Analysis of Death of Ivan Ilych Essay -- essays research papers

Letting Pain BeTo many individuals the newsworthiness further has a positive gist behind it. It suggests improvement, some subject military man have been obsessed with since the dawn of family. However, if closely examined, progress can also have a negative connotation as well. turn bringing improvement, progress can simultaneously spark conformity, dep checkency, and the obsession of perfection within the individuals caught in its midst. It is this aspect of progress within raw society that negatively affects Ivan Ilych, Leo Tolstoys main character in The Death of Ivan Ilych. Ivans attempt to conform to modern societys view of perfection takes remote his emotional state long before he dies. Furthermore, his fear of death and reactions towards it reflects modern societys inability to be intimate with the ever present reminder that humans still suffer and die, despite all attempts to make life painless, perfect, and immortal. Although we as a society have mature and made peoples lives easier, our aff able-bodied suffering is as present as ever, due to our incessant need to have everything perfect. We seem to forget that the trance of living comes from the imperfect and the unexpected. In her essay On the Fear of Death Elisabeth Kubler-Ross suggests that the modern age, while increasing life span and ease of life, has at the equal time given carriage to a rising number of emotional problems, amongst the living (Ross 407). She also suggests that because of modern societys progress, there has been an increased dread towards death. While Ross is writing for twentieth degree centigrade society her ideas apply to the nineteenth century as well, when Tolstoy wrote The Death of Ivan Ilych. Ivan Ilych is living during the industrial revolution, a time of expert advancement, that mainly advances the upper class, which he is obscure of. Ivans number one priority in life is to be comfortable and to do the correct thing at all times. Every conclusion h e makes, including who he chooses to marry, is with the intent that it does not damage his easy, agreeable, and always decorous character of his life, (Tolstoy 213). Ivan is convinced that the best way to have an easy and agreeable life is to be wealthy, marry a woman from his own class, and live in a house full of modern conveniences and luxury. Ironically, it... ...roduction of Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism, Vol. 44 it is verbalize that Ivan Ilychs passage from life to death also entails a passage from falseness to truth (326). One could also look at this in a different light. From a physiologic stance Ivan does go from life to death, from perfection to imperfection, but from a spiritual perspective it is actually the opposite. It takes the death of Ivans physical self to finally see what is important, his spirituality, his divine spark. This, he finally realizes, is what true perfection is. Hence, Ivan is able to see gone the falseness of conformity in the end and no longer fear death.In his last moments of life, Ivan sees light instead of death. His final audible words atomic number 18 What joy despite the pain he feels. This epiphany that he has happens in a single moment and in a sense makes him finally come alive. Thus, ripe(p) before his final breath Ivan is able to say to himself Death is finished, it is no more Death no longer has a hold on him because the call for of perfection no longer does. Ivan has finally decided, after a lifetime of denying it, to let the pain be. Analysis of Death of Ivan Ilych Essay -- essays research papers Letting Pain BeTo many individuals the word progress has a positive meaning behind it. It suggests improvement, something humans have been obsessed with since the dawn of society. However, if closely examined, progress can also have a negative connotation as well. While bringing improvement, progress can simultaneously spark conformity, dependency, and the obsession of perfection within the individuals caught in its midst. It is this aspect of progress within modern society that negatively affects Ivan Ilych, Leo Tolstoys main character in The Death of Ivan Ilych. Ivans attempt to conform to modern societys view of perfection takes away his life long before he dies. Furthermore, his fear of death and reactions towards it reflects modern societys inability to cope with the ever present reminder that humans still suffer and die, despite all attempts to make life painless, perfect, and immortal. Although we as a society have advanced and made peoples lives easier, our mental suffering is as present as ever, due to our incessant need to have everything perfect. We seem to forget that the fascination of living comes from the imperfect and the unexpected. In her essay On the Fear of Death Elisabeth Kubler-Ross suggests that the modern age, while increasing life span and ease of life, has at the same time given way to a rising number of emotional problems, amongst the living (Ross 407). She also suggests that because of modern societys progress, there has been an increased anxiety towards death. While Ross is writing for twentieth century society her ideas apply to the nineteenth century as well, when Tolstoy wrote The Death of Ivan Ilych. Ivan Ilych is living during the industrial revolution, a time of technological advancement, that mainly advances the upper class, which he is apart of. Ivans number one priority in life is to be comfortable and to do the correct thing at all times. Every decision he makes, including who he chooses to marry, is with the intent that it does not damage his easy, agreeable, and always decorous character of his life, (Tolstoy 213). Ivan is convinced that the best way to have an easy and agreeable life is to be wealthy, marry a woman from his own class, and live in a house full of modern conveniences and luxury. Ironically, it... ...roduction of Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism, Vol. 44 it is stated that Ivan Ilychs p assage from life to death also entails a passage from falseness to truth (326). One could also look at this in a different light. From a physical perspective Ivan does go from life to death, from perfection to imperfection, but from a spiritual perspective it is actually the opposite. It takes the death of Ivans physical self to finally see what is important, his spirituality, his divine spark. This, he finally realizes, is what true perfection is. Hence, Ivan is able to see past the falseness of conformity in the end and no longer fear death.In his last moments of life, Ivan sees light instead of death. His final audible words are What joy despite the pain he feels. This epiphany that he has happens in a single moment and in a sense makes him finally come alive. Thus, right before his final breath Ivan is able to say to himself Death is finished, it is no more Death no longer has a hold on him because the quest of perfection no longer does. Ivan has finally decided, after a lifetim e of denying it, to let the pain be.