The Death of Ivan Ilyich

The Death of Ivan Ilyich (Russian Смерть Ивана Ильича, dt transcription Smert Iwana Iljitscha, transliteration Smert ' Ivana Il'iča ) is a story by Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy, written in 1886.

Structure and themes

Tolstoy describes the life and coming to fruition in life views of the clerks Ivan Ilyich Golovin and his premature death at the age of 45 years. Are shown Dramatic close the existential angst, the fear of the pain and death powerlessness and especially the cruelty of the knowledge that one has not lived his life meaningful.

Content

The narrative starts novella -like at the funeral of the recently deceased Ivan Ilyich Golovin, from the perspective of his former school friend and colleague, the - is described Peter Ivanovich, - not titled. The perspective that is employed here is consistently sarcastic, while Peter Ivanovich feels " Ivan Ilyich against a particular obligation " (p. 13) because he was acquainted with him long, and is dutiful to his funeral. At the same time makes Tolstoy very pointedly by the recurring reflections Peter Ivanovitch at the funeral, as he had to behave, so you mean, he was concerned, the uneventful and the unimportance of death of its main character for the acquaintances clear. Even his wife complains only has those imposed troubles and the troubles of the resulting at the funeral work than about the loss of her husband.

Ultimately, however, unconcerned leaves Peter Ivanovich the funeral service, to end after the evening with a round of cards.

In the following chapters will be played until shortly before his death, with increasing focus on the inner life of Ivan Ilyich Golovin his life (and his views on ). The pace of the narrative slows down thereby becoming an increasingly. During the approximately 34 years of life are still told in a chapter, are discussed in Chapters 3-5 includes only the years up to his death year and the remaining 7 chapters only the approximately 4 months of his increasingly dramatic struggle with death.

While the previous chapters have a rather didactic function and the circumstances of the disease and of drifting apart between Ivan Ilyich and his wife include ( and thus describe the outdoor life ), is dedicated to the second half of the narrative of the characterization of the existentially -style questions of the terminally ill. So it is, for example, to one of the many doctors consulted about the inability of medicine over death and thus the human fate,

About the question of the right of life, and the question of self- indebtedness of its demise by a forfeited life ( existential angst ), it means characteristic of the basic theme of the story,

Ivan Ilyich Golovin finally dies in agony highest in three days of agony. Tolstoy describes this agony incisively and with unusual metaphors and insights about the side effects of approaching death. Time arrest

Or the phenomenon of " light at the end of the tunnel ", are described with the often near-death experiences,

With the final introspection of the world of thought Ivan Ilyich Golovin Tolstoy suggests a causal relationship between Ivan Ilyich's realization that he has forfeited his life, and whose letztlichem death. His consent is still to do well - by the his death bed now add members entered the suffering spared by his death to see his agony on - closes the narrative. Where it before even the " idea that his life was good " prevented them and this " justification of his life, " it still "holds" (p. 134) later triumphs, the insight about the self causing his suffering by the forfeiture of his life and the related liability for the afflicted:

Interpretation

Tolstoy's story treated in the core human fear of death, the associated exposure of the powerlessness against fate and last but not least in this context provoked existential questions of ( good ) life.

Tolstoy suggests in several places by Ivan Ilyich considerations, a causal connection between its habituation, comfort and decency laid-out life and early death. This corresponds to an implicit critique of the parent, middle-class existence and in particular their classification as well.

In addition, Tolstoy shows the powerlessness of rationality (and thus of science ) towards death, describing the summoned physicians as hypocrites and ultimately just as powerless as Ivan Ilyich. It can moreover be Tolstoy 's main character in vain take up the attempt to become master of rationalization of his desperate situation. The inherently existing gap between the rational and valid consideration of its practical irrelevance (see Rollo ) shows Tolstoy doing in the following always right, but the existential truth not touching syllogism, which he ascribes to Kiesewetter,

And lets Ivan Ilyich ask in desperate mood, why he did this with Caius ( " who was the man, man in general," p.87) must be equal, why he so also must share its fate. So the question why the Special its existence, must resign the individual characteristics associated behind the dictates of the universal, that all men die:

At this point is particularly evident how little power for Tolstoy rationality ( here in the form of logic) in an extreme situation has and how much comfort can donate. Insofar as this passage is interpretable as rational criticism.

On this basis, overcoming the fear of death is argumentative impossible for Ivan Ilyich. Two elements but loosens Tolstoy these brought about by the situation, gloomy perspective on existence and human cognition: On the one hand refers Ivan Ilyich unreflective comfort from the simple, kind and honest nature of his peasant servant Gerasim. On the other hand lets Tolstoy Ivan Ilyich last dying almost in the manner of a martyr who would like to end by his death the sufferings of his family. In addition, there are indications that he selects his death on the insight into the Verwirktheit its existence.

Model for the main character was a friend of Tolstoy, Ivan Ilyich Mechnikov who was a civil servant in the court system. A detailed report on the death of his brother Metschnikow Tolstoy served as material for the narrative.

Expenditure

First edition:

• Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy: Plody prosweschtschenija i Smert Iwana Iljitscha. W. A. Tichanowa, St. Petersburg 1892

Translations:

• Leo N. Tolstoy: The Death of Ivan Ilyich. Dt. Rev. by Rudolf Kassner. Insel Verlag, Leipzig 1913, new edition 2002.
• Leo N. Tolstoy: The Death of Ivan Ilyich. In: ders. Stories. Translated from Russian by Barbara Heitkam. Afterword by Christine Müller- floe. Reclam, Stuttgart 1992, ISBN 978-3-15-020211-1.
• Leo N. Tolstoy: The Death of Ivan Ilyich. Translation of John Guenther. Afterword by Konrad Fuhrmann. Reclam, Stuttgart 1992, ISBN 978-3-15-008980-4.
• Leo Tolstoy: The Death of Ivan Ilyich. From the Russian by Julie Gold tree. Revised by Kai Kilian. Anaconda Verlag, Cologne, 2008.