Ivan Ilyich Death

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Mortality in Death of Ivan Ilych

The matters in life that are subject to change that can be influenced to an infinite amount of factors. It depends on how one chooses to cope with the hard times he or she encounters. In the novel, The Death of Ivan Ilych, by Leo Tolstoy, the main character Ivan is confronted with a terminal illness that shifts his priorities of wealth and fame to simply enjoying the little things in life. For Ivan, the proximity to death changed his perspective to make amends towards a life worth living. The story examines the life of Ivan Ilyich who lived an exemplary life in terms of wealth, family, work accomplishments, and the friends he surrounds himself with. Throughout the story, Tolstoy embeds the significance …show more content…

The setting plays a huge role in the story because Tolstoy used the house in St.Petersburg to represent the world and the modern people who live in it. The “modern people” who live in the home with Ivan and the people around it who are selfish and useless to society. Tolstoy shows during the time period of Ivan accomplishments in work, took place where Russian society drove only by the ambition and greed of success and money was evident. The country was full of people who were false and selfish by pleasing others within their society. Tolstoy depicts the society that Ivan lives in by the exaggerate social climb everyone seeked, and constant obsession with impressing one another when it was not genuine. People in the society of modern day Russia were targeted by Tolstoy as to be in a false world with selfish …show more content…

The realization of his meaning of life pushes him further through the sack, which horrifies him. Throughout the course of his torturous suffering, the end of the sack is interpreted to be the escape of death. However, there is a symbolism of light, “just then Ivan Ilyich fell through, saw light, and it was revealed to him that his life had not been what it ought, but that it could still be rectified.”, which can be seen a release from his suffering. When Ivan encounters this “light” all pain and fear went away, which shows he comes in peace with death and the reality of his death. Through the help of Geraism,the model of compassion, allowed Ilyich to break free from the fear of death, and to face the reality of his

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