how does the death of ivan ilyich end

Ivan shrinks from the light until the end. There is no miraculous recovery, no reconciliation, no fantasy. Like Ivan, we all have to die. But thankfully for him, and us, Ivan Ilyich dies twice: once in the flesh and once to himself spiritually. Ivan does die, his earthly, sickly body finally at rest from its pain.

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What happens in the death of Ivan Ilych?

The Death of Ivan Ilych The Death of Ivan Ilych begins at the chronological end of the story. A group of judges are gathered together in a private room of the courthouse when Peter Ivanovich, a judge and close friend of Ivan Ilych, announces that Ivan has died.

What happened to Ivan Ilyich in a separate peace?

The story of Ivan Ilyich’s death is one of suffering, misery, and gradual decline. As a young man, he studies law and benefits from his father’s reputation. While in school, though, he begins to do certain things that repulse him: spending money frivolously, drinking, and having casual sex.

When was the death of Ivan Ilyich written?

The Death of Ivan Ilyich ( Russian: Смерть Ивана Ильича, romanized : Smert' Ivána Ilyicha ), first published in 1886, is a novella by Leo Tolstoy, considered one of the masterpieces of his late fiction, written shortly after his religious conversion of the late 1870s.

Why was Ivan unhappy at the end of the story?

It's probably because Ivan didn't live as he was meant to that his life felt meaningless and was unhappy. What does it even mean that Ivan's life was "meaningless" anyway?

What killed Ivan Ilych?

The death of Ilych from cancer is described in such detail that it has been proclaimed the strongest description of this disease in literature.

What is the climax of The Death of Ivan Ilych?

climaxThe major climax of the novel occurs in chapter XII when Ivan Ilych is suddenly struck in the chest and side and pushed through the black sack into the light. Ivan finally discovers the right way to live and realizes the error of his past life.

What is the lie in The Death of Ivan Ilyich?

Ivan Ilych is tormented by “the lie, which for some reason they all accepted, that he was not dying but was simply ill.” So, “this deception tortured him—they're not wishing to admit what they all knew and what he knew but wanting to lie to him concerning his terrible condition and wishing and forcing him to ...

What advice did Ivan's dying father give him?

Answer: The dying old man advised Ivan not to reveal the name of the person who started the fire. He said,” Hide another man's sin and God will forgive you two of yours.”

How did Ivan's wife respond to his illness?

Ivan's wife and daughter are annoyed at his depression and intolerance. Praskovya adopts a formal attitude to Ivan's illness. It consists of the beliefs that Ivan's condition is his own fault and that if he strictly follows doctor's orders he will improve.

Why is Ivan's life characterized as being awful?

Ivan's life is terrible because it is a life devoid of true freedom, of true individuality. Ivan does not use his own reason to direct his moral life. Rather, he imbibes his beliefs from aristocrats.

What was important or meaningful in Ivan's life?

Ivan's illness reveals to him the true nature of life. At the climactic moment of the novel, when Ivan passes into the presence of the light and realizes that compassion and love are the true life values by which to live, the incalculable joy that he experiences is proof of the quality of such a life.

What is the reaction of Ivan's friends when they learn of his death?

They were happy they werent the ones who died and feel it is a burden to attend the boring funeral of Ivan.

Why does Ivan Ilych have such a difficult time accepting his illness and death?

Yet, Ivan cannot find an explanation for that general illness, he cannot understand why he is suffering. His spiritual rebirth is stalled because, as in Chapter IX, Ivan is still unable to admit that he has not lived correctly.

Why is Ivan's life characterized as being awful?

Ivan's life is terrible because it is a life devoid of true freedom, of true individuality. Ivan does not use his own reason to direct his moral life. Rather, he imbibes his beliefs from aristocrats.

What do Ivan's friends do at his funeral in the death of Ivan Ilych?

He accepted a promotion. What do Ivan's friends do at his funeral? "Schwartz did not come down but remained where he was, and Peter Ivanovich had understood he wanted to arrange where they should play bridge that evening."

What is the second part of the death of Ivan Ilych?

