The Death of Ivan Ilyich?by Tolstoy

The main personage of the story 'The Death of Ivan Ilyich' is ordinary official who conduct his life according to a strict social code? never deviating from what was rule d by society? by his pleasure? by materialistic motives? but never by conscience. His contact with his wife and children was limited and shallow because he didn't find pleasure in this. His life satisfied him when he was healthy? but when he faced with death his loneliness overwhelmed him. After the accident which starts his long dying Ivan Ilyich realized that his life? though he has been successful and has always done the proper things? is all false. He understood that his life was meaningless. As his illness progressed? Ivan Ilyich felt increasingly the need to be loved. Only in front of death he knew what real feeling is. Ivan Ilyich felt real empathy and pity from peasant Gerasim and son Vasya.

His moral misery was worse than physical. The result of this was that Ivan Ilyich in dying became the individual that he never was in his typical life. He understood that his notion about his decent and helpfulness was just illusion. He felt as if he were being squeezed down into a black hole and there at the bottom was light. This metaphor serves as image of physical death and spiritual rebirth. His death gave birth to new consciousness. He suddenly perceived that man's essential life belongs to the spirit and well-being is achieved through loving of people. He asked forgiveness of his family for his sins and welcomed death... This moral transformation makes real end of his unreal life.

As a moralist Tolstoy would like to play attention of Russian intelligentsia how badly they live? how they waste their talents? strengths? and capabilities. He called on moral self-improvement. In every culture there is a supposed "right" way to live. In "The Death of Ivan Ilyich"? Ivan Ilyich from the start chooses to take the path laid out for him especially the easiest and simplest. Ivan has to make choices in terms of his job and marriage. These choices eventually catch up with him during his final days while he battles his mysterious illness.

After his formal education in the field of law? Ivan leaves his home with of pocket full of money and freshly tailored attire courtesy his father. "Ivan Ilyich immediately made his life in the provinces as easy and pleasant as it had been at law school?" [p. 45] just as any other person would do. We strive to make our lives as comfortable as possible? which is probably one of our greatest downfalls. Enveloped in the greed of perfection the average person often loses sight of what's important. These artificial elements associated with success range from a promotion to an obsession with wealth.

Ivan Ilyich's view on marriage is definitely one that would not be of sensible judgment. Shortly after beginning his courtship with Praskovya Fyodorovna? she falls in love with him. "Ivan Ilyich ...