Death of Ivan Ilych by Leo Tolstoy Essays Examples

“Death of Ivan Ilych” – by Leo Tolstoy

Recall of Tolstoy’s “Death of Ivan Ilych” for this scholastic discourse looks at explaining a number of specific philosophical underpinnings of the meaning of the story. In his 1886 novella Tolstoy explores through two characters – Ivan and Gerasim the false and the authentic life respectively. Ivan having carefully created a false life as further discussed finds at the end of his life indeed he philosophically dies two different kinds of death along with his physical. He dies the moral and spiritual death; the death of his old self followed by a kind of rebirth; and his physical death align to pragmatic and philosophical aspects. The moral and spiritual death of Ivan occurs with the fact that the principal characteristic of Ivan and the primary shortcoming of his character connects to how he lives by the rules of others his entire life. He has no reliance on his own common sense and reasoning and this directly affects his morals as he embraces the aristocratic society of his times’ beliefs and values. This blind allegiance to the corrupt and superficiality of the aristocratic morals affects his spiritual self as well leading him through an empty and valueless sense of self-worth.
His dedication to imitating the lifestyle and social mores of the aristocrats keeping his focus and living his life as his perception of this part of society that his own life then proceeds in the same manner he intends by emulating how he sees aristocrats living and morally behaving. In doing so, this gives his life fulfillment and meaning. The obsession Ivan develops surrounding the decorum and propriety according to aristocratic standards connected to their etiquette behavior leads to his behaving as such including growing intolerant of everything threatening the material and comfortable well-being of his well-planned lifestyle. This intolerance extends to the way he treats his pregnant wife and ultimately he distances himself from her and the family lowering his moral substance in doing so. He reduces anything emotional in his life to a shallow, contracted, and self-preserving avoidance in his personal life. Adopting the aristocrats’ values and failing using his own reasoning for discovering truth of a meaningful life, Ivan dies a moral and spiritual death.
The death of his old self followed by a kind of rebirth occurs with his illness causing a curative influence because it forces him to face his physical death bringing him to the realization of his own self-imposed isolation because of his false life. At this moment he begins questioning his own existence along with the rationale prodding this suffering he now exists. It is this realization of his isolation that terrifies him into contemplation of existential reflection of his life. In doing so, his examination of his existence and this painful suffering is the moment of his rebirth as he realizes his life was a false and superficial existence wrapped in his own misunderstanding of the real value of living. This illness Ivan suffers reveals the true nature of living and with his passing - his physical death with the presence of the light the epiphany of truth of love and compassion as the true values of a good life, Ivan experiences an immeasurable joy providing him this last moment of a quality of life he only now understands.
The relevance of Gerasim in Ivan’s thought process concerns the qualities he possesses living a joyful existence framed in his empathy for and compassion with humanity. He expresses this in response to Ivan’s complaint of his illness and how unpleasant Gerasim’ care must make the servant feel. He tells Ivan, “Oh, why, sir,” and Gerasim’s eyes beamed and he showed his glistening white teeth, “what’s a little trouble? It’s a case of illness with you, sir” (Tolstoy 40). This one response by Gerasim to the self-judgment of Ivan to his sickly condition represents those things in life purposefully rejected by Ivan and throughout the early chapters of the story the presence of Gerasim reminds the reader of Ivan’s attitude (Tolstoy 39). Gerasim represents such an important figure in this novella, because Tolstoy positions his character as the symbol for the lessons Ivan learns (as well as the reader) about having desirable qualities more than any other in the story. Tolstoy creates the Gerasim character representing a joyful filled existence and does so through his interaction throughout the story with other people exhibiting both reflective and authentic behavior.
It is the well-being of others that remains a deep personal importance Gerasim driving his ability connecting with people in such a way it breaks down any isolation appearing in his life and thus creates lasting and meaningful bonds purposefully rejected by Ivan. Gerasim confronts death like no other character with equanimity and courage in the face of Ivan’s illness and the dirty chores in caring for a dying man with helping Ivan and his excretions. In comforting Ivan at night, Gerasim both comforts and heals the dying man supporting Ivan's legs. “He felt comforted when Gerasim supported his legs (sometimes all night long) and refused to go to bed” (Tolstoy 42). “If you weren’t sick it would be another matter, but as it is, why should I grudge a little trouble” (42).
It is this attitude that bridges the physical and spiritual gap existing between Gerasim and Ivan and for that matter the world. Ivan first understands the wrong of his life as he stares at Gerasim’s face realizing this humble and generous soul represents everything right about the way life should be lived and it is in this contact with Gerasim Ivan finds ease in his journey to a spiritual health never previously felt in his life.
