Philosophy Essay On The Death Of Ivan Ilych
Submitted by Sean54 on 06/30/2008 05:21 PM
- Category: Religion
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Philosophy Essay On The Death Of Ivan Ilych
Written by Leo Tolstoy in 1886, "The Death of Ivan Ilych" chronicles how the stories' protagonist comes to grips with impending mortality. After spending his life constantly avoiding the subject, Ivan Ilych is forced to try and accept his death at the last possible minute and does so poorly. It is months after learning his health is on a continual decline, on his deathbed, when Ivan is finally able to accept the fact that "his life had not been what it should have been." (Pg.505) It was Dostoevsky wrote that "suffering is the sole origin of consciousness." Because Ivan is taught by society to avoid the pain that confronting his fears will give him, Ivan does not gain consciousness until the moment before he dies. Consequently, he realizes that his life has been a waste.
After accepting that his life wasn't lived properly Ilych wonders whether there is a possibility of rectifying his error. He knows only that his life was wasted, he is unaware of right way to live and it causes him intense mental anguish. As he flails his arms around in pain, his son catches his arm and presses it to his lips and begins to cry. At that moment he becomes enlightened and can truly and fearlessly accept his fate. The reason death was so impossible for him to face and accept is because he never truly lived. The materialist lifestyle that he and millions of others subscribe to is passionless but at the same time, painless until it becomes necessary to be honest with imself. By ignoring his emotions and basing the majority of his decisions on what his colleagues favor, Ilych never really has to live life on his own terms. He disregards moral issues and later treats his kidney pain the same way his family dealt with his "unsuccessful" brother. "His brothers, fathers and still more their wives, not merely disliked meeting him, but avoided remembering his existence unless compelled to do so."(pg 470) He finds it easier to live with "clean hands" (471) and void of...
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