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Ellen McDaniel
Professor David Buck
English 227
14 March 2015
Formal Essay: The Death of Ivan Ilyich
Leo Tolstoy was one of the most famous writers during the Realist movement, as well as
throughout history. His works capture Realist ideas, and timelessly embody the truth behind what
he believed it meant to live correctly. According to the editors of the Norton Anthology of World
Literature, All of [Tolstoys] books concern the same theme, the good life, and they all say that
the good life lies outside of civilization, near to the soil, in simplicity and humility, in love of
ones neighbor. Power, the lust for power, and luxury are always evil. Especially in his work
The Death of Ivan Ilyich, Tolstoy pinpoints the source of happiness in everyday occurrences as
he illustrates the difference between a good, authentic life wrapped in humility and personal
relationshipsand an artificial life dictated by greed and materialism.
Realism was an international movement during the 1800s that began as a reaction to
Romanticism. While Romanticism focused on the inner, spiritual side of human nature, and was
skewed toward the exceptional and Sublime, Realism focused on the mundane, the everyday
(Realism). True to its name, Realism was set in the real world, favoring the obtainable aspects
to common life. It analyzed the reality behind human nature, both good and bad and provided
"the objective representation of contemporary social reality" (Habegger). In literature, it was an

attempt to focus on the objective, the concrete; the physical and social milieu was depicted in
painstaking detail to convey the ethos of the society. Characters were portrayed in their social

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setting, which shaped their actions and their choices (Realism). Characters were also more
important than the plot; their complexities, metal processes, motivations, and ethical choices
created the story, replacing the plot as the focal point (Realism). Leo Tolstoy was one of the
most successful Realist writers, for he allowed the reader insight into the layered minds of his
complex characters.
Tolstoys beliefs and analysis of mankinds character lead him to be a man of the
peasants. Though he acquired fame and wealth from his novels, he searched for meaning in
simple things and in the everyday life of the typical man. This attitude was reflected in his
writing, as his works centered on such ideas. He saw happiness as something found in humility,
and blocked by materialism. The luxuries and power of the material world were blinding, and
inevitably lead to an artificial life, filled with perishable enjoyments and fake relationships. This
message is the core of Tolstoys novella The Death of Ivan Ilyich.
The Death of Ivan Ilyich is about a man whose life had been most simple and most
ordinary and therefore most terrible (Tolstoy). The novel begins, ironically, at the end of the
story with Ivan Ilyichs death. Ivans colleagues at the Law Court are informed of Ivans passing,
and upon receiving the newsthe first thought of each of the gentlemen was of the changes
and promotions it might occasion among themselves or their acquaintances (Tolstoy).
Proceeding this disturbing glimpse into the characters thoughts is Ivans funeral. Here, Ivans
family and so-called-friends morn him. It quickly becomes apparent, however, that most of the
attendees of this funeral are more concerned with themselves than with grieving. Ivans wife is
interested in what money she can acquire from her husbands death, while Peter Ivanovich,
Ivans long-time coworker and friend, can only think about the game of bridge that he might
miss if he stays at the funeral any longer. When the funeral concludes, the story continues with

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its chronological beginning, and follows Ivans successful and lavish life. Through societys
eyes, Ivan had done everything right: he attended a school of Law, rose to higher social standing,
got married, acquired a high-paying job at court, and lived in a luxurious house. To society,
Ivans life was more than acceptable but desired. So how does a man so accomplished in life
leave behind a world of so many selfish relations? As Tolstoy gives readers a closer look, it is
easy to understand why such a successful man came to such a loveless end.
Ivans first and most crucial mistake was that he willingly altered his whole life to fit the
mold of societal standards, believing it was the right path simply because that is what society
told him. Starting when he was in school, [Ivan] had done things which had formerly seemed to
him very horrid and made him feel disgusted with himself when he did them; but when later on
he saw that such actions were done by people of good position and they did not regard them as
wrong, he was able to forget about them entirely or not be at all troubled at remembering
them (Tolstoy). Later in his life, when he married Praskovya Fedorovna, Ivan admitted that his
reasons for marrying her where not founded on romance. He had not falled in love with his wife,
but was moved to marry her because it was considered the right thing by the most highly placed
of his associates (Tolstoy). Ivan shaped his character and made his decisions according to the
actions and beliefs of those that society pressured him to be like.
Ivans desire for societys approval and appreciation soon led to his craving for
materialistic power, such as possessing a higher position in his work and owning upscale
belongings. After he got married, Ivan had a steady, pleasant life, one that was approved of by
society and regarded by himself as natural (Tolstoy). This changed when his wife became
pregnant with their first child; she turned angry, jealous and accusatory. Ivan, unable to satisfy
her, distanced himself by focusing on his work. As time went on and his family grew, Ivan only

