- Our reading this week is Leo Tolstoy’s “The Death of Ivan Ilyich” which you can find in Vol. E of your Norton Anthology.
This week, rather than posting a list of questions for you to reflect on, I’d like you to do the following:
Choose a line or passage from the”The Death of Ivan Ilyich” that seems to you to be particularly interesting and important and share it in a comment on this post.
Once you’ve shared your quotation (and identified the page on which it appears), please do the following:
- Provide the context for your quotation. This means sharing where this passage fits into the larger narrative. What’s happening when this line appears?
- Share its meaning. What do you think this quotation means?
- Discuss its significance. Why do you think this is an important quotation? How is it related to the larger themes of “The Death of Ivan Ilyich”?
Please post your responses no later than Wednesday, November 2nd at 2pm (i.e. before our class meeting) !!!
- Reminder: My office hours are on Mondays, during our regularly scheduled class time (2:55 – 4:35). You can drop in anytime to discuss your general progress in the course, your recent essay, or anything else that is on your mind.
I chose a quotation on page 776 paragraph 3 which reads “In them he saw himself-all that for which he had lived-and saw clearly that it was not real at all”.
– In this line Ivan is on his death bed and is reminiscing on his life , and whether or not he lived life well. He then imagines his family and realizes they were all synthetic.
-To me this quotation is when Ivan realized that his family was only utilizing him instead of actually caring for him. He realizes that everything Praskovya does for him is for her own well being rather than his.
-To me the overall theme of this text is the meaning of life , and how one may live it right or wrong. At the end of the story Ivan realizes he lived life wrong , he realizes his life was nothing but artificial. This quotation shows the moment in which he fully aware of it , and accepted it.
“We shall all of us die, so why should I grudge a little trouble?” page 767
-Gerasim says this to Ivan after he is excused to leave after holding up Ivan’s legs since it helps him with his pain.
-I believe this quote shows the kindness of Gerasim because he helps Ivan not because he is obligated to help since it is his job, but he helps because he feels the need to. In addition, Gerasim’s ability to actually help because he feels the need to, comforts Ivan unlike the people that are close to him.
– Lastly this quote is significant because it shows the thought process between the upper and lower class. For example, the people Ivan has worked with for years are shown to be wealthy and don’t really seem to care about his death, but instead are more interested in exploiting his death for their selfish and materialistic desires. However Gerasim who is describe to be poor and not related to Ivan shows the opposite of materialism as he chooses to help Ivan from the kindness of his heart.
I didn’t choose a quotation from the book, but I chose a passage from chapters IV and V.
On page 760, chapter V, Ivan’s brother in law came to visit Ivan and his family. When he first saw Ivan, he just noticed that Ivan was dying from an illness, but Ivan’s wife told her that he was exaggerating and that Ivan didn’t have anything wrong. Meaning the whole part shows the relationship between Ivan and Praskovya Fëdorovna. We can see that there was a miscommunication between them. Even though Ivan wasn’t involved in their relationship as her wife wanted, at least she could have noticed that Ivan was dying from an illness.
On page 757, chapter IV, when Ivan returns from his doctor, he explains why he went back to the doctor and the analysis they did. The wife just told him to take his medicine regularly, she didn’t really know what caused this or what he really had, but she went out with their daughter after telling him to take his medicine. This part of the story means there wasn’t much communication between Ivan and his family. Plus, which caused him to die close because if there had been communication between Ivan and his wife, she would pay attention to Ivan’s health and known what was wrong with him instead of going out or ignoring him.
“She regarded this self-restraint as highly praise-worthy. Having come to the conclusion that her husband had a dreadful temper and made her life miserable, she began to feel sorry for herself, and the more she pitied herself the more she hated her husband. She began to wish he would die; yet she did not want him to die because then his salary would cease” (756)
Ivan Ilyich started to feel pain in his side which caused him to be irritable. The once-happy couple started arguing frequently again because of Ivan’s temper. Praskovya would engage in the argument at first but realized that Ivan’s bad mood was from something else, it was not intentional. So, she created a habit of staying unengaged with whatever Ivan was raging about.
