And They Lived Happily Ever After...

Ronald Blythe’s statement that The Death of Ivan Ilyich is a novel that evokes the “sheer desolating aloneness of dying” is, in my opinion, incorrect. I consider the intended main idea of the novella to be the irony that death is an escape from a lonely, barren life. Tolstoy makes this view of the difference between life and death through examples such as the expression on Ivan’s face in his coffin, “as if what was necessary had been accomplished, and accomplished rightly.” Ivan’s life, as described in the later chapters, is one full of monotony and routine; it is best described in a word, paradoxically, as lifeless. He marries simply to be settled in, lets his work consume his life, and does not build worthwhile relationships with other human beings. The first chapter does show that Ivan Ilyich died truly alone, but this is not the cause of death itself, but instead it is a result of Ivan’s deeds in life. Ivan’s life is not special in any way in this particular society either; all of his “acquaintances” are guilty of the same faults. But it is exactly these faults that keep all members of the society in an inescapable cycle in which the roles of life and death are mistakenly reversed.


The thought that death is the ultimate reward and an escape does not come readily to most readers because it is not the generally accepted norm. As in Matthew Tibi’s recent senior speech, everyone seems to be looking for immortality, to live forever. I imagine that I was able to more easily see this theme because of how I had been taught in my religious faith, that death means an ascendance into Heaven and thus, is a good thing. Furthermore, death is one of the few things in life that all humans experience together, it is a universally shared experience. Although not the strongest argument, it still points to the fact that death is not the cause of an individual’s isolation.


The only character in the novella who seems to correctly understand this is Gerasim, who is the only character who does not fear death and, in turn, lives a good, cheerful life. He is also the only one who Ivan truly appreciates as he approaches death in his final days because Gerasim is the only one who does not have to lie about death and make it something it’s not- he speaks the truth. In essence, the story is filled with Tolstoy’s attempts to preach to the reader the importance of understanding life and death and their respective roles by repeatedly criticizing the lifestyles of the major characters involved. (443)