The second part of “The Death of Ivan Ilych” describes the life of Ivan Ilych while he was healthy. It can be summed up in the opening line, which states, “Ivan Ilych’s life had been most simple and most ordinary and therefore most terrible.” Ivan Ilych’s father had been an official, much like Ivan and his oldest brother. Ivan Ilych is praised as being the balance between his two brothers: the oldest is too serious, and the youngest too wild. Ivan Ilych has a pleasant childhood, from which he retains fond memories, and enjoys an easy and proper youth. He studies at the School of Law and is considered “an intelligent, polished, lively and agreeable man.” His first job is in the tenth rank of civil service, working under a governor; he is later promoted to the position of examining magistrate in another province. There he meets Praskovya Fedorovna and eventually marries her, not for love but because it seems the proper course of action at his stage in life. At first his marriage is pleasant and does not interfere with his social life. As his wife has children, however, she becomes more disagreeable and causes scenes which give Ivan Ilych much grief. In time he adjusts to these conjugal pressures by devoting his thought to his official work and playing vint, a form of bridge, with his colleagues. He is eventually promoted to the position of Assistant Public Prosecutor. Although he earns a respectable salary, Ivan Ilych and his wife never have enough money. Three of their children die at birth, while two—the oldest daughter, Lisa, and youngest son, Vladimir—survive.

How does Ivan Ilych feel before he dies?

Before Ivan Ilych dies, he experiences three days of agony when all he can do is scream. Death is so near, yet he feels that his questions about how he lived his life are unresolved. The image of the black sack returns and he struggles with it when he feels as if he is being stuffed into it. He is, however, “hindered from getting into it by his conviction that his life had been a good one.” He is alleviated of this torment when his son, Vladimir, kisses his hand and begins to cry for his father. He feels sorry for his wife and son and finally is able to see “the light.” His last words are to his wife (“Take him away . . . sorry for him . . . sorry for you too. . . .”) and he tries to ask his family to forgive him. Ivan Ilych is then able to accept his pain, let his life and family go, and feel not death but light.

How does Ivan Ilych live?

Ivan Ilych lives in an isolated and superficial world embedded within the civilization which his urban class valorizes . He denies his wife sympathy when she becomes irritable during her pregnancies and creates more walls within his social roles to compensate for ignoring her needs. The same lack of compassion, then, is all that she can demonstrate towards him as he lies dying; she maintains her social proprieties and is absorbed with going to the opera and with their daughter’s engagement. These impersonal relationships within the Ilych family and the insincere friendships between Ivan Ilych and his colleagues serve to depict the shallowness of his civilized world. As he used his friends and colleagues to gain higher positions, so they use him when he dies and his job is left vacant. The worth which each of these characters finds in one another depends on what they can get from one another. Likewise, at Ivan Ilych’s funeral, his wife’s main concern is how she can procure funds from the government after her husband’s death. The lack of humanity within Ivan Ilych’s world is contrasted to the world of Gerasim and the childhoods of Ivan Ilych and his son, Vladimir. Gerasim is of the land and not of the same social class as Ivan Ilych. Because of this, he does not display the same propriety towards death as Ivan Ilych’s friends and wife. Death, for Gerasim, is not an inconvenience which is to be ignored but is natural and pitiable. Ivan Ilych remembers his childhood, before he

What does Ivan Ilych feel?

About this time, Ivan Ilych starts to feel a pain in his side and a strange taste in his mouth. He quarrels with his wife around meals, and she believes herself to be abused despite being tolerant of his temper. Ivan Ilych goes to the doctor as the pain escalates and the doctor is unable to give him a thorough diagnosis, leaving Ivan Ilych bleak and worried over the seriousness of his condition. Ivan Ilych takes the medicine prescribed and his wife scolds him about taking his pills regularly and getting enough sleep, never taking his illness as seriously as she should. Ivan Ilych sees many specialists and doctors, but each tells him something different and none give him relief from his pain. At his office, people look at him strangely, and he feels as though they treat him differently. He even loses the pleasure he once derived from his official duties and from playing bridge; the pain becomes an omnipresent force in his life.