I believe that this passage shows how Praskovya views herself as a sad housewife who suffers her husband’s verbal abuse. Usually, Praskovya would argue back with Ivan but she realized that Ivan is suffering physically somewhere and that’s where this ill temper is coming from. So she tries to sympathize with him but ends up feeling like a victim. But also part of the reason she stopped engaging was also to boost her ego by being the bigger person.
I think this passage is significant because it plays into the selfish relationships we see in the story. With this specifically, Praskovya realizes that her husband is suffering but proceeds to make her seem like the victim. It’s not like she deserved Ivan’s verbal abuse, but it just seems like a pattern with her choosing herself and not the relationship. Back when they got married and when Ivan wasn’t doing anything, he was a constant inconvenience to her, and now he’s sick and complaining, and he’s still an inconvenience. She even wishes death upon him, which ends up happening, but the only reason she doesn’t want him dead is because of money. When Ivan actually ends up dying, we witness a scene between Peter and Praskovya, where she inquires about how much of Ivan’s income she will receive, which shows she cares more about herself than the relationship she had.
“Ivan Llyich’s life had been most simple and most ordinary and therefore most terrible.”
The context for the quote is that it introduces us for the following chapters of the Ivan life from beginning to end.
The meaning behind it is how Ivan was so boring that his life in itself was miserable. He had a job, and a wife and kids which is what he aims for, but he still feels dissatisfied. He has a wife but he only married cause everyone else said he should, and he always argued with her as well. He didn’t seem to have any real emotional attachment to his kids either. He threw himself in the job because that’s all he truly had left.
The significance behind this is maybe his illness is a symbol of his depression. The entire story he is always described as a happy man, but is he really? There was never any real action that showed that Ivan was happy besides maybe when he proved everyone wrong and got a job with very good pay. When the illness started, he became more and more depressed but it was just the emotions he finally got to express as he was dying. He escaped his house life through work and only showed his wife how he wanted her “to go away” as he lay dying. The quote was the justification for why Ivan felt the way he did.
“ ‘It is as if I had been going downhill while I imagined I was going up. And that is really what it was. I was going up in public opinion, but to the same extent life was ebbing away from me. And now it is all done and there is only death’ ” (773).
– Ivan is talking to his subconscious and says this line to himself as he reflects on his life. He realizes that he didn’t live his life to the fullest and only lived for materialistic things in life.
– I think this quote means that Ivan has come to terms with the fact that he wasted his life focusing on irrelevant and worldly success. He seems to regret not living his life authentically.
– This quote is significant because it teaches us that in the end, there is death awaiting everyone and nobody realizes that their life is over until the very end. We are so busy living our lives that we don’t realize that life is slowly leaving us and death is approaching us.
The line I chose is on page 772 and in chapter IV and it states “He did not expect an answer and yet wept because there was no answer and could be none”.
Previous to the line, Ivan asks Gerasim to leave the room so he can cry hysterically and vent his emotions. The text describes how he begins to cry like a child and asks out loud why he is in his current condition. It is reasonable to assume he is addressing these questions to a god.
Thus, this line indicates that he could not expect an answer because he was not actually asking someone who was physically present. As a result, he cried because there was no one who could potentially give him an answer other than God, which meant there would be no verbal physical response.
This quote contributes to the larger themes of this text since it shows that Ivan was suffering because he questioned what was happening to him. Thus, this shows that he was in denial of his death which is one of the major themes. It is the denial of his death that makes his suffering so severe and miserable. Consequently, this denial traps him in his despair and anguish.
The quotation I chose is “He wrote: “I feel fifteen years younger.”” (753).
This is written after Ivan gets hurt from slipping while climbing a step ladder. He hit his side against the window frame after reacting quickly to the accident. If he didn’t have that agility, Ivan would have ended up with heavier injuries.
