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Perspective of madness in need of a Change

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The story “Diary of a Mad Man” by Lu Xun is a person who suffers from severe schizophrenia. He thinks that people are always going to eat him, whenever they look at him. This “insanity” he procures is showing the ugly side of the society in which  corruption is highly present. His fear of seeing people staring at him and having thought of cannibalism made him be a “madman”. The story is based on a vernacular pattern, in which the reader must’ve gotten from the brother. However. the realistic view is giving an insight of the revolutionary changed that has occurred in feudalistic China.

Cannibalism has been in happening for a long time in China, therefore, Lu Xun describes cannibalism in a form of feudalism. Feudalism is old, broken, savaged and uninteresting. In correlated to cannibalism in which it is pictured to show people eating away other people’s soul because that’s how feudalism is.  Feudalism enables to take away people pride and soul and making them suffer much.  This is almost same when we have read  Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal” encouraging the family to sell their children for profit or eating them so the children can become beneficial to the society.

Lu Xun gives us the flaws on Feudalism but it’s really hard to get rid of the system. As it related when he mentions “Savage as a lion, timid as a rabbit, crafty as a fox” (248 Lu Xun). In describing the Zhao’s family dog’s to his own brother representing the characteristic of feudalism. Since Feudalism was established a long time ago it is hard to get rid of it for a change, since people was already comfortable with the old system. Therefore, it’s up to the next generation on how they procure to make that change happen as he mentions “Save the children” (253 Lu Xun) In saying they’re the hope for the future of the society and untouched by humans who might be eating them. Thus ending his vicious thought of cannibalism and brought up the change in society.

 

Deception’s Role in the Death of Ivan Ilyich

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Deception, or the masking of the truth, is central to “The Death of Ivan Ilyich.” This theme was made clear from the beginning, as characters masked their selfish intentions and thoughts behind actions that were deemed to be polite and “correct.” Ivan himself was considered a master of deception, being that his whole life was a lie – a façade built in order to impress those higher on the social ladder. In his official life, he assumed an impersonal “important air” – the word assumed implying again that it was an act put on to correctly fit the circumstances. In his personal life, Ivan was non-existent since he used “his judicial labours… to hide from him what he wanted them to hide” (Tolstoy 764). He maintained the idea that he led a pleasant life by hiding from the problems that existed at home, such as his failed marriage and lost of several children.

Fittingly, words like ‘deception,’ ‘falsity,’ ‘lies,’ and physical objects made to hide the truth underneath, such as ‘veil’ and ‘screen’ are repeated throughout these later chapters. Although Ivan expresses his contempt for those around him for accepting the lie that he was simply ill with the chance of recovery, he is guilty of doing the same. He continues in a cyclic pattern, shifting from imagining “that desired improvement in the vermiform appendix occurred” (Tolstoy 761) to calling his medicine “all tomfoolery, all deception” (Tolstoy 768) and back again. This indicates that he is grappling with the idea of death, afraid to accept his fate despite that “in the depth of his heart he knew he was dying” (Tolstoy 763). There is a continual web of deception being woven: by Ivan himself as he shies away from the abyss, and by those around Ivan (wife, brother-in-law, and doctors) who refuse to admit the severity of his case.

Deception is the cause of the suffering brought onto Ivan. As he recalls the events in his life, he comes to realize that “none of those best moments of his pleasant life now seemed at all what they had then seemed – none of them except the first recollections of childhood” (Tolstoy 773). His childhood was the only point in his life where he was genuinely driven by his desires and not the ideas imposed by society. At this point, he was described as the “phoenix of the family,” a majestic bird that is characterized as unique (there is only one). However, as he progressed in life, giving up his personal convictions and taking up others, Ivan’s life grew darker. Putting up a façade was the poison to his life force. This is likely why ironically; Ivan develops his illness while designing his house, which he believes, will impress those of high social class. Moreover, it is as putting up drapes – a cloth used to hide the interior of the house from those outside – that he injures himself.