What is the decor of the Ilych house?

The decor of the house creates a pleasant superficial unity within the Ilych household. Ivan Ilych does not argue as much with his wife, and he enjoys his new job. He revels in the correct social setting of which he feels himself to be a part. The Ilych family sheds any remnants of their “shabby friends” and are pleased as their daughter, Lisa, is courted by a wealthy young man.

Why did Ivan Ilych marry?

Throughout Part II Ivan Ilych’s life is described as filled with duplicity. He married because marriage was considered the “right thing” in his social set. Between husband and wife there had been little human connection; their essential attitude toward each other remained one of deep hostility. For the sake of mutual convenience, they sought to project the appearance of a happy marriage.

Where does the death of Ivan Ilych take place?

The first section of “The Death of Ivan Ilych” takes place in Shebek’s private room, where Ivan Ilych’s colleagues first learn of his death and immediately think of the promotions that they are bound to receive. It orients the reader to a setting in which Ivan Ilych himself is later said to have enjoyed many breaks during the workday, and it connects the shallow mentality of his colleagues with his own lifestyle before his fall. The next section takes place at Ivan Ilych’s home during his funeral services, where the same shallow attitudes are further displayed—not only by his colleagues, but by his wife as well. This setting foreshadows the shallowness later described in Ivan Ilych’s life as details are given about the decorations and furniture of the room where Peter Ivanovich meets Praskovya Fedorovna. Sections III through V depict Ivan Ilych’s ordinary and pleasant life, and sections VI through XII mainly present Ivan Ilych dealing with the thought that he is a dying man until he is limited to the confines of a sofa as he dies.

What is the death of Ivan Ilyich?

Widely considered to be one of the finest novellas ever written, The Death of Ivan Ilyich tells the story of a high-court judge in 19th-century Russia and his sufferings and death from a terminal illness.

When was the death of Ivan Ilyich published?

1886. The Death of Ivan Ilyich ( Russian: Смерть Ивана Ильича, Smert' Ivána Ilyichá ), first published in 1886, is a novella by Leo Tolstoy, considered one of the masterpieces of his late fiction, written shortly after his religious conversion of the late 1870s. Since Ivan struggled with keeping the Christianity teachings.

What is Ivan Ilyich's life like?

Ivan Ilyich lives a carefree life that is "most simple and most ordinary and therefore most terrible". Like everyone he knows, he spends his life climbing the social ladder. Enduring marriage to a woman whom he often finds too demanding, he works his way up to be a magistrate, thanks to the influence he has over a friend who has just been promoted, focusing more on his work as his family life becomes less tolerable.

What happens to Ivan when he hangs curtains?

While hanging curtains for his new home one day, he falls awkwardly and hurts his side. Though he does not think much of it at first, he begins to suffer from a pain in his side. As his discomfort grows, his behavior towards his family becomes more irritable. His wife finally insists that he visit a physician. The physician cannot pinpoint the source of his malady, but soon it becomes clear that his condition is terminal. Confronted with his diagnosis, Ivan attempts every remedy he can to obtain a cure for his worsening situation, until the pain grows so intense that he is forced to cease working and spend the remainder of his days in bed. Here, he is brought face to face with his mortality and realizes that, although he knows of it, he does not truly grasp it.

Why does Ivan dwell on the idea that he does not deserve his suffering?

During the long and painful process of dying, Ivan dwells on the idea that he does not deserve his suffering because he has lived rightly. If he had not lived a good life, there could be a reason for his pain; but he has, so pain and death must be arbitrary and senseless.

What is the authentic life of Ivan?

Authentic life is marked by compassion and sympathy, the artificial life by self-interest. Then "some force" strikes Ivan in the chest and side, and he is brought into the presence of a bright light. His hand falls onto his nearby son's head, and Ivan pities his son.

What is Tolstoy's book about?

In 1997, psychologist Mark Freeman wrote: Tolstoy's book is about many things: the tyranny of bourgeois niceties, the terrible weak spots of the human heart, the primacy and elision of death.