I think this quote means that injuring himself made Ivan feel younger again. He felt more alive than ever before and seeing how he was viewing his life as dull and dispirited it makes sense that he would feel this way. Not to mention, he also recovered quicker than what was expected and that is another reason he felt bright and youthful.
This is an important quotation because it shows how a strange change can alter the way you feel after being depressed with the way your life has been going. Before the quotation, it is mentioned in the same paragraph how he would be absent-minded during court sessions so with this injury he felt like he was a functioning human being. Ivan’s emotions are related to the larger themes of the text because it goes along with his suffering. While he is physically hurt, he suffers more with his mentality and depression.
“What does it mean? Why? It can’t be that life is so senseless and horrible. But if it really has to be so horrible and senseless, why must I die and die in agony? There is something wrong! Maybe I did not live as a to have done” (773)
Just when Gerasim left the room and Ivan Ilych was left alone, Ivan started thinking about what went wrong in his life. He was thinking about his career and marriage, and how things had gone wrong. Ilyich was always chasing after a good life, and we can see that when he chose to marry his wife. He married her not because he was in love, but for him marriage is something that has to be done to fulfill a good life, it was the norm. He was so desperate to get his ideal lifestyle that he threw his family away once they became a hindrance to his ideals. And because Ivan thought he had done everything as he should, he questioned why it still went wrong. I find this quotation important, because life has become “horrible and senseless” for him, despite the fact he works his whole life to achieve a perfect lifestyle, it was ironic. Also the line “why must I die and die in agony”, shows how self-centered he is, he believes he is deserving of a better death, and constantly throughout the story, we see Ivan Ilysh constantly thinking he was better. This quotation shows the beginning of Ivan’s realization.
“It is impossible that all men have been doomed to suffer this awful horror!” (762)
When he says this he is in denial of him believing he is dying, the way he’s thinking prior to accepting the fact that he is, dying. Prior to this Tolstoy mentions how Ivan’s death was viewed. In earlier chapters, it only limits the reader to Ivan as an aristocrat with an apparent appearance.
The meaning ties in with one of the themes of this passage. The theme of deception. The word “deception” was repeated throughout the entire passage. When the truth came about he asked why I am so oblivious to the reality but completely obvious to everyone else. It is clear throughout the entire passage that everybody is petrified of dying therefore they all just ignore it and refuse to believe that they are going to die. Tied in with the theme and the quote it shows how he is stuck believing something else other than the truth all because of his fear.
“What tormented Ivan Illyich most was the deception, the lie, which for some reason they all accepted, that he was not dying but simply ill, and that he only need keep quieted undergo a treatment and then something very good would result”. (766)
– Ivan has a disease that is not diagnosable by any doctor he visits because they all provide different solutions as a cure. I just found this section ironic on him complaining about the others not facing reality about his disease when he isn’t either. Throughout the story, we see Ivan convincing himself it’s just his vermiform appendix and that he will feel better and not have to face death.
– This quote means that Ivan is feeling frustrated that the people around him aren’t taking action like they’re supposed to. As a family member, when another family member is sick, it’s your responsibility to make sure they’re ok and stable. We see them completely disregard him and just put out false hope he’ll magically feel better on his own.
– This is an important quotation because it contributes to Ivan Illyich’s death. The more he complained about his illness and how much he can’t handle the pain, we also find out that he craved sympathy or pity (explained more on page 767). I feel like I can best describe his family’s relationship as unstable. Even though his wife hated him and was only with him for his money, he also grew to hate his family and solely relied on his job as happiness and hoped to keep getting promoted to higher positions. He put his job first and saw that as comfort every time he and his wife got into altercations rather than trying to work it out and put his family first. Maybe if he did that instead, he would’ve died happier and not felt alone despite them being present through his sickness.
“Praskovya Fédorovna’s attitude to Ivan Ilyich’s illness, as she expressed it both to others and to him, was that it was his own fault and was another of the annoyances he caused her”. 759
It gives a feeling that she doesn’t care about him at all meanwhile at the beginning, she was grieving for his lost and telling everyone about her loss. Also Ivan didn’t think his wife meant those words but it struck him and he thought he was a burden to her life.
