Similarities Between Ivan Ilyich And Candide

Leo Tolstoy and Voltaire both wrote beautiful pieces of literature during two different time eras, but they wrote about similar themes in some of their works. In “The Death of Ivan Ilyich” by Tolstoy and “Candide” by Voltaire the theme of society and class play major roles in understanding both works. Tolstoy attacks the Russian middle class by creating numerous characters that belong to this class. These characters illustrate the pettiness, greed, and selfishness that the middle class came to embody. Voltaire portrays the corruption and meaninglessness of power and status. Both of these authors attack the social classes, but they differ on their reasons.

The middle class is the class that Tolstoy chooses to focus on because they behave as aristocrats. Ivan Ilyich’s wife owns a small bit of land, which is rare during this time in Russia, but his friends say, “but something quite trifling.” Referring to the pettiness and unimportance of Ilyich’s middle class lifestyle. Voltaire similarly looks at how power and status that is obtained from lineage becomes meaningless and creates misery. Military recruiters flatter Candide by building

upon his sense of aristocracy by saying, “People of your appearance and of your merit never pay anything…” The idea of Candide being entitled to special rights ultimately causes Candide to be tricked into joining the armed forces. Voltaire illustrates Candide’s attitude towards life during the first chapter by saying, “There lived in…the castle of the Baron…a young man on whom nature had bestowed the perfection of gentle manners.” Tolstoy employs similar proper manners throughout his story to further illustrate the “classiness” of the aristocratic/middle class by showing Ilyich’s friends coming to his house to see his wife, but they truly only care about showing themselves.
Ivan Ilyich and Candide both live miserable lives because of their social class. Ilyich lives his life as a middle class man, but his life is summed up as, “most simple and most ordinary and therefore most terrible.” Tolstoy seems to undermine the popular thinking of the day that being in a higher class caused you to life happier. When Candide becomes extremely wealthy in El Dorado he does not become overjoyed and enthralled, but actually becomes miserable. The slow loss of wealth causes Candide more and more grief. Candide’s power and influence increase because of the money, but the problems multiply considerably. Tolstoy and Voltaire illustrate the effects of people who live only to move classes and become socially important with the depiction of the miserable lives of Ilyich and Candide.
The differences between these two stories is how the main characters became aristocrats/middle class men and their interaction with others.

Ilyich works as a legal official and tries to move up the corporate ladder. Candide happens to inherit his wealth by chance in El Dorado. The characters in Tolstoy’s work do not care about authentic human relationships, but simply are consumed with their status. Tolstoy writes, “So on receiving the news of Ivan Ilych's death the first thought of each of the gentlemen…was of the changes and promotions it might occasion among themselves…” Ilyich believes that materialism and social climbing will award him with happiness. Whereas, Candide does develop meaningful relationships with others, but is consumed with protecting his wealth. Candide says, “Oh yes…I deeply love Miss

Cunégonde.”
“The Death of Ivan Ilyich” and “Candide” both contain important themes of society and class. The similarities between the two are astounding because of the 100 plus years gap between their publishing dates. Tolstoy emphasizes the Russian middle class in his story, while Voltaire focuses on the people who inherit power and status. Both stories depict how wealth, status, and power ultimately do not create happiness but oftentimes creates an emptiness.