean and dressed in impeccably Russian style (Tolstoy 66). He offers a healthy counterpart for the “sick” life that Ivan led. The juxtaposition of the artificial life of Ivan, which leaves him fearful and alone on the deathbed, with the authentic one of Gerasim emphasizes the sociocultural significance of illness. This, in turn, further condemns the ways of the aristocracy as “unhealthy” and cancer-like.

Ivan comes to realize at the end of his life that his illness has pervaded his entire life and that the disease he suffers from is a manifestation of a general illness that has been growing within him since childhood. He questions the value of propriety and appearance that he has lived by. The true pain, he recognizes, is the artificiality of his own life, the deception he chose to partake in, rather than the deception surrounding him. Ivan notes that when his colleagues, family members, and doctors leave him alone, he “could have sworn he felt better: there was no deception – it had gone out with them – though the pain remained. That unrelenting pain, that unrelenting terror made nothing any harder, nothing any easier. And things were worse all the time” (Tolstoy 83). Though the deceit no longer surrounds him, the pain of his illness fails to disappear. It is as if it is not the façade that the others put on around him but the one he has created of his own life that is responsible for his illness. In fact, upon reflecting on his life, Ivan muses that “In perfectly measured steps I went downhill imagining it was up. That’s just how it was. In public opinion I was on my way up, and the whole time my life was slipping away from under me” (Tolstoy 89). At his moment of illumination, Ivan realizes that although he had progressed up the social ladder, his achieved status and upper societal life had not brought him fulfillment but rather misery and pretense. Blinded by the values of high society, he has been leading an artificial life rather than an authentic one, and ultimately, that is responsible for his illness. Therefore, Tolstoy makes it clear that Ivan’s death is note the result of his physical degradation but of his failure to lead an authentic life, one with substance, truth, and meaningful relationships in reality, not solely appearance.

In the case of Ivan Ilych, illness is a symbol of social disarray and aristocratic artificiality: the disconnection within familial relationships, the concern with propriety, the deadly preoccupation with outward appearances and materialism. When considering that Ivan’s illness is a kind of cancer, his illness emerges as a reaction to a diseased social class with false truths and superficial concerns. And while Tolstoy’s novella conveys Ivan’s authentic cancer-induced pain, the author’s criticism of high society provides deeper meaning to bodily disease. Thus, the nature of Ivan’s illness is as important as its metaphorical significance, revealing that artificiality is the true disease to combat.

Imagine living and surrounded by false people. Every word becomes nonsense and true identity is lost. All you witness is shallow people and their aspiration are petty and they only focus on their appearance. The thought of mortality never crosses their minds which blinds them to see that their lifestyle is false. So, that doesn’t seem like a good community and definitely not a healthy lifestyle, does it? Well, in the novella of “The Death of Ivan Ilych” by Leo Tolstoy, the characters’ lives in a world constructed on falsehood. Geriasm may be the only one that does not live in their world, but all the other characters are close-minded and empty-headed.

Starting from the beginning, when Ivan Ilych was presented dead, his so call friends did not sympathize for him and show their respect. Rather, all they thought about was their own promotion. So, when “receiving the news of Ivan Ilych’s death the first thought of each gentleman in that private room was of the changes and promotions it might occasion among themselves or their acquaintances.” As you see, the pure fakeness and careless people that surrounds him, even by his death bed. In addition, his “nearest acquaintances,” Peter Ivanovich had “studied law with Ivan Ilych and had considered himself to be under obligations to him” and Fedor Vasilievich did not even show up for the service for Ivan Ilych. Also, on “seeing Peter Ivanovich enter” Schwartz “winked at him”, as if to say, “Ivan Ilych has made a mess of things- not like you and me.” So, Schwartz is totally unaffected by the death of Ivan Ilych and tries to prove that it had nothing to do with them. At this point, it is obvious to see that Ivan Ilych really has no positive people, they are all selfish and fake.

Praskovya Fedorovna, the widow seems like the one that would back up Ivan Ilych and actually be there for him. However, that was false. Praskovya Fedorovna “recognizing Peter Ivanovich, sighed, went up close to him, took his hand, and said, “I know you were a true friend to Ivan Ilych…” and looked at him awaiting some suitable response. And Peter Ivanovich knew that, just as it had been the right thing to cross himself in that room, so what he had to do was to press her hand, sigh, and say “believe me…” So, he did all this and as he did it felt that the desired result had been achieved: that both he and she were touched.” Both Praskovya Fedorovna and Peter Ivanovich went through the motions of mourning because it seem appropriate, not because they were actually upset about the whole situation. In addition, both of them felt better about themselves because they did what is “appropriate” so basically, they only were there to get the job done. I strongly still sense fakeness and selfishness.

