Comparing Tolstoy’s novel, The Death of Ivan Ilyich and the Russian State

Comparing Tolstoy’s novel, The Death of Ivan Ilyich and the Russian State

In Leo Tolstoy’s novel The Death of Ivan Ilyich, the title character’s life changes in several important ways during the course of the story. First, his relationships with the people in his life change. Secondly, he engages in different “forms of diversion” as his life goes through different stages. Thirdly, his attitude towards wealth and possessions changes near the end of his life. In addition, we also see a gradual realization and acceptance of death. One could draw interesting parallels between the progression of Ivan Ilyich’s character and the Russian state and leadership in the latter part of the Imperial period.

The changes in Ivan’s relationships with other people are seen best with his friends and family. Through most of the story, we see that he chooses friends based on social standing. He even applies this to his family, as illustrated near the beginning. His younger brother, having only obtained an appointment in the Railway Division, is labeled a failure by his family and avoided at all costs. Ivan Ilyich’s relationship with his wife is also of particular interest. He seems fairly happy while a newlywed, but becomes quite annoyed with his wife for creating “distasteful and ill-mannered scenes” (Tolstoy 56; ch. 2) around the time of her pregnancy. At first he tries to ignore her by carrying on with his former social life, but eventually finds that his work is the only excuse that can get him away from her. He goes on avoiding his wife with varying success until the onset of his illness, being confined more and more to his home. During this last stage of his life, he purposely starts arguments with his family, ...

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...was unable to control it any longer. The Duma which he had created instantiated a new provisional government and Nicholas finally abdicated the throne.

As has been demonstrated, character changes in Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Ilyich find parallels in Russian power specifically through its rulers’ foreign and domestic policies. Though never expressly implied, one can assume that the author, having been quite politically involved, considered such things while writing his novella. We must not put biting social and political satire past a man who, among other things, was involved in the mass emigration of oppressed Russian Jews to the United States and Canada (Riasanovsky 397).

Works Cited

Riasanovsky, Nicholas V. A History of Russia. 6th ed. New York: Oxford, 2000.

Tolstoy, Leo. The Death of Ivan Ilyich. Bantam Classic ed. New York: Bantam, 1981.