The Superficiality of Life in The Death of Ivan Ilych

The book “The death of Ivan Ilych” is about a life superficial of a man that lived in Russia, in century nineteen with your family. Of course this novella brings a message with a moral lesson about how a life futile cause pain, suffering, regrets and disgust; Moreover leaves everyone around in your coexistent unhappy and no compassion by others peoples, in others words, this history is about a individualist that when almost dying perceive that lost the better moments that a life had offered. Ivan Ilych, the principal character it is who passes by all “adventure”.

The novella written by Tolstoy's, portrays the life of bourgeoisie through the main character Ivan Ilyich. According with “The communist manifesto“ the bourgeoisie is modern industrial society and keep control about the proletarians, but the characteristics marked in relation to coexist on day to day are oppressive, depended on proletarians for their success, self interest, egotistical, exploitation of others for financial gain, relationships based on common interest, distanced themselves from family and superficial. Those particularities in the book “ The death of Ivan Ilyich”, the author explores a little of each of these. In chapters in which the author addresses the family issue; he shows how he is distanced of family and how superficial and shallow he is with them.And your wife, (Praskovya Fedorovna) is a symbol of status from which he dedicated himself to the demands of society. And about your children, Lisa is similar to your mother and thinks that the death of his father is an occasion that prevents her of to follow your life, one example is “Is it our fault?' Lisa said to her mother. 'It's as if we were to blame! I am sorry for papa, but why should we be tortured?'. The other kid is Vladimir, he is free of all superficially present in your family and he is the unic that felt sympathy by father and by their condition.

Being a common characteristic between the bourgeoisie, Ivan Ilych had many friendships based in interest. In the chapter one, for example portrays your big friend Peter Ivanovich. Ivan Ilyich was a important a public prosecutor to a member of the Court of justice with a big successful professional life.At Ivan’s funeral many people go there just to “confirm” your death and to admire “what remains”, in sense of his life geral and so forth. Peter were considered the best friend of Ivan, but when he arrives in the funeral, and receives the news that opened a new job post, perceive that the friendship is just based in interest, because he was very happy with the novelty and he was completely self-centered and insincere, one example is 'Now I must apply for my brother-in-law's transfer from Kaluga,' thought Peter Ivanovich. 'My wife will be very glad, and then she won't be able to say that I never do anything for her relations.' He was happy, inasmuch as your brother in law needed a job and this is very gratify your wife.

So, when he met Praskovya Fedorovna, he just said that fact occurred with your husband was tragic, that is, he expressed one contradictory feeling of what he really felt. The other Ivan’s friend is Fedor Vasilievich, he appeared at funeral due to obligation and not out of respect for his friend.

Already Gerasim was contradictory the family, some characteristics of personality were authentic, purposeful life, honesty, empathy and do not exploit others, these characteristics to Tolstoy is necessary and essential to live a life with purpose. He represents according the communist manifesto the proletarians class. How he is more honesty, he tell to Ivan Ilych that he going to die, in others words, he was the first personal that say the truth for him. Consequently Ivan revolt with your relatives, because they was not honesty about the proximity with the death and perceive that everybody around him was false.Vladimir and Gerasim are the only two characters that to show enormous compassion for the situation of Ivan Ilych. Gerasim is so kind that he works overtime for his master in his last days. He also prepare Ivan to death, because he knows that death is inevitable, one example is 'We shall all of us die, so why should I grudge a little trouble?' with his inner self and realizes his entire life after childhood had been wasted. Ivan Ilyich is finally at peace with himself in his last days.Gerasim tells his master. Besides that Ivan Ilych draws a spiritual support of your employee and later he perceive that one life lived as the Gerasim was very rewarding.

According with book Ivan Ilych lived a life that was based only to supply your interest (one example was your relationship with Peter and others “friends” ), even though it meant abandon some values of some humans such as honesty. He enfrent more conflicts before getting sick. But, during your disease, he was with himself in a situation great physical and mental agony when the death approximately and he perceive that was angry and bitter, because the world, that envolded your wife, son, daughter and emplooey. And about your emplooey, he was amazed, because Gerasim was so different him. But, later he had a conversation with his inner self and realizes his entire life after childhood had been wasted. Ivan Ilyich is finally at peace with himself in his last days and “free” from suffering to die peacefully. This subject matter is so important to evaluate that what life we are lived according to the book, and also shows that we should live a life purposefully not only repent in final it. Other significance is that one life superficial, shallow and futile no leads us nowhere, probably brings suffering.