The personal lesson learned from what Tolstoy wants the readers of his novella learn. Subjectively the personal lesson learned in reading this story therefore looks at the brilliant manner Tolstoy uses the Gerasim character and his poor peasant life as a revelation about materialism and the false underpinnings philosophically of pursuing a life bent on social ambitions. Tolstoy shows through the character of Ivan this type of false attitude leads to an unhealthy existence morally, spiritually, emotionally, and physically.
Tolstoy shows the how the life of Ivan created with material furnishings and the accoutrements impeded his human contact and because of Ivan’s aspirations to achieve his perception of social prestige he became entrenched in depersonalized human interaction as a result. To the contrary as intended by Tolstoy’s creation of the Gerasim character, it is within his humble social position and lack of material possessions Tolstoy shows how he remained capable of developing the type of authentic and meaningful relationships so important to living a fulfilled life. Unlike Ivan, Gerasim lives at peace with himself, and the mutually comforting relationships he has established not only add immeasurable joy to life, they also give him the courage and strength to confront death. Tolstoy shows the reader from the beginning of his story his firm belief there is the artificial life as represented by Ivan, Praskovya, Peter, and nearly all of those populating Ivan's society or in his company and the second type as found in the authentic life as presented by Gerasim.
In this artificial life made so vivid by Tolstoy through Ivan there is only self-interest, shallow relationships, and materialism. This shows an unfulfilling and insular existence Ivan makes for himself, proves him incapable of understanding any of the important answers about the questions of what makes an authentic life. Tolstoy teaches through the Ivan character how the artificial life is made of self-deception hiding the true meaning of life and leaving him a terrified soul alone at the very moment of death. Whereas, Tolstoy, on the other hand shows the truth of an authentic life as marked by both pity and compassion for others seeing people not as a means to desirable ends, but rather as individual beings possessing each with personal desires, feelings, and thoughts. It is through the behavior of Gerasim Tolstoy makes clear his view of the authentic life. In doing so, the author shows how this true type of life purposefully cultivates mutually sustaining human relationships breaking down isolation and allowing honest interpersonal contact. In contrast, the artificial life only leaves one’s emotions, spirit, and body alone and empty as revealed in that created by the design of Ivan. Gerasim shows the authentic life as one fostering strength in solidarity and a desirable comfort through empathy with his fellow humans creating lasting bonds while preparing one’s self to meet death.
Even alone Gerasim remains unafraid of death with a confidence in the rightness of his life driving courage in having personal involvement with others. Through self-sacrificing love for others infusing his life with spiritually based meaning, Gerasim easily provides this spiritual strength to Ivan through his open empathy with Ivan’s personal plight. By showing this compassion Cerasim relieves Ivan of his self-made and bitter isolation proving a far more important selflessness than the physical support he gives in choosing relieving the pain by holding Ivan's legs for all those hours. It is through sharing Ivan’s pain that Gerasim is able to lessen and relieve it. The symbiosis of this virtuous act of an authentic life performed by Gerasim in helping Ivan proves beneficial for him from the relationship through the love and compassion going both ways proving the authentic life is the right life.
The lesson of the inevitability of death Tolstoy presents through the story of Ivan proved personally enlightening because at the same time, this steady approach toward death became the catharsis through the recognition of death as a nullifying and powerful compromise for making sense of the end of life, of relationships, dreams, projects, and existence. Tolstoy purposefully makes clear that a human’s preparation for death begins by having and living with an authentic attitude toward life.
Prompted by his pain and the prospect of death and the change in Ivan's attitude toward life the drama surround Tolstoy imbuing Ivan with an emotional progression from the grips of sheer terror to experiencing utter joy proves the most extreme part of the novel personally. The continual social background Ivan created for avoiding death based on a delusion he designed intent on protecting his life from unpleasant realities only led Ivan to dissatisfaction, emptiness, and horror. With Ivan’s acceptance of death he recognizes actual unpredictable nature of life permitting him experiencing the peace, confidence, and even joy at the moment of his death and more than anything else personally shows how this novel is a lesson of making sense of impending death through living an authentic life as proposed by Tolstoy. The author depicts the human existence artificially through Ivan and authentically through Gerasim and in doing so creates and inner as well as outer description of the spiritual and the physical aspect of living.

Works Cited

Tolstoy, Leo. The Death of Ivan Ilych. 1886. Translated by Louise and Ayler Maude. An Electronic
Classics Series Publication. Copyright © 1998 – 2013