What is the death of Ivan Ilyich about?

The story raises questions about what is important in life through Tolstoy ’s observation of social interaction and individual priorities. Tolstoy was born into aristocracy and was popular at a time when Russia was under the autocratic rule ...

What is the study guide for the death of Ivan Ilyich?

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics.

What is Ivan Ilyich's relationship with Praskovya Fedorovna?

Ivan Ilyich and Praskovya Fedorovna have an unpleasant marriage , which Ivan Ilyich copes with through distractions and distancing himself from his family. Ivan Ilyich becomes briefly dissatisfied with his job when he is overlooked for a promotion.

What does Ivan Ilyich think of his life?

Coming to terms with his unavoidable death, Ivan Ilyich considers how life should be lived and whether he has lived correctly. At first, he is sure that because he has done everything that society expects of a successful law professional, he has spent his life well.

Why is Ivan Ilyich so volatile?

Feeling lonely, Ivan Ilyich becomes increasingly volatile as his health deteriorates, reaching a point of open resentment toward his family. Having dreams of being pushed into a dark sack, he wonders why he must suffer. He is eager for the struggle to be over, but fearful of what comes next.

When did Ivan Ilyich Golovin die?

Ivan Ilyich Golovin (Ilyich is his patronymic—Russian middle names are based on the name of one’s father, and polite address uses the first and middle names) passes away on February 4, 1882. His former law colleagues quickly overcome their initial surprise at seeing his obituary in the newspaper, then move on to other general gossip before heading back to work. Peter Ivanovich, one of Ivan Ilyich’s more personal work acquaintances, attends the funeral service, where Ivan Ilyich’s widow Praskovya Fedorovna questions him about whether she might acquire a higher pension from her husband’s death.

Is Ivan Ilyich a good student?

In life, Ivan Ilyich was a decent student. He begins prioritizing social mobility early in his law career, making steady progression up the ranks of the Russian law circles. He marries Praskovya Fedorovna, the most eligible in his circle at the time, and has a family that he generally avoids in favor of his work and card games. Ivan Ilyich and Praskovya Fedorovna have an unpleasant marriage, which Ivan Ilyich copes with through distractions and distancing himself from his family.

What is the death of Ivan Ilyich about?

In The Death of Ivan Ilyich, a novella detailing a wealthy man’s gradual death, Leo Tolstoy studies the human impulse to grasp for meaning in the face of mortality. As Ivan Ilyich succumbs to an ailment that is—at the time—mysterious and incurable, he begins to review his life, eventually concluding that he has wasted his energies focusing on his ...

What does Ivan see when he dies?

As Ivan dies, he sees death turn into “light”—the two states appear to join as one, illustrating that death is part of life, not separate from it.

How does Ivan Ilyich keep his thoughts about death at bay?

For his entire life, Ivan Ilyich has kept thoughts about death at bay by committing himself to his career and searching for ways to improve his social status. These pursuits have ultimately distracted him from considering his own mortality. When he falls ill and realizes he’s dying, then, he finds it difficult to comprehend this harsh reality. Of course, Ivan knows that he is mortal, but he has on some level always rejected this idea. As a sick man, he thinks of a popular syllogism that helps people grasp the fact that everybody dies, no matter who they are: “Julius Caesar is a man, men are mortal, therefore Caesar is mortal.” When he considers this, though, he can’t help but feel that he has “always been a special being, totally different from all others.” Simply put, he isn’t Caesar, and he isn’t like anyone else either. In this moment, Tolstoy spotlights the way that human subjectivity can warp a person’s understanding of mortality, implying that it’s difficult for people to fully accept the limits of their own existence without actually facing death for themselves. In Ivan’s narrow focus on his singular experience—the specific way he moves through the world, his air of professional gravitas, his subjectivity—he has inadvertently come to see himself as immortal, effectively convincing himself that his life is too unique and meaningful to ever come to an end.

How does Ivan get meaning out of death?

