, Research Paper
The Death of Ivan Illych
The short story, “The Death of Ivan Ilych”, written by Leo Tolstoy, is about the reactions of a man and his friends to his suffering and death. Everyone who knows Ivan including Ivan himself has led a life of total disconcern for the feelings and sufferings of others. They all lead shallow lives not daring to probe into the feelings deep down inside for fear of stepping outside the lines of propriety. That is the biggest rule that people of that society follow. Do not say or show what you are thinking.
Ivan Ilych’s attitude toward life is the same all the way up to his death. He was as the author put it, “…a capable, good-natured, and social man, though strict in the fulfillment of what he considered his duty: and he considered his duty to be what was so considered by those in authority.” (p. 1088) That quote states that Ivan was solely concerned with his duties and his advancement in position by following the orders of his authorities.
Ivan was son of a successful man who held many positions in many departments. That man, Ilya Epimovich Golovin, had three sons. The oldest followed his father’s example and was a success. The youngest son was a total failure. He had blown many opportunities and was the shame of the family. Ivan the middle son was the better of the two. Ivan was a mix of his two brothers. He had the hard-working spirit of the older brother but also appreciates the value of a good time like the younger brother.
Ivan’s career grew steadily. In a short time, he eventually obtained the position of examining magistrate. Ivan did very well in this position. He excelled in the separation of the personal duties in his life and the official duties to which he was totally dedicated. This taste of power which came with his new position was very appealing to Ivan. The idea that writing a few words or giving a simple command sent people into motion made Ivan very happy.
Upon moving to a new town to take up the position of examining magistrate, Ivan met his future wife, Praskovya Fedorovna Mikhel. Ivan saw her as a “…well connected, and was a sweet, pretty, and thoroughly correct young woman.” The view that she was so within the lines of propriety was the most attractive feature which this young woman possessed in Ivan’s view. At first the marriage which Ivan thought couldn’t hurt his pleasure-seeking life didn’t, then according to Ivan she began to disturb the pleasure and propriety of his life. This ordeal only worsened when his wife became pregnant. She became unbearable to him, overly jealous and coarse, becoming an obstacle to his pursuit of happiness and properness. When the child was born, Ivan realized that a life totally separate his family life would be necessary to fulfill the goals he set for himself. He also came to the realization that to keep his marriage in order that he was going to have to adopt the same attitude to his family that he has to his official duties. Ivan developed an attitude towards his family of complete indifference as stated in the story, “He only required of it those conveniences—dinner at home, housewife, and bed—which it could give him.” (p. 1092) More children arrived and his wife’s attitude only worsened.
After three years and becoming a highly looked upon official he received a promotion to the position of Assistant Public Prosecutor. This new promotion made Ivan like his job even more. Meanwhile, more children were born which made Ivan’s life even more difficult. After getting another promotion and moving to another province, the marriage was getting increasingly difficult. To try and overcome this Ivan decided to spend some time in the country with his wife. This move turns out to be a very bad one. Ivan falls into deep depression and decides that some drastic measures are needed. He returns from the country heading towards St. Petersburg with the objective of obtaining a salary of 5,000 rubles a year. Things worked out very much in his favor. He got a promotion two steps above his former position. After obtaining this position, he returned to the country and his marriage life improved immensely. Ivan then proceeded to the province to which they were moving to attempt to locate a house. He found one which suited his tastes perfectly.
Ivan turned his attention towards furnishing his house. He searched for all the things which give his house an air of aristocracy and yet not too snobbish. While showing an upholsterer how he wanted the drapes hung, Ivan fell and nearly caught himself but unfortunately managed to hit himself in the side and give himself a large bruise. This is when the health problems begin.
The illness began slowly but the pain steadily increased. Ivan visited many doctors, but none of them could give him a solid diagnosis. The pain caused many problems in his life, most of all it interfered with how he did his job. People began to look down upon him.