Denial of his illness brings about a mental pain that exceeds his physical suffering. Ivan continually looked for “new screens” to hide the pain and thoughts of death. However the “new screens… immediately fell to pieces or rather became transparent, as It penetrated them and nothing could veil It” (Tolstoy 764). Ivan’s reluctance to face the idea of death pairs with his stubborn unwillingness to see where he went wrong with his life. This state of denial only works to bring more pain, as the pain clings to him, refusing to let go no matter how he tries to distract himself. However, it is only when he accepts the falsity of his social and official interests throughout his life, and truly accepts that his family would be better off without the suffering caused by him that Ivan is set free. For the first time he faces the problems at hand rather than running away. At that moment he asked, “Where are you, pain?” (Tolstoy 778) and had to turn his attention to it. The constant gnawing no longer bothered him, nor did death bring about fear. Instead what he prior considered as the abyss, becomes light and joy.

In this novella filled with artificial characters, Gerasim is a refreshing change from the norm. He is also the only lower class character that is truly explored – indicated by the fact that he is addressed by his first name only as opposed to his full name. He is complimented by Ivan on how “easily and well [he] does it all” (Tolstoy 766). The fondness Ivan regards Gerasim is made more evident by the fact that “health, strength, and vitality in other people were offensive to him, but Gerasim’s strength and vitality did not mortify but soothed him” (Tolstoy 766). This is brought about by the genuine nature of Gerasim – his sincere good-natured roots with the desire to help. Unlike the other characters, Gerasim is comfortable in his social class, without the tainting of the materialistic drive. For this reason, he does not regard Ivan as figure to gain something from, whether it is a promotion or pension. He is described as doing things easily and “stepping lightly” because he does not bear the weight of selfish desire on his shoulders (instead he bears the weight of Ivan’s legs). His actions come easily because he is being true to himself, as opposed to others who put on a façade to impress others.

Death and Deception

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Tolstoy starts off chapter V with a more personal view. Prior to this chapter, Tolstoy talked about the events that follow Ivan Ilyich’s death and how others viewed him. However, this chapter marks the turning point and the beginning where readers are given access to his thoughts and internal struggles of accepting death. In previous chapters, we only get an image of Ilyich as an aristocrat who maintained his superficial appearance with great efforts but these chapters shows us his internal thoughts and fears about death as a human being. For example, he says, “ Can this be dying? No, I don’t want to!” followed by “What’s the use? It makes no difference,” “It is impossible that all men have been doomed to suffer this awful horror!,” and lastly, “Can it really by death!” (Tolstoy 762). This gives us the first glimpse of him being in denial that he is succumbing to death and his beginning thoughts before he processes and accepts the fact that he is, in fact, dying.

Deception is one of the main themes within these chapters. In fact, the word “deceiving” or “deception” has been repeated throughout the chapters. In chapter V, when he was confronted with the truth and struggled to come to terms with the fact that he was dying, he thought to himself, “Why deceive myself? Isn’t it obvious to everyone but me that I’m dying..” (Tolstoy 762). The theme of deception and dying goes hand in hand. Tolstoy implied that the characters feared death and didn’t want to accept that everyone would die eventually, preferring to avoid the idea completely. In here, we get an image that he was deceiving himself, especially since this thought takes place after he tried to ignore the pain from the illness and to pretend everything was fine but failed to do so. When speaking to Peter in chapter VIII, he says, “No, it won’t help. It’s all tomfoolery, all deception,” while referring to the medication (Tolstoy 768). This shows that he is beginning to acknowledge the fact that he is dying and that he knows that medication won’t truly cure him but still takes it because some part of him and others still want to deceive themselves into thinking that he would get better if he takes his medication. During the doctor’s visit, Ilyich comments that he “…knows quite well and definitely that all this is nonsense and pure deception…” (Tolstoy 769). In this line, he is referring to the doctor visiting him to examine him. We get the feeling that the doctor is coming to see him just for the sake of it and not because he honestly thinks he can make Ilyich better. The themes of deception and death are intertwined in this story. Ilyich is deceiving himself just as the others are deceiving themselves into believing that he is not dying because they fear death and do not want to confront it, even if it may not be them that is dying.

