death of Ivan Ilynch essays

death of Ivan Ilynch essays The Death of Ivan Ilych The Death of Ivan Ilych tells the story of a man on his deathbed realizing that the majority of the things hes done throughout his life was for social acceptance. Concerned only with the thoughts of other people, his own ideas and thoughts were dismissed from importance when it came to self-image. On his deathbed he realizes that In public opinion I was moving uphill, but to the same extent life was slipping away from me. And now its gone and all I can do is die. Ivan found money and work to be the root of all happiness. One of the reasons why Ivan values work and money so much is because these to aspects were escapes from his artificial married life he was leading. For once in his life Ivan had a chance to escape all the worries involved with his work life and go to the country to live with his brother-in law, immediately after getting there Ivan felt bored and decided to go to Petersburg to punish those people who had failed to appreciate him by trying to get transferred to another ministry with larger pay. In this move he felt that his colleagues owed him something for all those years of so called friendships. Despite them he and his family he does find a new job paying 5000 rubles. As soon as his wife finds out their married life becomes the best its ever been since the first year. This is the perfect example of how they found happiness in money. While on his deathbed Ivan only wants to be pitied by people and the only one that pities him from the beginning is Gerasim. Ivan has a whole new respect for Gerasim when at the beginning of his death Gerasim says We all have to die someday so why shouldnt I help you(104). It is these words that started Ivans abstract thinking of lifes real meanings and treasures. Ivan knew that Gerasim was helping him because he would want the same for himself ...