No one really felt sympathy for Ivan. The people whom he called his friends treated him the same as he treated them in his life, with total indifference. Even Ivan’s own wife treated his illness as a burden and a trouble. He begins to realize how everyone is treating him. All that he wants is pity and there is no one there to give him it besides his servant Gerasim. Ivan shows spots of beginning to realize how he treated life. He treated life with the utmost propriety and tried his very best not to let his emotions get in the way of how he acted and performed his duty. This shows when Ivan says, “What if my whole life has really been wrong?”(p. 1117) Ivan says this while looking at Gerasim peacefully sleeping at his side, the only one who shows the slightest bit of pity and sorrow for him.
Ivan’s wife is falsely concerned in his condition merely because that is the thing for her to be in this situation. She does not really care if he makes it; she is only worried about the inconvenience his suffering is putting her through and the financial bind his death puts her in. Ivan realizes all these things and cannot even bear to speak with her. He thinks to himself, “Yes, I am making them wretched…They are sorry, but it will be better for them when I die.” (p. 1119) All of these things lead up to the conclusion in Ivan’s mind that he is sorry for them. He is trying to act so as not to hurt them. In the final scene someone besides his servant, Gerasim, begins to show pity for him, it is his son. Ivan sees the sorrow and pity in his eyes and apologizes to him for causing this grief.
With this story, Leo Tolstoy shows that a man can change. That even if it must be through pain and suffering that everyone is capable of redemption. If a man such as Ivan Ilych who never cared for anyone more than necessary can be redeemed and see the fault in his ways then anyone can. The most selfish man can be changed if people show him pity and feel for him, as he should feel for others. It stirred something inside Ivan when people went out of their way to attempt to comfort him. It made him realize his faults and want to change.
Другие работы по теме:
Death Of Ivan Illych By Tolstoi Essay
, Research Paper Leo Tolstoi the author of the short story "The Death of Ivan Ilych" was born into wealthy family in Russia. Tolstoi became tired of going to school
Capital Punishment Essay Research Paper I am
Capital Punishment Essay, Research Paper I am all for Capital Punishment. I think that if you kill someone you should be given the death penalty. I think that the death of the killer would give family and friends a bit of ease
Becket Essay Research Paper Summary of Becket
Becket Essay, Research Paper Summary of Becket by Jean Anouilh Becket is a movie that portrays the conflict of power between the throne and the church. It is the story of Henry II and his companion Thomas Becket. The movie begins by giving a brief summary of the history up to the point where the movie begins. This information is crucial to the understanding of the situation.
Ivan The Terrible Essay Research Paper Ivan
Ivan The Terrible Essay, Research Paper Ivan the Terrible was the first czar of russia. He was a very cruel ruler.His father and mother died shortley after his birth.So his grand father Ivan The Great Took him in as a son. He was very cruel to ivan,
Death Of Ivan Ilynch Essay Research Paper
? The Death of Ivan Ilych ? ?The Death of Ivan Ilych ? tells the story of a man on his deathbed realizing that the majority of the things he?s done throughout his life was for social acceptance. Concerned only with the thoughts of other people, his own ideas and thoughts were dismissed from importance when it came to self-image.
Ivan Denisovich Essay Research Paper Imagine being
Ivan Denisovich Essay, Research Paper Imagine being captive in a concentration camp for over eight years. Ivan Denisovich Shukhov has experienced just this. In analyzing only one day of Ivan’s life in a concentration camp, he displays many traits that show that he is a hero. Hero, can be defined in many different ways.
Ivan Ilyich Essay Research Paper Themes of
Ivan Ilyich Essay, Research Paper Themes of a Poor Life in ?The Death of Ivan Ilyich? It occurred to him that what had appeared perfectly impossible before, namely that he had not spent his life as he should have done, might after all be true. It occurred to him that his scarcely perceptible attempts to struggle against what was considered good by the most highly place people, those scarcely noticeable impulses which he had immediately suppressed, might have been the real thing, and all the rest false.