Another word that stood out during the reading of chapter VI was “It”. Tolstoy writes, “He would go to his study, lie down, and again be alone with It: face to face with It. And nothing could be done with It except to look at it and shudder” (Tolstoy 764). What is Tolstoy referring to when he writes “It”? Why is it a pronoun and what does it symbolize? Does it represent the fast approaching death that is looming over him? Or does it represent the pain that is confusing him constantly reminding him that death is coming for him? 

The man in the mirror.

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On my previous blog post on The death of Ivan Ilyich I touched on how Leo Tolstoy criticized the nature of those from higher class and how Ivan Ilyichs life has changed for the worse in his pursuit of conforming with those of higher social class. The later chapters Leo Tolstoy condemns the choices Ivan has made symbolically after he’s conformed by  showing the difference between how Ivan reacts to his servant (who represents what Ivan once was) and his wife  (who represents what Ivan became) while on his “death bed”.

While Ivan was on his “death bed” Ivan looked at his own reflection and could not recognize the man he was seeing . This was because Ivan was dying and also symbolic because Ivan is not the same man he once was. And even though it was visually apparent that Ivan was dying , his peers still refused to acknowledge him (even his own wife). Gerasim his servant was the only person in Ivans life that came in terms with the fact that Ivan was going to die and the they later on grew a positive relationship . While Ivan was  suffering in despair , Gerasim would provide him with comfort especially when Gerasim would hold his legs but when Gerasim would let go he’d go back to being in pain. This is because Gerasim was a good man , and he represents the goodness that Ivan Ilyich once had. So when Ivan came into contact with Gerasim he was coming into contact with his former self and it reminded him of the  “capable, cheerful, good-nature, and sociable man”(746) he once was.

Tolstoy also mentions the difference in how Ivan viewed Gerasim compared to his peers and his wife. “Health, strength, and vitality in other people were offensive to him, but Gerasims strength and vitality did not mortify but soothed him” (766). Ivan was offended by the “other people” because they represent what Ivan became. Ivan decieved his former self countless times bending his own morals just to conform with the “other people” he now despises. The greatest symbol of his deception to his former self is his own wife, who represents the man he became and everything that went wrong in his life. All the morally wrong choices Ivan has made in his life holds presence in his wife and this makes him more irritable and brings him even more pain . He “hates her with his whole soul. And the thrill of hatred he feels for her makes him suffer from her touch”(769). Ivan hates his wife because he is his wife, she is a reflection of the person he became so at any moment she comes into contact with him, he is constantly reminded of the man he is now and this constant reminder puts him closer and closer to his death.

Tolstoy and Mortality

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There is no doubt that mortality would be a big theme in the story hence the title The Death of Ivan Ilych. The title already tells us that the main character has passed away but on top of that Tolstoy starts off chapter one with Ivan’s friends/colleagues finding out he is dead through an article in the newspaper. We get the sense that his friends aren’t really emotional about him in particular dying, but they look more closely about what it means for them, thinking about who might get a promotion. Furthermore to the fact that someone near them has died. They start seeing that mortality is something close to everyone and everyone dies. The reader becomes aware of this sense when Tolstoy writes “Besides considerations as to the possible transfers and promotions likely to result from Ivan Ilych’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” (741). His so-called friends quickly retreat those thoughts of mortality. Tolstoy enforces that idea of not thinking about their on death by repeating “Well, he’s dead but I’m alive” (741).

We get more of this theme when his friend Peter Ivanovich goes to the service to say his farewell to his “friend”. When he goes to see the body he is now confronted with death itself, which makes him un-easy to see how his sickness has changed Ivan physically. “He was much changed and grown even thinner since Peter Ivanovich had last seen him, but, as is always the case with the dead, his face was handsomer and above all more dignified than when he was alive. The expression on the face said that what was necessary had been accomplished, and accomplished rightly. Besides this there was in that expression a reproach and a warning to the living. This warning seemed to Peter Ivanovich out of place, or at least not applicable to him. He felt a certain discomfort and so he hurriedly crossed himself once more and turned and went out of the door – too hurriedly and too regardless of propriety, as he himself was aware” (742) this quote enforces that no one wants to think of their own death. In particularly Peter Ivanovich even though he is not the one who is dead and he can’t relate to what Ivan has been through makes him scared because he is staring into death’s face.

