World Literature

He asked himself, “What is the right thing?” and grew still, listening. Then he felt that someone was kissing his hand. He opened his eyes, looked at his son, and felt sorry for him.– Chapter 12.

Death, though often is portrayed as a frightful end, can signal a new beginning. Such is the case for the shallow and self-absorbed main character from Leo Tolstoy’s The Death Of Ivan Ilych. During the last few hours of his life, Ilych comes to the realization that he has been unhappy for his entire adulthood. Ultimately, his escape from deception and expose to truth help him to experience actual joy and compassion before passing on. The passage above is taken from a scene in the last chapter when he has realized his “wrong” in life and is now pondering over the question “What is the right thing?”. In describing Ilych’s contemplation, Tolstoy uses the particularly interesting phrase “grew still, listening”. This word choice, though subtle, is effective in marking a vivid image in the readers’ minds. It seems like Ilych is gradually reaching out to a superior being, most possibly God, and waiting for an answer to his question. The appearance of a superior being hints at Tolstoy’s religious transition when writing this novella and at a possibility of an afterlife. It also suggests Ilych’s acceptance of his low stance in spiritual life; Ilych is shown with a display of fear by his act of motionless, putting him in an inferior position. Then, like a sign from God, the next sentence presents a sweet and loving gesture from Ilych’s son: a kiss on his hand. His son’s act of pure love and compassion has touched Ilych’s once-selfish heart, and Ilych “opened his eyes”. The last sentence is an excellent example of how Tolstoy brilliantly reveal a change in his main character through a simple but powerful sentence. While it can be understood simply as a narration of Ilych’s actions, most may view it as Ilych’s final awakening. For the first time, Ilych has really “looked at his son”. All barriers that Ilych put up to keep his life pleasant, proper and decorous come tumbling down. He finally feels a human connection and even “felt sorry” for his son. After numerous attempts to escape his suffering, Ilych has found that compassion is the only way. And maybe it is the “right” way to live life. Another interpretation of this scene is that Ilych is looking at a younger version of himself through his son and feels sorry for how a life has been wasted. But maybe Ilych is just simply feeling sorry for leaving his son behind in a world filled with deception and hypocrisy. Through Tolstoy’s astute word choice and simple but effective language, readers are able to grasp Ilych’s rebirth in death through love and compassion.