The doctor in “The Death of Ivan Ilych” also lies and deceive. Honesty is hard for the characters to develop in the novella of “The Death of Ivan Ilych.” The doctor refuse to inform Ivan Ilych the truth on his condition, rather tries avoiding the topic which leads him questioning if the doctor is “ashamed of lying?” And, to no surprise, the doctor does not want to answer the question. Nevertheless, Ivan Ilych knows that this all does not add up, but “when the doctor, getting down on his knee, leans over him, putting his ear first higher then lower, and performs various gymnastic movements over him with a significant expression on his face, Ivan Ilych submits to it all as he used to submit to the speeches of the lawyers, thought he knew very well that they were all lying and why they were lying.” In that quote, Ivan Ilych is comparing his social class with the lying doctor, which may suggest that his work life was false. While, “the doctor put on just the same air towards him as he himself would put on towards an accused person.” (Boleslav. 2008)

Gerasim, the only authentic character in Ivan Ilych’s world of lies and deceit. He is the only one who understand and see that Ivan Ilych is dying, Geraism “recognized it and pitied him” so he is able to comfort Ivan Ilych. For instance, “Ivan Ilych would sometimes call Gerasim and get him to hold his legs on his shoulders, and he liked talking to him. Geraism did it all easily, willingly, simply, and with good nature that touched Ivan Ilych.” (Charlton. 2019) As you see the differences that Gerasim and the other character have is not only that “he did not lie”, but “everything showed that he alone understood the facts of the case and did not consider it necessary to disguise them.” Gerasim truly and fully comprehends that he too will have to die someday like Ivan Ilych is dying. Geraism states “we shall all of us die, so why should I grudge a little trouble?—expressing the fact that he did not think his work burdensome, because he was doing it for a dying man and hoped someone would do the same for him when his time came.” This sets him way apart from the other characters because the other are stuck believing nonsense and living as shallow beings. Plus, Geraism is taking care of Ivan Ilych because he truly wants to, not because he feels obligated to.

At this point, Ivan Ilych is becoming aware that he lives in a world full of lies and deceit. Ivan Ilych is tormented by “the lie, which for some reason they all accepted, that he was not dying but was simply ill.” So, “this deception tortured him—they’re not wishing to admit what they all knew and what he knew but wanting to lie to him concerning his terrible condition and wishing and forcing him to participate in that lie.” So, Ivan Ilych cannot force others to realize that he’s dying even if he calls out to them saying “stop lying! You know and I know that I am dying. Then at least, stop lying about it!” But he had never had the spirit to do it.” Slowly, but surely, Ivan Ilych is starting to realize that he lived his life in falsehood with false group of people. So, at this point, he has nothing in his life that he can defend from falsehood. Plus, “Ivan Ilych tries to treat his death as an abstract entity, speaking of it objectively in the third person. But he reaches the point where he only way he can face the issue is to admit that he is dying.”

The work of Leo Tolstoy “The Death of Ivan Ilyich” portrays the rich society and their characteristics and through the characters, he represents these bad characteristics to show as the bourgeoisie lived completely different than the proletarian ’s life.

The Ivan’s friends were members of the bourgeoisie, with this example we can understand as the superficial relationships of them work, based on the idea that they need to benefit themselves. Now I must apply for my brother-in-law’s transfer from Kaluga,’ thought Peter Ivanovich. ‘My wife will be very glad, and then she won’t be able to say that I never do anything for her relations.’ ‘I thought he would never leave his bed again,’ said Peter Ivanovich aloud. ‘It’s very sad.’ In this example, we can see that the members of the bourgeoisie say things that do not represent what they are really thinking and they think just in his benefits. Besides considerations as to the possible transfers and promotions likely to result from Ivan Ilyich’s death, the mere fact of the death of a near acquaintance aroused, as usual, in all who heard of it the complacent feeling that ‘it is he who is dead and not I.’ Each one thought or felt, ‘Well, he’s dead but I’m alive!’