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continued to retreat, using his career as a barricade. Ivan transferred the center of gravity of his
life more and more to his official work, making him more ambitious than ever, and only
furthering the separation between him and his family (Tolstoy). Eventually, he had little to no
substantial relationship with his daughter or son. Also, when moving into his new home, Ivan
was absorbed in making it as elegant and aristocratic as possible. He decorated the house with
fine furniture, curtains and decor to give off the impression of being wealthier. However, in
reality, it was just what is usually seen in the houses of people of moderate means who want to
appear rich, and therefore succeed only in resembling others like themselves [In fact] his
house was so like the others that it would never have been noticed, but to him it all seemed to be
quite exceptional (Tolstoy). Even in Ivans attempt to place himself in more admirable
standings, he was only going through the expected motions, making himself more ordinary than
ever.
One of Tolstoys peaks of literary genius in this story is Ivans fall from grace, or, less
symbolically, Ivans fall from the ladder. In the very house that Ivan believed was so exceptional
is where Ivan met his demise. In fact, his end started while he was decorating the house. Soon
after purchasing his new residence, Ivan was on a ladder by the window, demonstrating to the
upholsterer how to hang the curtains, when he unexpectedly slipped. He banged his side on the
window frame, but, though bruised and in pain, made a quick recovery. Afterwards, he said that
he felt fifteen years younger (Tolstoy). This fall was just the beginning, as Ivan later
succumbed to a painful illness that would eventually lead to his death. To Ivan, it must have
seemed as if his life had been going up and up, getting better and better. He had reach an
outstanding and well-paying position in his job and just bought a fancy, new house. Everything
seemed perfect until that fateful moment that would cause Ivans life to finally crest and come

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back down. The irony Tolstoy created was that the possessions Ivan had put so much effort and
care into were the things that eventually killed him. This angel is essential in understanding an
artificial life and its consequences.
Ivan, even during most of his time spent dying, could not see his life for its artificiality.
When his family so blatantly showed their annoyance and their lack of concern towards his
illness, Ivan still could not see it. He expected his family to cry over his pain and to pity him.
This, however, is not what he got. Ivans wife and daughter quickly grew tired of his pain and
could only talk of their own misfortune at having to listen to him. It seemed they choose to
ignore that Ivan was dying at all. In fact, no one felt for him, because no one even wished to
grasp his position; they were too afraid of such a fate for themselves (Tolstoy). Because of this,
Ivan grew immensely angry with the world, even hating his own wife because she possessed the
good health that was taken from him. Nevertheless, through his pain and anger, Ivan found
solace in an unlikely beacon of hope: Gerasim.
Gerasim, the young butlers assistant, was assigned to help Ivan though his illness by
assisting with basic needs, such as going to the bathroom. Despite the sometimes filthy jobs that
he carried out, Gerasim helped easily, willingly, simply, and with a good nature that touched
[Ivan]. Health, strength, and vitality in other people were offensive to [Ivan], but Gerasims
strength and vitality did not mortify but sooth him (Tolstoy). This is because Gerasims actions
were so opposite compared to those of every other character Ivan encountered. Tolstoy
contrasted Ivans artificial life with the authentic life of Gerasim. An example of Gerasims
authenticity was his complete acceptance of death. More than once, Gerasim recognized death as
an occurrence that every person must go through. Unlike everyone else in Ivans life, he was not
daunted or made uncomfortable by being near death. Gerasim did not ignore Ivans illness,

