Essay --

Angelica Cienega Professor R. Dickerson ENG 232-1024 17 November, 2013 Textual Analysis For Leo Tolstoy’s character Ivan Ilych, death is an end to an empty life. It is not until after he gets a vague diagnosis of disease that he realizes his mortality. In this epiphany, he realizes that his relationships with his family, friends, and colleagues are all artificial, if not at least superficial. Because of this, he becomes depressed and wonders whether he really lived his live the right way. Ilych always treated his relationships in a very formal manner and, when he died, his so-called friends barely managed to pay their respects. Through Ilych, Tolstoy shows that life is not simply a play or a business deal. Tolstoy’s story sends a warning to his readers that if they do not have genuineness or passion or individuality in their lives, then they will not experience a truly fulfilling life. In chapter two the readers first learns the story of Ilych’s early life. Ilych is described as a man who had always been drawn to people of high status in society, so that is the type of life he pursued for himself. He was the second and most amicable of three brothers, a law school graduate, and was the most successful in earning the good favor of the people he met. The people he tried hardest to make the good favor of were merely â€Å"of good position,† not truly â€Å"good† people, and the things he did to earn their favor, â€Å"made him feel disgusted with himself when he did them†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Tolstoy 746). Tolstoy goes on to tell that it does not bother Ilych too deeply because once he realized that the people didn’t think those â€Å"disgusting† things were â€Å"wrong†, he was able â€Å"to forget them entirely or not be at all troubled at remembering them† (747). Not only was ... ...lych endures the final days of his life, he spends his time reflecting on his actions and relationships with people. He realizes that the concern for his outward life was the flaw of his inward personality. He spent all of his time trying to make his life seem successful, which he accomplished in the eyes of the shallow high-society people. Unfortunately though, he sacrificed his personal needs and ruined his relationships in the process. Or rather, he did not build any true relationships to ruin, just hung on to empty ones that led to resentment and sorrow. Tolstoy’s story of Ilych’s life warns readers that their opinion of themselves is more important than a rotten opinion of anyone else’s, honesty and romance are important in marriage, that friendships are not won in competition, and that children will be any better than their parents if they are not taught to be.