This excerpt shows us that bourgeois doesn’t matter with his “friends”, and they just think in your life and if they will get benefits. But 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. Fedor Vasilievich and Peter Ivanovich had been his nearest acquaintances. In this sentence, we can note that even his dearest friends think that go to Ivan’s funeral was a sacrifice, but to preserve their status, they need to go to the funeral at least for pay condolences for the widow. In conclusion, Ivan’s friend didn’t care for him and they did friends to have benefits and status, only this.

Ivan’s relations with his family were to have more status, too. But, this relation has a little different from the relationships with his friends, because he has a little more love that was represented in these excerpts. Praskovya Fedorovna blamed her husband for every inconvenience they encountered in their new home. Most of the conversations between husband and wife, especially as to the children’s education, led to topics that recalled former disputes, and these disputes were apt to flare up again at any moment. There remained only those rare periods of amorousness, which still came to them at times but did not last long. These were islets at which they anchored for a while and then again set out upon that ocean of veiled hostility which showed itself in their aloofness from one another. In this example, he is represented as the relations with his wife works, sometimes they were loving, but most of the time they were blamed each other or they were indifference. Their daughter came in in full evening dress, her fresh young flesh exposed (making a show of that very flesh which in his own case caused so much suffering), strong, healthy, evidently in love, and impatient with illness, suffering, and death, because they interfered with her happiness. In this excerpt, we need to know that Lisa going to married with Fedor Petrovich, and she was happy, but the illness of his father was interfering. This shows that Lisa didn’t matter with Ivan, she just thought in her life and in her happy. In conclusion, the family of Ivan Ilyich was like his friends, were done to have status and both didn’t like or matter with him because he didn’t do anything for them.

I think that Gerasim was the only person in the world that mattered with Ivan because he was a proletarian ( a class that Leo Tolstoy like because their values were based in a sense of compassion for and empathy with fellow human beings) and Ivan was his chief and he was the butler’s assistant. ‘We shall all of us die, so why should I grudge a little trouble?’ — expressing the fact that he did not think his work burdensome, because he was doing it for a dying man and hoped someone would do the same for him when his time came. This excerpt shows as Gerasim was honest and realistic when he told to Ivan that he gonna die because nobody did this. ‘It’s God will. We shall all come to it someday,’ said Gerasim, displaying his teeth — the even white teeth of a healthy peasant — and, like a man in the thick of urgent work, he briskly opened the front door, called the coachman, helped Peter Ivanovich into the sled, and sprang back to the porch as if in readiness for what he had to do next. This example represents as Gerasim was faithful to Ivan’s family even his chief had died. He was a worker too because he was a proletarian and need the money to did his necessities.

In conclusion, Ivan had a lot of problems in his life as his friends, family and his thought that he can’t die, because he lived to have status and power or recognition. His friends were based on interests and benefits, he married to have more status, he didn’t care with his family and when he knew that he gonna die he wasn’t prepared to Death and this situation complicated his life and a good accept death. Leo Tolstoy, according to the book The Death Of Ivan Ilyich, seemed like the values of proletarian, because they weren’t.

In the text The Death of Ivan Ilych, presents parts that reflect society in people’s lives, in addition to reporting the culture. The culture of the novella is showed capitalism and the peoples liked only money and status. One example about this in the novella is:Well, he’s dead but I’m alive. According this part, we can to perceive that people only think themselves, and did not care what was happening, and this part show the capitalism, because he wanted only some things, for example: status and money.

One part in the text talk about the death, first Ivan had fear to die, but the family, friend and the doctors were calming him. Ivan did not enjoy the life, because he did not stay with his family and friends, he only thought about what society was thinking, he did not really love his wife, he just married because the society accepted. Other example about this is to say that Ivan Ilyich married because he fell in love with Praskovya Fedorovna and found that she sympathized with his views of life would be as incorrect as to say that he married because his social circle approved of the match. He was swayed by both these considerations the marriage gave him personal satisfaction, and at the same time it was considered the right thing by the most highly placed of his associates. In this part shows how Ivan’s marriage was false, because he married with Praskovya Fedorovna for the society was approved, the love they both had was not for real. When Ivan most needed her, she did not help him, and he lied to him and said he was fine.