Brothers Karamazov Essay Research Paper Dostoyevsky tries
Brothers Karamazov Essay, Research Paper Dostoyevsky tries to show the importance of believing in God in the novel The Brothers Karamazov. Fyodor Dostoyevsky was raised in a very religious environment. Much of Dostoyevsky s early learning was taught to him by his loving and devout Christian mother. His father was not as much a positive influence on him as his mother because he was a drunk.
Theo Essay Research Paper SummaryThis article shows
Theo Essay, Research Paper Summary This article shows us how Christianity has changed throughout the ages. We can see how Jesus has become the dominant figure in today?s western culture. It tells of how Christianity differed with the teaching of the ancient Romans, and how God wanted us to live our lives. People stopped being afraid of death and their values were changing, becoming much different than those of the Romans.
Journalism Today Essay Research Paper Summary Leads
Journalism Today Essay, Research Paper Summary Leads ( Why are they are effective) The summary lead is the most widely used lead. It provides a brief summary of the facts in the article in the first sentence. Summary leads work best in inverted pyramid stories. I think that summary leads are effective because if the reader has an interest in the subject after reading the short summary at the beginning, then they will read the whole article.
Ivan The Terrible Essay Research Paper The
Ivan The Terrible Essay, Research Paper The Terrible Greatness Of Ivan the IV The era of Ivan the IV is one that triggers some of the most horrific nightmares to surface. It was a reign that spread a blanket of terror throughout Russia as Ivan the IV took his role as the first tsar to be bloody and tyrannical. Claims of pathological elements in his character cannot be denied as many lives were doomed to the fate of unnecessary death and suffering.
Ivan Iv Essay Research Paper Ivan IV
Ivan Iv Essay, Research Paper Ivan IV: The First TsarIvan the Terrible was only 3 years old when he became the tsar of Russia. Obviously too young to actually rule, his mother Elena and her lover, Ivan Obolensky, ruled the country for him. In 1538, Elena died and Ivan Obolensky killed for the chance to rule the country.
Cultural Assimilation Essay Research Paper Cultural AssimilationIt
Cultural Assimilation Essay, Research Paper Cultural Assimilation It is a big controversial subject that how much an international student should assimilate in the new culture. The result can move on a big scale. Depending on the person and its relationships it can cause depression. Two of my friends Aniko and Ivan are assimilating differently in the new culture.
Death Essay Research Paper Why must there
Death Essay, Research Paper Why must there be death? Death is sad. So why must we bare sadness? Because nobody can stop death. Why do people die? Why must our loved ones die?
Slaughterhouse Five Summary Essay Research Paper Novel
Slaughterhouse Five Summary Essay, Research Paper Novel Summary Billy Pilgrim is unstuck in time, and so is Slaughterhouse Five. Novel follows Billy’s “unhinged” life. If I write every hop, skip, and jump, the summary would be as complicated as the book. These are the basic facts of Pilgrim’s life; they are shown in chronological order (but are definitely not in the book):
Death Of Ivan Ilych By Tolstoy Essay
, Research Paper Leo Tolstoy, born in Russia in 1828, wrote The Death of Ivan Ilych. The story was written eight years after Tolstoy?s spiritual conversion and was inspired
Snows Of Kilimanjaro And Death Of Ivan
Illych Essay, Research Paper "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" by Ernest Hemingway and "The Death of Ivan Ilych" by Leo Tolstoy are both excellent literary works that both
The Death Of Ivan Ilyich Leo Tolstoy
– Rebirth By Death Essay, Research Paper The Death of Ivan Ilyich: Leo Tolstoy – Rebirth by Death Leo Tolstoy was a great humanist. Evolution of human character was a subject
Stoic Death Themes Of In The Name
Of The Father And Death Of Ivan Ilyitch Essay, Research Paper There are themes in life that everyone goes through at one point or another. These universal themes, however, are experienced in different orders. As in In the Name of the Father, sometimes it takes the death of a loved one to bring meaning to one’s life.