Respice Finem (The Death Of Ivan Illyich by Leo Tolstoy)

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The Death of Ivan Lynch does not start off like your traditional reading. Instead of starting from chronological order (from beginning to end) the author Leo Tolstoy opens up by telling the reader the outcome (Ivan Illyichs funeral) at the beginning then gives you the biography of Ivan Illyichs life in chronological order that led up to that point. Leo Tolstoy criticizes human nature, specifically those of higher social class in the story by showing the outcome of Ivan Illyichs life, the nature of those of higher class, and how Ivan Illyich has changed for the worse in the pursuit of climbing higher up the social ladder.

The story begins in the building of the Law courts where members and the public prosecutor met to discuss whether or not they had jurisdiction over a case. Peter Ivanovich reads the Gazette and finds out one of his close friends Ivan Illyich had died. The newspaperr was headlined “Proskovya Fedorovna Golovina, with profound sorrow, informs relatives and friends of the demise of her beloved husband Ivan Illyich Golovin” (740) Peter then informs the members and the prosecutor of Ivan Illyichs death. Instead of expressing grief after being informed of Ivan Illyachs death , the members appear to be thinking of only themselves “the first thought of the gentleman in that private room was of the changes and promotions it might occasion among themselves or acquaintances”. The author makes sure to let the reader know that these people were “his so-called friends” (741) and that these “so-called friends” only attended the funeral due to the “tiresome demands of propriety” (741). When Peter arrives at the funeral he is approached by Proskovya Fedorovna Golovina who appears to be distraught about her husband’s death, she mentions her sorrow of her husband’s death multiple times to Peter then asks Peter “how she can obtain a grant of money from the government on the occasion of her husband’s death”(745) . Peter than became aware that Ms.Golovina was never in any real anguish, she was only concerned with how she could profit from her husband’s death.

Tolstoy opens up the second chapter by telling us Ivan Illyich lived a terrible life and shows us by telling who Ivan once was and who he was becoming. Ivan Illyich was once a “capable, cheerful, good-natured, and sociable man” who was the middle child of two brothers. His downfall came because he was beguiled by those who were of higher class and as he aged he began to become just like them. He often compromised his own ethics and became disgusted with himself at times for the horrible things he’d done. Once he graduated law school  the start of a new life began. To celebrate, Ivan purchased a medallion with the word respice finem which is Latin for “Regard for the end” (747). This medallion is symbolic to the first chapter of the book because the first chapter of the book is about the “end” of Ivan Illyichs life, and later on shows how he got there in the later chapters.

As Ivan Illyich continues to climb up the social ladder many problems arise from  from doing so. Ivan who was once a “good natured” man began to change. He had an affair with a lady in his time as a lawyer and multiple flings. This must have been common for people of social class since the author mentions that this is what in french would be called “Il faut que jeunesse se passe”(747) which means “Youth must have its fling”. The author uses  French in the text because french was a language spoken by the higher class at this time period in Russia. As Ivan Illyich climbed higher up the ladder he changed more and more, becoming a “new man”(747). Ivan became very self-absorbed with his own success as he climbed, “his social pleasures [became] those of vanity”(755) .

A Look at Relationships Versus Self Interest

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After reading through both Punishment, by Rabindranath Tagore, and Separate Ways, by Higuchi Ichiyo, it appears evident that both authors try to explore the mindset of an individual who’s self interest is in conflict with their relationship to another person. In both stories it can be seen how one person has to make a mental decision between either his self interest or that of a current relationship. What is more subtle about this is that at both times, the individual pushes away the relationship in order to protect his self interest. Starting off with the story Punishment, Chidam has to make a quick decision when facing the question of who killed his sister in law. Instead of truthfully telling the landlord that it was his brother who killed her, he decides to destroy his relationship with his wife by framing her for the crime. In this case, Chidam is picking one relationship over another and this choice reflects on his self interest of protecting his brother. Chidam even goes on to state that even if he loses his wife, he can just find another one, but he would never be able to replace his brother. This clearly reinforces the idea that a person will always put his or her self interest before any other relationship even if it morally unjust.