Ivan had a friend whom he considered very much, and thought that the friendship with him was true, they were friend since they were little, his name was Peter. Peter instead of being saddened by the death of his great friend Ivan, Peter saw that was a good chance for his brother-in-law, because he would take Ivan’s job, Peter told his wife a good opportunity for his brother-in-law. One example about this is: ‘Now I must apply for my brother-in-law’s transfer from Kaluga,’ thought Peter Ivanovich. ‘My wife will be very glad, and then she won’t be able to say that I never do anything for her relations.’ This part are very good to understand a relationship Ivan had with Peter. Ivan was not a good person, as he chose his friend by ranking, gave more priority to those who were in high society, and those were not, he did not priority. Analyzing the paragraph, we conclude that Peter was not a true friend of Ivan and that Ivan did not truly love his friends.

In the text Ivan had one employee, his name was Gerasim, he loves Ivan, Gerasim was a good person, he help Ivan in some parts in the story, and he was honest, had empathy and had a good heart. While everyone lied saying that Ivan will be fine, Gerasim was the only true and said that Ivan was actually very bad. One example about Gerasim: only Gerasim recognized it and pitied him. And so Ivan Ilyich felt at ease only with him. He felt comforted when Gerasim supported his legs (sometimes all night long) and refused to go to bed, saying: ‘Don’t you worry, Ivan Ilyich. I’ll get sleep enough later on,’ or when he suddenly became familiar and exclaimed: ‘If you weren’t sick it would be another matter, but as it is, why should I grudge a little trouble?’ Gerasim alone did not lie; everything showed that he alone.

According the text Gerasim helped Ivan a lot, but Ivan was nervous about him, because Gerasim was telling the truth, and the truth was that Ivan was going to die. Ivan had two children, a girl and a boy, his son was more obedient and liked his father, but his daughter did not obeyed and did not like him. The name of his child is Vladimir. One example in the text show the love that Ivan had with his son Vladimir. His son had always seemed pathetic to him, and now it was dreadful to see the boy’s frightened look of pity. It seemed to Ivan Ilyich that Vasya was the only one besides Gerasim who understood and pitied him. They all sat down and again asked how he was. In this part we can analyzing, how Ivan loved his son, Ivan compared Vladimir that Gerasim, because are two peoples that he loved very much, and that he trusted, as he says in the text, are the only people he loved and that he felt that he also loved him.

Conclusion. We can conclude the text is very good, I really like the text, because the text is very exciting. My thesis : in the novella “The Death of Ivan Ilych”, in that novella, Tolstoy uses Ivan’s life to explore cultural and social issues. The text passes a very important lesson, that people should not not only think about money, status, and society, because the more you need help, money, status and society, don´t help you, so give value to your family, and true friends, as they really care about you.

Death, death is a topic that is avoided by both children and adults. However, it will happen to everybody sooner or later. There’s no way of avoiding it. We hear about it everywhere although it isn’t a happy thing, it’s a part of life. If you haven’t experienced the death of a loved one. You definitely heard of others experiencing it. It’s not an easy thing to go threw. But can you imagine having to experience it yourself? Can you imagine laying on your deathbed, and knowing that you are dying? But everyone around you denies it and goes about their life like nothing is happening. Well, that’s what Ivan Ilyich in Tolstoy’s novel The Death of Ivan Ilyich had to go through. Tolstoy uses the existentialist elements of the absurd in order to develop the conclusion that Ivan Ilych finds light in his dark life realizing that death is a part of life not separate from it. The novel is titled The Death of Ivan Ilyich. It tells us a story about a Russian man living in the 19th century. Ilyich throughout his whole life worked very hard and did everything to become wealthy and live up to society’s expectations. One day he becomes sick and as he’s on his deathbed he realizes that he has led the wrong form of life, in his pursuit of wealth and hypocritical relations, and is unable to find the true meaning in life.