One Day In The Life Of Ivan
Denisovich: Summary Essay, Research Paper One Day In The Life of Ivan Denisovich: Summary In the book One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, the main character Ivan and
Ivan Ilyich And I Essay Research Paper
I related readily with Ivan Ilyich, the main character in Leo Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Ilyich. There was a time when I myself lived my life without regard to the spirituality of life. I, however, was very lucky in that it did not take death looming over my head to realize this. Maybe the fact that my bout of depression’s onset happened sooner in life allowed me to see it sooner.
Tolstoy And His Message Essay Research Paper
Tolstoy and his Message Leo Tolstoy is one of the greatest writers of the last two hundred years. His novels tend to convey an insight on life; whether it be about suffering, death, religion, art, or education. Tolstoy was a man with many strong beliefs, and one must understand these beliefs to fully understand the meaning of his works.
I Am Tolstoy But Not A Tolstoyian
Essay, Research Paper In 1828, somewhere in the countryside north of Moscow, Leo Tolstoy was born into the Russian nobility. Count Tolstoy, although acquainted with the finer things that life
The Effect Of Realism On Leo Tolstoy
Shown In The Death Of Iv Essay, Research Paper The Influence of Realism in Tolstoy?s The Death of Ivan Ilyich The novella, The Death of Ivan Ilyich, shows the influence of Realism on its author. Leo Tolstoy. The illusion of reality, the main theme of the novella, is an aspect of Realism that Tolstoy effectively used in this novella.
Delinquent Daughters Summary Essay Research Paper Delinquent
Delinquent Daughters Summary Essay, Research Paper ?Delinquent Daughters Summary? Delinquent Daughters by Mary E. Odem touches on many topics involving women residing in the U.S. from 1885 to 1920. Not only does the book raise issues about women as a whole, but also it breaks the women into a more realistic view.
Tuesdays With Morrie Essay Research Paper Tuesdays
Tuesdays With Morrie Essay, Research Paper Tuesdays with Morrie Summary This book is an intriguing description of an old mans battle with death. More specifically that man is suffering from Lou Gehrig’s disease or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS); a disease that affects the neurological system. There is no cure for this disease, and the only good that can come out of having it is the chance to say goodbye.
Othello Summary Essay Research Paper Plot Summary
Othello Summary Essay, Research Paper Plot Summary Iago is passed over for a promotion by his commander, Othello, a Moor and a general in the service of Venice, and vows revenge. Othello has just
Masque Of The Red Death Essay
, Research Paper The Masque of the red death By: MC E-mail: MCC1000@AOL In “The Masque of the Red Death”, Poe leads one event into another often. He uses much symbolism, and in the paragraphs below, I will show you it. In the first couple of paragraphs however, I will summarize the plot and state the theme.
Essay On The Short Story
“Divorce” By Ivan Klima Essay, Research Paper In the short story entitled “Divorce” by Ivan Klima a judge makes an important decision that will affect him for the rest of his life. The decision
Summary And Responce To
“Black English” Essay, Research Paper Summary and Response Word Count 366 Summary In the essay titled, ?If Black English Isn?t a Language, Then Tell Me, What Is??
Peter Thegreat Essay Research Paper Peter I
Peter Thegreat Essay, Research Paper Peter I the Great 1672 – 1725 Russian Czar Peter was born in Moscow. He was joint czar with his mentally retarded half-brother, Ivan, under the regency of their sister, Sophia (1682-9). On Ivan’s death (1696) Peter became sole czar.
Swan Lake Essay Research Paper Swan LakeSwan
Swan Lake Essay, Research Paper Swan Lake Swan Lake is a ballet that consist of four acts. It is based from a German fairy tale. It contains music from Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The first performance of Swan Lake was in Moscow at the Bolshoi Theater. It was held on May 4, 1877. The choreographer was Julius Reisinger.