The Death of Ivan Ilych by Leo Tolstoy
14 videos • 41,483 views • by Course Hero Leo Tolstoy's The Death of Ivan Illych explained with chapter summaries in just a few minutes! Course Hero Literature Instructor Russell Jaffe explains Leo Tolstoy's novella The Death of Ivan Illych. Download the free study guide and infographic for The Death of Ivan Illych here: https://www.coursehero.com/lit/The-De... In Leo Tolstoy's novella The Death of Ivan Illych, lawyer Ivan Illych has prioritized financial and career success above all else, maintaining distance from his family in order to avoid domestic difficulties. After securing a high-paying position and setting his family up in relative comfort, he begins feeling a mysterious pain in his side that gradually grows in intensity. Those around him prefer to ignore his impending demise due to their discomfort with mortality. As he comes to accept death, he finds meaning in his life. At the same time, he recognizes that much of his life is less important than it seemed. His death is not noble or heroic; he is just an ordinary man. Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy's The Death of Ivan Illych was first published in 1886. A famous nobleman who gained acclaim for his novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina, Tolstoy later in life underwent a powerful religious conversion to Christianity. The Death of Ivan Ilych, his first significant work after this conversion, explores the perils of upper-middle-class striving through the tale of a man who, confronting death, looks back on his choices. In the novella The Death of Ivan Illych contains many important themes, including acceptance and redemption, as by accepting his imminent death, Ivan redeems what is left of his life; artificiality and authenticity, as people focus on the showy parts of life but lose touch with what matters; and mortality, as death and fear are inevitable, and everyone must learn how to deal with them. Important symbols include the black sack, the phoenix, and doctors. Explore Course Hero’s collection of free literature study guides, Q&A pairs, and infographics here: https://www.coursehero.com/lit/ About Course Hero: Course Hero helps empower students and educators to succeed! We’re fueled by a passionate community of students and educators who share their course-specific knowledge and resources to help others learn. Learn more at http://www.coursehero.com Master Your Classes(TM) with Course Hero! Get the latest updates: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coursehero Twitter: https://twitter.com/coursehero