The story Separate Ways continues the same trend of self interest over relationships again through the character of Kichizo. Struggling to fit into the world due to not having a family, Kichizo finds comfort in his relationship with Okyo, who seems to be the only person that respects and understands him. Okyo allows Kichizo to come over whenever he wants and she even lets him eat her rice cakes. Okyo is also a tailor that promises to sew a nice robe for Kichizo when she has the chance and Kichizo takes pride knowing that there is somebody that is willing to do a good deed for him. At one point Kichizo tells Okyo that she deserves a better life and that he would be very happy for her if she ever managed to get a lucky break that would lead her to a better life. Eventually Okyo reveals to Kichizo that she will be leaving shortly to become the mistress of a wealthy man and this puts Kichizo in great distress. Within a few minutes he becomes angered by this revelation as he feels betrayed by Okyo. At this point is when Kichizo’s self interest takes over and is put ahead of his relationship. Even though he told Okyo earlier that he would be happy if she was able to get something good in life, Kichizo quickly goes back on these statements. Even though he is justified in his distress over having the only person he ever cared about leaving him, he fails to note that she is leaving for a better life elsewhere and that this should make him happy. Here Kichizio is putting his self interest ahead of his relationship by not wanting Okyo to leave and eventually turning his back on her. His self interest of having Okyo by his side trumps the happiness of their relationship at the end.

It is clear how both stories explore human selfishness through the choices made in both of them. It also ties in with the style of Realism that was prevalent in this era. Both these authors use realism to show the true human nature of individuals when faced with a choice. This goes on to show that the individual will always pick his or her self interest as it is best for them over any relationship or matter that doesn’t affect them directly.

Tagore’s perspective of women’s role in society

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The “Punishment” tells a unique perspective on how to get away with murder. Especially, blaming a person who has nothing to do with it, Here, in this story you see “chotoboau” Chandara have to take the blame for the murder that was committed by her brother-in -law. She has no rights, no privilege, even the “Bhraman” enacted the idea to Chidam to blame his wife for the evil deed his brother did. The role of women is to serve her man without any question nor any obligations. Women are basically an object of conceiving children , pleasure, and food. Thus, you can see the view of Tagore’s era of womanism. So the idea that a woman who has one person to look up to and he eventually failed to save her it’s just really mundane. Even when Chidam says to the Brahman “Thakur, if I lose my wife I can get another, but if my brother is hanged, how can I replace him?” (Tagore 895). Signifying that women can come and go, especially with a complicated caste system back in the days in India women had no choice but to be dead, because if her husband died she would be burnt alive with him, Outrageously savage!

Sad thing about this story is that even though her husband said to Chandara that she will be saved because he made up a story to tell the judge to protect her, that didn’t go according to plan, she really wanted to be killed and hanged, even  telling her husband she loves him covering her face (because of her hate towards him). Even though they were bound together by marriage. In order for this support this theory when her husband said to tell the truth, Chandara ” stared at him stunned/black eyes burnt in fire/ as if to escape devilish clutches” (Tagore 896). Thus signifying more that she really wanted to die because for a person she was to be trusted for life, he betrayed her. Also, back in the days, divorce is not an option in Tagore’s era, women are married and are tied with that person until death.  It is  sacrilege for a woman to be seen with another man or not obeying his rules or since Chandara always uses to visit the “Ghaut” and talk to the other men than her husband, which cause her to be locked up in the room and some form of violence by her husband. In which the whole crisis began with this married couple.

