The theme of senselessness is one of the central ideas in Tolstoy’s short story “The Death of Ivan Ilych.” The main character, Ivan Ilych, is a man with a respected career and a family; however, he cannot find any purpose in his life. As Ivan grows more ill, he also starts to understand the artificial nature of his life and the absence of any close and caring relationships (Kennedy and Gioia 270). The man’s family seems distant and disinterested in his worsening condition. His colleagues are concerned with their potential for promotion and do not believe that he has been sick for a long time. Ivan gets support from one person – Gerasim – and through this connection, the man is able to look into his past and realize the lack of meaning behind his existence. As such, Ivan is plagued by self-doubt and fear of death as he ponders what he did right and wrong in his life.
However, Ivan’s death does not appear to be senseless to him in the end. As he sees his son and his wife’s tears, he starts thinking that his passing is a way to release them. It is also a chance for Ivan to end his suffering and allow his family to continue living without burdens. This idea changes something inside his perception of his illness, as he asks, “What has become of it? Where are you, pain?” (Kennedy and Gioia 309). The man who has lived in agony now does not feel hurt. Ivan expresses joy in his final moments and sees the light instead of darkness as the path toward death becomes a new beginning rather than an end. Therefore, it is more suitable to state that his life before death was more senseless than his potential existence after death.
Work Cited
Kennedy, X, J., and Dana Gioia. Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. 11th ed., Longman, 2010.