Character Development Of Ivan Illych In Death Of Ivan Illych (Leo Tolstoy) - Essay Example

Download file to see previous pages He is unique in his views about moralistic and ascetic ideology which he acquired after a moral crisis and awakening in the 1870’s. It was a turning point for him and later he became a moral thinker and social reformer.. Many critics are of the opinion that the influence of Rousseau caused his rebellious attitude. The intense desire for resolve the deep rooted dissatisfaction with himself and the long perturbed search for meaning in life are dealt in his Confessions of Memoirs of Madman. The Death of Ivan Illych, first published in 1866 is a novella and one of the master pieces of his late fiction immediately after his religious conversion. The novella can be well thought-out as Tolstoy’s earnest commitment to view literary art as a means for bringing important truths to the attention of the reader. The novel tells the story of the death of a high court judge.
Leo Tolstoy, through his early literary works made an effort to illustrate the existing traits in Russian aristocracy. He presented what he saw with simplicity and impassiveness. But later he modified his writing style to portray moral romanticism drawing ideas to the proper way of life.” The Death of Ivan Illych ‘is a superb example of Tolstoy’s revolutionary approach to life. His newly built attitude towards life and religion is expressed through the portrait of Ivan Illych’s character development. All the other characters stand for his earlier attitude towards life. He mocks at the people who live self-absorbed and lead a fruitless life. The story begins with the announcement of the death of Ivan Illych and the response of his colleagues to it. The thoughtlessness towards the sufferings of other people is demonstrated in this scene. Tolstoy illustrates lucidly how “the life of civilized people is a great life simply because it disguises and ignores its dark background, the metaphysical abyss and the reality of Death” (Sarah Lawall). This is true when analyze the first thoughts of these colleagues. They all thought about the impact it will make in their own position and financial endeavors. To understand what make others to think like that, we have to analyze who was and how he reached the present stage. A close analysis shows three different stages in the development of character of Ivan. At first we can see Ivan as an ordinary man who cares about others that surround him. Secondly Ivan seems to be preoccupied with death. Next he is found as a person who mourns at his lost life. Thus Tolstoy gives us a thorough description about the stages of character development of Illych. The evolution of Ivan from middle –class lawyer, to a spiritually heighted person on the death is eventful. Ivan Illych is presented as ordinary men who wish to get acquire the position of a lawyer. Tolstoy gives a beautiful description about his entire life. In his words, “an intelligent, polished, lively and agreeable man “, but his life was ‘terrible’. “Ivan is a cliche, a human cipher dutifully plodding through a miasma of works and days “. (Carter 15). At first we see an innocent young man who thinks about himself. Tolstoy says about Illych’s life “ ...Download file to see next pagesRead More