Thus, Tagore gives us and really good insight view of the culture and realism on womanhood during his era where women had very little human rights, men had all the domination. A caste system where you are judged based on the hierarchy, where the elder commanded and the duties are fulfilled with no obligation by the younger one with no obligations. In addition, women were treated as animals,  but not as human beings. It is sad for a little girl to be growing in a culture with so many repercussions for women. It is somewhat similar to Menglongs “Du Tenth” and the poems from Sor Juana Ines De La Cruz on portraying of womanism .

August Strindberg, Miss Julie (1888)

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Miss Julie brings forth different perspectives of class from the opposite sides of the spectrum. On one hand, Jean, “dream[s] that [he’s] lying in a dark wood under a tall tree and [he] would climb up–up to the top, where [he] can look far over the fair landscape, where the sun is shining” (page 9). Considering that Jean grew up with seven brothers and sisters and a pig, he does not want to continue living the life of mediocrity. If he had a chance to climb to the very top, he would grasp the opportunity immediately. What Jean does not realize is that he does not take into consideration that the higher he climbs, the harder he will fall. Jean believes that once he reaches the pinnacle of the tree/social class, he will be able to command everyone below with authority. However, with authority comes responsibility and reputation that he must also obey. There is a trade off that Jean must accept to compromise, but he is blinded by his own determination to survive.

On the other hand, Miss Julie looks down from the top of the top of the tree. Miss Julie finds, “[herself] seated at the top of a high pillar and [she] see[s] no possible way to get down. [She] grow[s] dizzy when [she] look[s] down, but down [she] must. But [she’s] not brave enough to throw myself; [she] cannot hold fast and [she] long[s] to fall–but [she doesn’t] fall. And yet [she] can find no rest or peace until [she] shall come down to earth; and if [she] came down to earth [she] would wish [herself] down in the ground” (page 8-9). Miss Julie is unable to handle the pressure of maintaining a noble status because of her degenerate nature. She carelessly commands to dance with Jean, Miss Julie’s servant, several times in front of the public without sensible reason that the public will start to spread gossip and speak low of both Julie and Jean. Despite having the knowledge that Kristin is Jean’s fiancée, Miss Julie’s inferior self-control consumes the outcome of her life. Towards the end of the play, when Miss Julie brings her bird into the kitchen of the Count’s manor house, the significance of her reflection of who she is begins to reveal itself. Just like the bird, Miss Julie soars through the sky looking down upon others. However, she is also restricted by the boundaries that society places upon her, which requires her to behave with loyalty. In this case, the cage represents the physical boundaries that the bird must stay within. In the end, the bird dies an inevitable death, just like Miss Julie.

The interpretations of these characters and the consequences of their actions are apparent in Darwin’s idea of naturalism. As Darwin mentions in his theory of the survival of the fittest, people/characters who are not fit for the role in society and nature are devoured.

You Serve My Father and I as Well

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The play by Strindberg focusses on the conflict Miss Julie a divorced countess is going through and how she exerts her frustration on the manors in the society. In the kitchen, she interrupts Jean and Christine by entering their house without permission. Even though she knew they were engaged, she asked Jean to dance with her at a festival. Jean had no choice and I was wondering, who is Miss Julie and what was her position in the society? Jean quotes, “It don’t look well to prefer one servant to all the rest who are expecting to be honored in the same unusual way”/ As you command, Miss Julie! I am at your service (Strindberg 4). Meaning he was a servant to her richer or noble ranking family and even though, Julie was the daughter of a count, he had to obey her order and his fiancée couldn’t influence his decision.

Servants during the time had no courage to disagree with the countess “When Miss Julie is so gracious, it isn’t for him to say no” Christine allowed Jean go dance with Julie (Strindberg 4). When Jean returned from the dance, he asked Christine if she was mad she responded by saying,” Not for a little thing like that, you know! And also, I know my place. Any count, countess or nobility could intrude into the lives of servants, and servants couldn’t question them (Strindberg 5). Julie also expressed her love for Jean and he suggested he will move with her to Basel or other cities so they can start a new life. He was concerned of what people will say about their relationship and her father’s reaction to it. This conflict created a hesitation for both lovers to be together. All these situations in the plays beginning clearly shows how far servants will go to serve noble families.