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.
It is sad that nobody seems to like him. Everybody had to be there because it’s immoral for human nature not to respect the dead. Even his own family seems to not like him at all that’s absolutely madness.
Death is an unfortunate phenomenon that every individual will eventually have to deal with some day but I also find it rather comforting that it is equally distributed amongst all. Regardless of gender, wealth, or vocation, death is just a power that is out of our hands, even for those who do not think it’s plausible as Ivan had thought. While death is an important factor of The Death of Ivan Ilych, I mean the word itself is in there, I also think that remembrance of the dead and his/her good name is a key point. Not only does Ivan’s crisp corpse alert Peter about his inescapable death but it also makes him reflect upon his own life and whether it is a good one.