Tolstoy’s the Death of Ivan Ilyich
“The Death of Ivan Ilyich” is a novel by Leo Tolstoy that explores the occurrences before and after Ivan’s death. It entails brainstorming perceptions of religious and theological issues. The principal character is depicted as a man who gets insight of his death as he attempts to derive its meaning at his last breath. The novel is rather fictional, but it has been successful in capturing the thoughts of many who try to comprehend the mystical nature of the story.
“The Absurd”
Albert Calmus is a philosopher who delved into studying individual freedom and ways in which it can bend ethics. Absurdity of life is one of his three principles applied to analyze the human situation. His thought of absurdity is based on the whys of life as well as its presumed complex nature. He proclaims that the rationality of man is a composite of reason and the man. His principle in “the absurd” presents the search of human beings to derive the life’s meaning without success. According to Calmus (1975), it is impossible for human beings to find the meaning of life. However, he does not mean that human beings should end their search. However, they should accept the absurdity of life to enjoy their individual freedom without wondering how they came to being or who was behind it. The other two ways of ending the human dilemma of “the absurd”, according to absurdist philosophy, is by religious or spiritual realm and suicide. However, Camus supports neither of the two with his argument being that suicide will still complicate absurdity, and that the spiritual realm ‘kills’ philosophy.
Existentialists think that the question about absurdity arises when we “take atheism” seriously. This is because the issue of human nature is still considered by atheists as a constraint in performing certain acts in life and in having a definite personality. This is despite the fact that they do not recognize the premise of God. Existentialists believe that everything related to God should be dispensed just as he is dispensed. This is because dwelling on one aspect will still intensify the search for reason. They argue that the essence of human beings only comes after their own essence. Therefore, an individual defines his or her own nature, thereby giving them radical responsibility of their own selves.
Comparison to Camus’ “Sisyphus”
The similarities between the characters in “Death of Ivan Ilyich” and Camus’ “Sisyphus” are evident. Tolstoy explored the world of existentialism through outlaying the absurdity of Ivan’s life when he narrates the cause of Ivan’s death. Ivan’s fate begins to show from a little accident that occurred when he falls from the ladder while hanging curtains. Here, the question that probably lingers in the reader’s mind is what life is, and if it has any meaning, if such an accident can lead to the loss of life. In Tolstoy’s “Death of Ivan Ilyich” (1981), Ivan’s life was quite admirable right from his childhood, with a lot of praises and motivation from his family’s side. He later achieves a lot more. He might have thought he had it all by his achievements, but it all boils down to life being meaningless when he dies.
According to Camus (1975), and other existentialists, human existence is absurd due to lack of a defined goal or meaning in their lives. They thus search for meaning by choice. In “The Death of Ivan Ilyich,” Ivan tries to understand the meaning of life at his deathbed. Ivan’s friend, Peter Ivanovich, seems to be unmoved by Ivan’s death, and he tries to help his wife attain the post that Ivan left after his death. He also extends his inconsideration at the funeral when he does not amicably attend to the worries of Ivan’s wife. The wife, Praskóvya Fëdorovna, also appears materialistic. This is demonstrated in that she is more despaired by the vagueness of Ivan’s estate and property than by her husband’s death. Ivan achieved much in his lifetime, but due to death, all that he achieved was lost. According to Tolstoy (1981), there is nothing much to live for if your family and friends do not find meaning in your life. This futile life experience supports the idea of absurdist as Camus supposes in his “Sisyphus.” Both scenarios presented by Tolstoy and Camus agree that human beings are immortal, and death is inevitable.
Response to life’s absurdity
Tolstoy suggests acceptance of death as a response to life’s absurdity. Ivan represents an absurd hero because he finally manages to accept death. Finally, he recounts the absurdity of life with his last breath. He comes out of the cocoon of denial that he earlier exhibits with so much zeal in finding a cure for his condition to escape death. However, it is paradoxical that Tolstoy’s narration captures both the death and living aspects of Ivan. The life of Ivan is used to symbolize the lifestyles people fight for tooth and nail. However, they fail to ask whether it is worth it, or whether it brings forth happiness. Ivan’s family is inconsiderate by blaming him of his predicament. This demonstrated that his life had no value to them. Consequently, he realizes that life is not worth it, and this realization makes him an absurd hero.
The meaning of life
What Tolstoy is attempting to say all through his novella is that life is meaningless, and there is no escape from death. An authentic life is better, keeping in mind that our existence is not permanent. The sooner we understand that every human being is mortal, the better for our emotional self. Tolstoy also tries to prove that life is void in the sense human beings can work harder in their lives to reach an optimum level. This is with a belief that there is a reason for one’s successes. However, such a belief is futile when one comes face to face with death. Ivan’s life was full of suffering, and nothing added up as much as he tried to find a reason for living. His injury from the fall got worse day after day, with doctors giving him false impression about his condition. In an illusion that was devoid of authenticity, he still believed he could survive. However, at the end of the road, he succumbed to death.
On the other hand, there are opponents of existentialism. They argue that life has a meaning if human beings posses faith. They believe that the faith of human beings provides a religious or spiritual premise for the individual. In addition, they believe that initially, there was essence, and then existence of the individual ensued. Therefore, critics refute the existential idea that prior to essence is existence. This is because the creator had a purpose for human beings before their existence.
Work Cited
Camus, Albert. The Myth of Sisyphus. Harmondsworth, Eng: Penguin Books, 1975. Print.
Tolstoy, Leo. The Death of Ivan Ilyich. Toronto: Bantam books, 1981. Print.
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