Ilyich, like many people, looked for reassurance from society. Ilyich never followed any of his big dreams or passions. He never did anything that he was passionate about. He was always concerned about what other people and society would think of him. All of Ilyich’s actions were based on making himself look good, in the eyes of society. For instance, when Ilyich found his future wife the narrator said, “Praskovya Fedorovna came from a good family, was not bad looking, and had some little property. Ilych might have aspired to a more brilliant match, but even this was good. He had his salary, and she, he hoped, would have an equal income. She was well connected and was a sweet, pretty, and thoroughly correct young woman. To say that Ilych married because he fell in love with Praskovya Fedorovna and found that she sympathized with his views of life would be as incorrect as to say that he married because his social circle approved of the match. He was swayed by both these considerations: the marriage gave him personal satisfaction, and at the same time it was considered the right thing by the most highly placed of his associates (Tolstoy 2.15-16)”. This shows that he didn’t marry her because he was in love, wanted a family, and saw a very bright future with her. He married her because she came from a rich family. Which would make him look good in society. It would help improve his social status and help him become more wealthy. The meaning of life that Ilyich created for himself was one that he wasn’t necessarily happy with. However, it was one that people thought that he was a successful person, and looked up to him because of it. Ilyich’s view on life and motivation shows the existential element of the absurd, taking place in Ilyich’s life. Ilyich isn’t able to find meaning in his life so he bases his actions based on what society would think highly of him for. Aside from his unsuccessful marriage, Ilyich also had children. Whenever there would be a problem at home a fight between his kids or a problem with his wife. Ilyich would disappear and go to work. It was Ilyich’s way of escaping his problems; going to work. In society’s eyes, people thought he was a very hard worker and had a very good work ethic. However, no one knew that he would never spend time with his wife or children. To support my statement the text states, “With the birth of their child, the attempts to feed it and the various failures in doing so, and with the real and imaginary illnesses of mother and child, in which Ilych’s sympathy was demanded but about which he understood nothing, the need of securing for himself an existence outside his family life became still more imperative (Tolstoy 2.20-21)”. Which shows that he was far from a family Man. He didn’t have a very strong relationship with his children and his wife and Ilyich lived his whole life like this. He viewed his family as a problem and limitation that he had to deal with. Trying to escape his problems and trick society into thinking that he is this awesome father, husband, and human being. The element of the obscured shows up again in Ilyich’s life. He is unable to find meaning in his life so he tries to escape from it by going to work. He doesn’t confronts and try to resolve his family’s issues, but instead runs away from them, and hopes that they will resolve them on their own. At one point in time Ilyich’s wife gets so tired if Ilyich’s actions that she comes to the conclusion that, “her husband had a dreadful temper and made her life miserable, she began to feel sorry for herself, and the more she pitied herself the more she hated her husband. She began to wish he would die (Tolstoy 4.2)”. Ilyich kept creating a darker life for himself and his family. He keeps digging himself into a hole that is making him more depressed and is causing his life and self-esteem to decrease. While his image in society and out in public keeps growing in a positive direction.

However, one day Ilyich’s life changes. He becomes sick and the pain that he experiences is so strong that he can’t even go to work. At first, he thinks that he will recover but sooner than later he realizes that his illness will get the best of him. Although, he knows that he’s sick and will die soon. Society and the people that he is surrounded by including his family chooses to ignore the fact that their coworker, father, and husband is slowly dying. They tend to go about their day ignoring the facts and being unable to face the truth. Because of this Ilyich is left alone. Completely isolated from everybody else. He has to deal with his thoughts, emotions, and the fact that he will be dying all alone. The only way his pain can be slightly eased is by his feet being held up. Which is done by a servant named Gerasim. Ilyich is oftentimes comforted by Gerasim. Not only does he hold his legs up and take care of any of his needs. Gerasim says that “We shall all of us die, so why should I grudge a little trouble? (Tolstoy 7.3)”. This shows that Gerasim is accepting of death, unlike his other family members. Which comforted Ilyich. Ilyich is understood by Gerasim, and Ilyich appreciates the level of Gerasim’s authenticity and how accepting he is of death. This shows Ilyich that death is a part of life and slowly helps him accept the fact that he will die. However, as he puts more and more thought into it the more concerned he gets that he has lived a happy life. The more he searches for meaning in his life the more frustrated he gets. At this point, Ilyich is so sick that he can no longer leave the sofa. He spends all his time analyzing the life that he has lived and reflecting on it. After reflecting he comes to the conclusion that.

The book “The Death of Ivan Ilyich”, written by Leo Tolstoy, is a remarkable story for the simple fact of showing life how it is. The author carefully changed the point of view, and therefore the feelings and attitudes of the characters. He used emotions to show his perspective about having shallow values and it turns out that at the end of life, money and status are nothing but mere emptiness in the human soul. By reading the novella “The Death of Ivan Ilyich”, written by Leo Tolstoy we can understand his intelligent analysis of the bourgeoisie society and how superficial they were, by analyzing the various points of view of his characters.

