Falseness Vs. Honesty In The Death Of Ivan Ilyich

Falseness vs. honesty

The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy is a novella about a man by the name of Ivan Ilyich. He lives an empty and artificial life. When he is about to die, he has to come to terms with the fact that he lived his life based on superficiality and what was socially expected. Throughout the novella, one can see how certain characters share the same view as Ivan by being materialistic and selfish while others act with respect, honesty, and compassion. Ivan’s relationship with his wife, Praskovya Fedorovna Golovina is based on materialism and selfishness. The way the doctors interact with Ivan show that they do not have any respect for him. They

are also very dis-honest and refuse to answer the dying man’s questions.

Unlike Praskovya and the doctors, Gerasim is one character who respects Ivan and who is honest and compassionate towards him. Gerasim understands life and death and he is the only one who is able to comfort Ivan when he is ill.

Ivan marries Praskovya because it is socially expected. All is well until Praskovya becomes pregnant. She becomes an annoyance to her husband so as a result, Ivan prioritizes work over his family. It was “to the degree that his wife became more irritable and demanding, Ivan Ilyich increasingly made work the center of gravity in his life” (50). Ivan has no compassion for his wife. She is going through a hard time with pregnancy and instead of being there for his wife; he makes work his main focus. Ivan disregards the truth. He is unable to comprehend the fact that his life is not perfect. He does not talk to his wife, or try to figure out a way to rekindle their relationship because he cannot face his imperfections. He much rather lie to himself and everyone around him by immersing himself in his work. In order for Ivan to live his life by the social standards, he only necessitates “dinners at home, a

well-run household, a partner in bed, and, above all, a veneer of respectability which public opinion required” (50). Ivan and Praskovya’s marriage is all a façade. Ivan lives an empty life because he has no depth, love, and honesty. Ivan cannot appreciate all the good he has in his life because he does anything he can to heighten his standards to result in social acceptation. Praskovya is similar to Ivan because she is very materialistic, selfish, and fake. While Ivan is sick, she shows no sympathy towards him. She tells Ivan that it is his fault that he is sick. Praskovya continuously reminds her husband that he is a burden on her, “she began to wish he would die, yet she could not really wish that, for there would be no income” (64). Praskovya’s only reason she does not want Ivan to die is the fact that there will be no income. Both Ivan and Praskovya are shallow and selfish. Together they live a life without meaning. Their relationship is founded on a lie just like Ivan’s doctors; who do not share the veracity about his illness with him.
Ivan becomes very ill and he is in a lot of pain.

He goes to many doctors to try to get some clarity on his sickness, instead of comforting their patient; the doctors only lie to him. The doctors do not show Ivan the care and security that he needs. Ivan says that “from the doctors summery, I concluded that things were bad, but that to the doctor it was of no consequence even though for him it was bad” (65). “It aroused in him a feeling of great self-pity and equally great resentment toward the doctor for being so indifferent to a matter of such importance” (65). Ivan’s illness is a very important matter, yet the doctors act as if it is insignificant. Ivan has to face his fears alone because he lacks support; not only from his family but from the doctors also. Even “when he consulted doctors, he felt he was not only deteriorating, but at a very rapid rate” (68). When one visits the doctor, the doctor usually instills hope and encouragement in the patient. In this novella, the doctors make Ivan feel even worse about his sickness. They leave out details and they avoid his questions. Ivan has no one around him to act with honesty and respect towards him, until Gerasim the pantry boy comes to help Ivan in his last days of his life. Gerasim shows Ivan deep compassion and comfort, unlike the

doctors.
Gerasim creates a great bond with Ivan by treating him like a person who mattered. Ivan’s whole life is based on a lie because unlike Gerasim, he lives his life based on social expectations. Gerasim does everything in a happy and willing manner. Ivan is drawn to him “because no one even cared to understand his situation. Gerasim was the only one who understood and pitied him. And for that reason Ivan Ilyich felt comfortable only with Gerasim” (87). Ivan’s family and friends never truly cared about him so Gerasim helps Ivan get a glimpse of what being loved and cared for feels like. Unlike the other characters, the wellbeing of others is a true priority to Gerasim. He is the only character who is able to accept reality. When Pytor Ivanovich is leaving Ivan’s funeral, Gerasim tells him “It’s Gods will, sir. We all have to die someday” (41). The other characters are blinded by how perfect his or her life has to be; instead of perceiving reality. Gerasim does not live that way so he is able to confront and accept the difficult parts of life. He understands that life is not forever and one needs to do what he can to put meaning in his life until it is too late.
Tolstoy teaches his readers important lessons from the relationships between Ivan and some of the characters. Praskovya and Ivan exemplify a bad marriage. They do not respect each other. Instead of trying to mend their relationship, Ivan surrounds himself in his job to avoid reality. The desire to work hard is what makes a marriage work. They both do not want to admit that an aspect of their life is not perfect so they hide it, instead of trying to make it work out. Their marriage is lacking depth and love because they are both just using each other to find favor in the public eye. Ivan Ilyich’s doctors hide the truth from the dying man. Ivan lives his entire life dishonestly, until he is dying and is searching for some truth to comfort him yet, Ivan has to face his fears alone because he lacks support from his family and his doctors as well. One should learn to be there for others when he or she is needed. Sometimes honesty is the best way to go. Grasim is happy in his social position, therefore giving him the ability to live a life of meaning. Gerasim gives Ivan I glimpse of this life right before he dies. Some of the many lessons one can learn from Gerasim is his willingness and love to help others, his security in who he is, and his honesty towards those around him as well as himself.