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either. Rather, he embraced it. He did not find aiding Ivan burdensome, because he was doing it
for a dying man and hoped someone would do the same for him when his time came (Tolstoy).
Moreover, the greatest sign of Gerasims authenticity was his selflessness. His possession of
real humanity allowed Gerasim to feel sympathy for others, which resulted in his acts of
kindness and his disregard for himself (Frattarola). Gerasim would spend the entire night holding
Ivans legs on his shoulders because it eased Ivans suffering, if only a little. This act was a
demonstration of sacrifice, as he gave his time and effort to share in someone elses burden.
Sacrifice is a result that follows a live of love not necessarily romantic love, but the love of
life and of others. It was such a foreign idea to Ivan, for it was never something that he or his
peers viewed as important. For them, it was about ones own advancement and everyone elses
happiness was secondary. Above anything else, sacrifice is what Ivans friends and family could
not give him, for they, too, were caught up in their own artificial lives, ones that Ivan only helped
to build.
Still struggling to accept that he was dying, Ivan started to reflect on his life. He found
that the further back he looked, the he happier he was. As he recalled the events closer to the
present, the worse the memories became. This change occurred because Ivan became
increasingly corrupted by society as he grew up. Though he could not see that yet, he did
question himself on the life that he lived. He wondered, Maybe I did not live as I ought to have
done But how could that be when I did everything properly? (Tolstoy). This is Tolstoys
theme: the right way to live. For his whole life, Ivan believed that he was going through life as
he was meant to. He did not realize until the end that he was surrounded by falsehoods beautified
by power and extravagance. Ivans life was so simple and ordinary because he put his whole
being into making it resemble those of the people he was expected, even wanted, to be like. In

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the end, this style of living only gave him an unloving existence, with phony relationships and
expensive objects that could not care for him back. Ivans faith and devotion to material things
and to power and social status created an artificial life. It is merely when he himself was
removed from society that he could see these parts of his life as fake.
Only after an enormous amount of pain, which was further drawn out by his denial, did
Ivan finally accept the truth. Two hours before Ivan died, he admitted, Yes, it was not the right
way to live (Tolstoy). With this epiphany, Ivans pain ceased and he passed away without fear.
This acceptance of death and lack of fear came from Ivans realization that he filled his life with
and focused his efforts on the wrong things. As Tolstoy himself passed away, he told his
daughter, The more a man loves, the more real he becomes (Frattarola). Tolstoy believed that
people should put their effort and love into something lasting, and that this would make their
lives authentic. Doing this could essentially allow someone to live forever in a form that thrives
beyond death. Affections towards objects will only last as long as a person lives, but affections
towards others will last long after that person is gone.

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Annotated Bibliography
Frattarola, Angela. "An overview of 'The Death of Ivan Ilych." Gale Online Encyclopedia.
Detroit: Gale, 2015. Literature Resource Center. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.
Angela Frattarola gives an overview of the themes and symbolism in Leo Tolstoys The Death of
Ivan Ilyich. For example, there is much explanation as to what Gerasim represents and what can
be learned from his sympathy and humanity. The other characters flaws and mistakes are also
mentioned, and related back to todays society. Frattarola also touches on how some of Tolstoys
experiences influenced the storys message, and how his writing style contributed to the novellas
successfulness.
Habegger, Alfred. "Realism." Gender, Fantasy, and Realism in American Literature. New
York: Columbia University Press, 1982. 103-112. Rpt. in Nineteenth-Century
Literature Criticism. Ed. Lynn M. Zott. Vol. 120. Detroit: Gale, 2003.
Literature Resource Center. Web. 15 Mar. 2015.
Alfred Habegger analyzes Realism as it fits into different time periods. Most of the article is
about how Realism relates to countless works from the 1800s, as well contains as other writers
explanations on this topic. While the entire article attempts to define Realisms to certain social
issues at certain times, Habegger clearly states at the beginning of his article his simplest
definition of Realism. Realism is an unbiased explanation of current society.
"Realism." New World Encyclopedia. N.p., 2 Apr. 2008. Web. 24 Feb. 2015.
While not as in depth as my other sources, the New World Encyclopedia gives a clear and to-thepoint definition and background of Realism. While it also does not directly reference any other
sources, it does give information about Realism in relation to art and literature. It also addresses

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Realism in different parts of the world, like France and the United States. This page was
obviously meant to be accessed by a less scholarly crowd, and to give quick and easy
information. However, it gave solid definitions that were much help in understanding parts of
Realism.