ivan illych
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 and bettering himself so he dropped out of Kazan University. Despite societies pressures he opened up a school for lower class children. Leo Tolstoi became very successful in his profession as a novelist but was for some reason unhappy with his life. He then gave away all his land and book royalties and started living a peasants life. "The Death of Ivan Ilych" is about a man's realization of the meaninglessness of his existence in light of his impending death. By all external definitions, Ivan's life was the picture of success. He had risen to the top of his profession; he had married an attractive and well-thought of woman; and he seemed to be satisfied with the pleasantness of it all. Yet under this exterior, his life was empty, hollow, and completely motivated by worldly trappings. Other people's expectations dominated Ivan's life. He had to do what was proper. He went into the law, took a good job, and could even rationalize his carousing because everybody said that that was what young people did. It is also interesting to note that many of Iva
As Ivan falls deeper into sickness, he falls deeper into despair. He finally realizes the emptiness and unimportance of his life. He curses the curtains -- the symbol of his vanity -- which killed him. He retreats from his family, wanting only Gerasim for comfort. He cannot deny the pain of his sickness or his failed life any longer. He finds enlightenment right before his death. He comes to the conclusion that his death is meaningless and worth nothing since his life was meaningless and worth nothing. "The Death of Ivan Ilych" is about how people get so caught up in trying to live the way society tells them too. Ivan's life takes a sudden turn as he starts to feel the ill effects of his curtain-hanging accident. He tries to forget about it as long as he can by moving on with his pleasant and appropriate life. What drives him to his realization, though, is the attitude of the others toward his illness. The doctors assess him in their cold, pompous manner. They care more about their abstract diagnoses than about Ivan's personal pain. Tolstoi makes direct analogy between Ivan's cold, impersonal approach to law and the doctors' callous and unsympathetic bedside manner. This is the first step to Ivan's realization. His family is equally unresponsive to his pain. Their personal misfortune and inconvenience dominate their feelings. The scene at the funeral is equally telling. Instead of mourning, Peter concerns himself only with the gestures of mourning: what signs he should be making, when he should bow, and what he should say. He is not the only one guilty of this crime, though. Ivan's wife is more concerned with financial matters than the grief over her husband. In a dark
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Approximate Word count = 1150
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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