The Death Of Ivan Ilyich Essay

The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy is a cautionary tale about the titular Ivan Ilyich’s life and death that followed. The story unapologetically depicts Ilyich’s hollow life with commanding diction and portrays a realistic yet hopeful penance that comes at the end of his life. Throughout the story, we are shown Ivan’s actions through his perspective and the people around him and this allows the reader to get a clear sense of his mindset through his life and the ripples his actions create. Ivan isolates himself from his family at the first inconvenience they provide while submerging himself in his work. However, the time spent pleasing his superiors and the Russian elite is time spent in vain as we are shown how false the relationships

However, soon after contracting his fatal illness, he sees the glaring problems at the heart of his lifestyle. Of all the myriad people Ivan knew from his work at the courts and his mingling in high Russian society, the only two people throughout the entire story that show Ivan genuine sympathy are his son and his servant named Gerasim. Towards the end of the book, “Only Gerasim understood that situation and pitied him. And therefore, Ivan Ilyich felt good only with Gerasim,” (75). This quote shows the comfort and relief Gerasim affords Ivan and how rarely that comfort and relief is afforded to him by his peers. While his son is biased towards Ivan as he is his father, Gerasim is the only adult capable of truly connecting with Ivan on a personal level. Gerasim’s poverty is the direct cause of this capacity for sympathy for multiple reasons. Poor people are more commonly in death’s vicinity than rich socialites and are better at comforting those around them as a result. This theme is further reinforced through Gerasim’s ability to cope with death around him when compared those in attendance of Ivan’s funeral. Blind ambition without creating meaningful relationships lead Ivan to his

In the end of the story, Ivan is forced to confront the stark reality that he did not live his life well. As his son is comforting him in his final moments, Ivan begins to repent. “He was sorry for them, he had to act so that it was not painful for them. To deliver them and deliver himself from these sufferings” (91). This quote portrays the epiphany Ivan has and his shifted viewpoint on his past actions. At first these thoughts are only passing and hold little weight in his mind, but as his pain worsens and his chances of survival begin to slim, however, the reality becomes clear to him. Ivan goes so far to describe his actions as suffering upon his family and wishes to prevent further harm to them. This theme shows the reader that redemption is possible until one’s last breath. Ivan no longer feels jealousy for his wife and daughter for their liveliness and hatred for them because of their disdain for him, but rather sorrow for the pain he caused them and a realization that he created their disdain for