This quotation means that his wife didn’t really care about him, he was just a burden to her and just wanted his wealth. That is why her attitude changes when she asked Peter if he knew what other wealth was she going to receive apart from what she already knew. Since he didn’t know much more, she got annoyed by him too.
It connects to the overall text because throughout no one cares for his health not even the doctors because every time he went to a new doctor he was just given different prescriptions and at the end they were all grieving and saying how a good man he was.
“Besides considerations as to the possible transfers and promotions likely to result from Ivan Ilyich’s death, the mere fact of the death of a near acquaintance aroused, as usual, in all who heard of it the complacent feeling that, “it is he who is dead and not I” “
– when this line appears, it is immediately after the news of Ivan’s death broke. Instead of mourning him his peers start discussing who will take his place who will be promoted. They are all thinking of themselves in this moment and how his death represents their life.
– I think this quote means that in these moments we are faced with grief and death, we are still only focused on ourselves. In place of grief is selfishness.
– I think this quote relates to the bigger theme of the story of greed. In the surrounding paragraphs there is dialogue between his colleagues about money and posterity which is almost inappropriate considering he had just died. Instead of normal mourning they all turn to think of how this affects them and how their life will change. It also relates more directly to the theme of morality. Seeing someone close to you die suddenly makes you question your own morality. That you too, could die at any moment.
“It is impossible that all men have been doomed to suffer this awful horror!”
He stops breathing as the first thoughts of his own mortality come to him. He gets up and tries to light a candle, but the candle falls to the ground from his hands. He tries to recall the beginning of his illness in order to calm himself. But terror grips him as thoughts of death gather.
What I think this quote means is that Ivan feels angry and disappointed when he realizes that the life, he lived causes him a terrible ending. When he sees how death is hitting him, he wants to receive pity from his family. He notices how living a “good” life continues to baffle him when his death is approaching. By saying this, he is not believing that his life turned around that fast, and now he is suffering his death and is haunting him inside. Also, he questioned himself, how his death is so painful, when he did nothing wrong and lived a proper life.
This quote is important because it shows how Ivan’s life is ending. How he feels angry, confused, and painful about the way “death” is treating him. In this quote he’s letting us know that he is going through so much pain and that he doesn’t wish his situation on anyone. Also, when his death is approaching, that is the moment when he realizes himself, for example who he is. Because when you know you’re going to die, you start thinking about your whole life. This quote relates to “The Death of Ivan Ilyich”?” because his dead is defined as painful, which makes Ivan angry about his situation, so when his life is ending, he wants to have seen his life spiritual.
“He wept on account of his helplessness, his terrible loneliness, the cruelty of man, the cruelty of God, and the absence of God.” 772
When this line was said his wife has just returned from the theatre and as she was going to be with him, he tells her to go away and she says for him to take some opium. He later woke up and he found Gerasim dozing with his feet on gerasim shoulders.
I think this line is important because this is a turning point for Ivan. previously he was not accepting his death and was doing everything in his power to make himself better and thinking that everything will get better. Even thinking that lifting his legs somehow made the pain go away. He thinks himself as a bother to everyone and just wants to be left alone.
This fits the overall story because he feels betrayed be everyone. He mentions that everyone is always lying to him including the doctors comparing what they did to when lawyers make a speech. They run test and they check him but nothing they prescribed is helping him get better.
“To Ivan Ilyich only one question was important: was his case serious or not? But the doctor ignored that inappropriate question” (page 756).
For context, Ivan Ilyich has begun to take notice in s strange taste in his mouth along with pain on his left side and had a greatly negative impact on his home life, resorting to anger over the little things like if there was a chip on the plates or bowls or if his son put his elbow on the table. After a certain argument with his wife in which he explained his continuous pain was to blame for his irritable behavior, Praskovya Fedorovna suggested Ivan Ilyich to see a well respected doctor. In the quote, Ivan Ilyich has visited a well-known doctor and had described his situation to the doctor.