The closest Ivan gets to wringing meaning out of existence comes when he decides that everything he has focused on in life has been a mere distraction from the inevitability of his own death. Once he accepts that he has squandered his life obsessing over meaningless things, he senses that these distractions have been nothing but “gross deception [s] obscuring life and death.” Thinking this way, he embraces the only tangible truth about human existence, which is that everyone dies. This comes to him as something of an epiphany, suggesting that only by experiencing death for himself can Ivan derive meaning from mortality. And yet, this thought does nothing to truly add purpose or significance to life and death—rather, it just provides him with a bit of clarity about death’s inevitability. Nonetheless, Ivan experiences this moment of realization as laden with meaning, and he even appears to have a spiritual awakening in the final minutes of his life, as death turns into “light” while he himself fades away from the material world. This religious awakening allows him to further embrace his own death, but it doesn’t actually imbue his life with a sense of meaning, or least not one that Tolstoy presents to readers. Rather, Ivan’s realization only changes his relationship to the fundamental dichotomy between life and death that people assume to be at the heart of existence. As Ivan dies, he sees death turn into “light”—the two states appear to join as one, illustrating that death is part of life, not separate from it. And though this is perhaps somewhat profound and might strike Ivan as an epiphany, it’s hard to argue that it actually gives readers a sense of meaning. For a novella in which the protagonist yearns to grasp the meaning of life, then, The Death of Ivan Ilyich is profoundly empty of any actual conclusions about the purpose of existence, instead simply assembling a portrait of human desperation and uncertainty in response to unsettling existential truths.

What did Ivan Ilyich do to impress Praskovya?

His work was the one thing that impressed Praskovya, and it was through work and the commitments associated with it that he took on his wife and asserted his own independence.

What does Ivan experience in the final minutes of his life?

Nonetheless, Ivan experiences this moment of realization as laden with meaning, and he even appears to have a spiritual awakening in the final minutes of his life, as death turns into “light” while he himself fades away from the material world.

What had once seemed a total impossibility?

It occurred to him that what had once seemed a total impossibility—that he had not lived his life as he should have done —might actually be true. It occurred to him that the slight stirrings of doubt he had experienced about what was considered good by those in the highest positions, slight stirrings that he had immediately repudiated—that these misgivings might have been true and everything else might have been wrong. His career, the ordering of his life, his family, the things that preoccupied people in society and at work—all of this might have been wrong. He made an attempt at defending these things for himself. And suddenly he sensed the feebleness of what he was defending. There was nothing to defend.

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Characters

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The Flash of Light

What is going on in the end when Ivan Ilych has a realization and sees that flash of light? A whole lot, and it's worth asking questions about all of it. What causes the light and Ivan's great realization? One minute he's suffering and then suddenly he's struck by a force in the chest and side and sees a light all around him.

Ivan's Realizations about the "Right" and "Wrong" Way to Live

Once he's already been flooded by the light, Ivan admits that his whole life was wrong, and asks what the right way to live would have been. He also feels confident that he must be able to "rectify" his life – make things right – somehow.

Does Ivan actually set his life right?

That's a good question to ask yourself. It seems that Ivan rectifies his life by dying. He finds that he wants to die now, not so much to put an end to his own sufferings, but to end the suffering of his family. His death itself can be seen as an act of compassion – possibly his first one.

Is there any indication that Ivan will live on in an afterlife?

Not directly, but given that Ivan appears to be bathed in the light of God, it's hard not to get that sense. The ending of the Ivan Ilych feels triumphant, and happy.

Author Biography

Plot Summary

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Themes

• Death
  Tolstoy was plagued for most of his life with a fear of death. He came to realize, as the character of Ivan Ilych demonstrates vividly, that the closeness of death can create a healthy urgency in life. Ivan Ilych only becomes aware of the superficiality of his social propriety because of his proximi…
• Love and Pity vs. Pride
  Ivan Ilych had lived most of his life with a sense of pride and vanity. The society of which he is a part praises the trivial marks of wealth and propriety which consume the Ilych family and Ivan Ilych’s office. He believes himself to be condescendinglyfriendly towards those who come befor…

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