During the old times of Russia, the bourgeoisie was the highest part of the society, they felt superior and acted like it. They would only care about somebody else’s feelings, as long as they have money and status. Ivan Ilyich was a part of this elite and throughout his whole life according to the Communist Manifesto “In the earlier epochs of history, we find almost everywhere a complicated arrangement of society into various orders, a manifold gradation of social rank. In ancient Rome we have patricians, knights, plebeians, and slaves; in the Middle Ages, feudal lords, vassals, guild-masters, journeymen, apprentices, serfs; in almost all of these classes, again, subordinate gradations.” what made them feel superior.

As long as the story continues, Ivan Ilyich has the opportunity to change multiple times, but without realizing what he was doing and the fakeness in his life, he couldn’t change who he was. The job changed, his relationship with his family was more superficial than ever, he moved out of his house and it was time to decorate it. Ivan knew that something differed, but not necessarily wrong, it took him a while to notice. His body was in pain, his thoughts were running through his head, and he did not understand what was going on. Death. That was the answer.

‘Now I must apply for my brother-in-law’s transfer from Kaluga,’ thought Peter Ivanovich. ‘My wife will be very glad, and then she won’t be able to say that I never do anything for her relations.’. This is Peter Ivanovich, Ivan Ilyich’s supposed best friend. He was the walking form of superficiality and soul emptiness. To even think about taking advantage of a dead body is cruel. Notwithstanding his thoughts, his actions were thoughtful and he appears to be a good friend, but what you see it is not always what you get.

Praskovya Fedorovna. ‘Oh, terribly! He screamed unceasingly, not for minutes but for hours. For the last three days, he screamed incessantly. It was unendurable. I cannot understand how I bore it; you could hear him three rooms off. Oh, what I have suffered!”. She was the beloved wife and allegedly the love of Ivan’s life, except she was not. To be married was a necessary thing then, however, to be with somebody just for the pleasure of having company and everything you want is self-torture.

Her bitter soul always had the needfulness of full-time attention, that is why she forevermore played the victim for pithiness.

“It’s God’s will. We shall all come to it someday,’ said Gerasim. His butler was surprisingly the most pragmatic person in the entire book. Ivan’s last moments while alive were reflexive and he seemed to care more about life and feelings than status, but since it was the end of everything, it was useless to re-do all of the old days. Gerasim was always there for Ivan, he was true to his disease and dignity. More than just shower or feed Ivan, a real friend, that was he was turning into. Ivan only realized to have a bad life because of Gerasim and he will forever be grateful for that.

“Ivan Ilyich’s life had been most simple and most ordinary and therefore terrible”. Overall the last chapters, Ivan started to think how he affected his family’s life and for a person who seemed to be unstoppable and better than everyone, he was scared of the end. His death was coming along to the feeling of guilt.

He even started to think about the meaning of life and how fast it could end, but as it were his last moments he passed through some stages of acception. Everything he looked at seemed to mean something, the most important metaphor from the book was the candle reproducing life and death, represented by light and darkness respectively.

‘When I am not, what will there be? There will be nothing. Then where shall I be when I am no more? Can this be death? No, I don’t want to!’ He jumped up and tried to light the candle, felt for it with trembling hands, dropped the candle and candlestick on the floor, and fell back on his pillow. ‘What’s the use? It makes no difference,’ he said to himself, staring with wide-open eyes into the darkness. ‘Death. Yes, death. And none of them knows or wishes to know it, and they have no pity for me.”

In conclusion, we can get that life is too precious for us to waste it in minimum values. Through the book, we can get that society is capable of the cruelty to demand us to behave like not our true selves, most importantly, have the ignorance to avoid our issues, pretending to be perfect or something that we are not. Every and each character represent some flaw of humankind, commonly known as capital sins. Praskovya Fedorovna represents avarice because she could only be with Ivan as long as he had money. Peter Ivanovich was the envy by cause of the big necessity to always have a good status quo, which even cost him taking advantage of his best friend. Ivan Ilyich was pride, he constantly felt superior and even too good to die. Lisa was the luxury, she waited for her father’s death to get married. That is why the book shows the reality, even if we do not see it.