The Death of Ivan Ilych makes the stark comparison between the life of a moral and righteous being and the life of a selfish and essentially meaningless human existence. It seems apparent which method of life would produce happiness and fulfillment, but ironically Ivan Ilych strives to be associated with the egocentric lifestyle that yields misery. The story first reveals itself with the seemingly unimportant and emotionless death of a man named Ivan Ilych. The men are more concerned with the fact that the immense burden of needing to console Ivan’s wife lay ahead of them than the fact that they have lost a close companion.
As the book continues to unravel the life of Ivan Ilych, we realize that he was never actually in tune with himself and his own true feelings and needs. He lived to please and to succeed in the eyes of society. This meaningless life proves to haunt him up until his death as he lies in reflection on his death bed. Throughout his entire existence Ivan was convinced that pleasing society and ignoring the inner pangs of self loss was the road to success and thus happiness, but as he nears the bright light in the enveloping dark sack, he realizes he lived his life completely wrong. I think that the guilt of betraying himself and his desires comes when he sees the pity and remorse that fills his servant, Gerasim. He realizes that the peasant man living day to day without living up to society’s expectations is the only person that can truly care for and connect to Ivan Ilych as he passes. As Ivan Ilych approaches his death, I do not believe that it was the elevation of his feet that curbed his pain, but the compassion that oozed from Gerasim. His family and his friends, those he had always regarded as his closest companions, do not even care to try to connect emotionally to him as his final days approach.
Ivan realizes that without even knowing it, he sacrificed true happiness and deep human connection for the superficialities that consume a life of pleasing society. This ultimately leads me to believe that Ivan Ilych’s regret, self remorse, and endless guilt furthered the progression of his minor disease, ultimately causing his death. He did not die from a floating liver; he died from the staleness of his doctor, the cold shoulder of his wife, the ignorance of his friends, and most importantly the shame of his wasted existence. (453)
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Abigail--you said, "he died from the staleness of his doctor, the cold shoulder of his wife, the ignorance of his friends, and most importantly the shame of his wasted existence." What a terrific ending, summing up all your ideas into one sentence and using specific images from the story to give that sentence real punch. Good writing!
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