What I think this quote means is the fact Ivan Ilyich only wants to know if his condition is critical or not, not really paying much mind to the diagnosis itself. This could probably due to his devoted career in the law industry, where severity can be based on the act and the evidence gathered regarding said act. Severity can fluctuate based on evidence, which is fact based. However, since even today there’s so much to learn about our bodies, sometimes it can be hard to pinpoint what exactly is wrong.
This may be a significant part of the story since as we know, in the very beginning we know that Ivan Ilyich had passed away due to health complications from an “illness said to be incurable” (page 740). Just from the beginning, we aren’t aware exactly what caused his death, but this quote and onward can help us better understand his health journey up until his death.
The quote I chose for this post that seemed interesting to me was:
“It is as if I had been going downhill while I imagined I was going up. And that is really what it was. I was going up in public opinion, but to the same exact life was ebbing away from me. And now it is all done and there is only death”. (chapter ix)
When I came across this line in chapter ix it stood out to me because to me this was like a moment of realization for Ivan. At least that’s how i saw it. In the beginning of the page, it talks about how the more he drifted apart from his childhood and the closer he came to his present life, the more his happy moments were devalued. Kinda tells us a lot about him, just by this line. I can definitely connect with Ivan but except instead of my happy moments in life becoming more worthless, they become more valuablee.
Page 746
“He had three sons, of whom Ivan Ilyich was the second. The eldest son was following in his father’s footsteps only in another department and was already approaching that stage in the service at which a similar sinecure would be reached. The third son was a failure. He had ruined his prospects in a number of positions and was now serving in the railway department”
This quote appears in Section 2. When this sentence comes, along with all that follows, I believe it gives the readers a sense of “keeping the family title pure.” It emphasizes how the majority of what he does for a living is not for the sake of enjoyment or because he likes it, but rather for his reputation and the viewpoint that others perceive in him rather than what he sees alone. This comment seems to imply that because he is the middle kid, in the center of the oldest being the best and the youngest being the failure, he is given a sense of rivalry and must prove himself to his family as someone THEY would accept. This is an interesting quotation because it brings up a moment of self vs. society conflict in which he spent most of his life trying to make a point. It is tied to the greater issues of “The Death of Ivan Ilyich” since it simply depicts the loss of innocence, whereas later in life it never started to get better and only grew worse.
The line that I chose could be found in chapter IX (page 773) and is there because Ivan shortly hears his soul’s voice. The line goes “It is as if I had been going downhill while I imagined I was going up. And that is really what it was. I was going up in public opinion, but to the same extent life was ebbing away from me. And now it is all done and there is only death.”
~ For the first time, Ivan realizes that social standing is not synonymous with fulfillment. He believes that his desire to follow the rules of aristocratic society has robbed him of his life. It is unclear whether Ivan truly comprehends the implications of his “realization.” Later in the novel, instead of following his realization to its logical conclusion, everyone has the right to maintain their individual beliefs and the same is true for Ivan Regardless of Ivan’s true level of comprehension, the quote reflects his spiritual awakening.
~ I chose this quotation due to the fact that it approaches the reality behind what life is about. It gives us a reality check. Every single human being feels and goes through what Ivan went through. The feeling that one gets that everything is going smoothly and things are getting better gives us hope and happiness but in reality, one might be far off from that. We would be going downslope. And then the public starts expecting from you and would feel like life is sucking your emotions out all together.
“…the mere fact of the death of a near acquaintance aroused, as usual, in all who heard of it the complacent feeling that, ‘it is he who is dead and not I'”
This quote stuck out to me because from the very beginning we are shown that those around Ivan do not care about him. We see this to be a trend in the story as it progresses. As Ivan nears his death he starts pondering whether he has lived a good life or not. He reaches a state of dread when he starts realizing that he has not. Those around him, including loved ones like his wife and son, do not care about him, and he concludes that he lived a life catered to others and not himself. The quote highlighted that very early on in the story.