The Death of Ivan Ilyich

At the beginning of the story, officials discuss the news of the death of their colleague, Ivan Ilyich Golovin. Each of them considers what he personally can take from this death. Emphasizing the selfishness of the “living corpses” who want to live life “pleasantly and properly,” the author turns to a detailed, naturalistic account of Ivan Ilyich’s illness and dying: “The story of Ivan Ilyich’s life that preceded his death was the simplest and most ordinary—and the most terrible.”

The author sketches in italics the tale of a “proper and pleasant” life of his hero, the pinnacle of which was his acquisition of a “charming little apartment,” furnished in a “comilfo style.” Trying to show the wallpaperer how curtains should be hung, Ivan Ilyich fell from a step ladder. This fall became the beginning of his illness, at first making itself known as a dull pain in his side. Over time it turned into an inexorable bodily disintegration (though the diagnosis remained dark).

Ivan Ilyich’s dying turned into the awakening of his soul. As he lets go of his spirit, he sees light before him and experiences true happiness. His soul’s guide to real life becomes the simple man Gerasim, continuing the gallery of Tolstoy’s “people from the nation” characters—those especially close to nature (the man from “Three Deaths,” Platon Karataev).