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1-Page Summary of The Death Of Ivan Ilych
Overview
During a trial, the judge’s closest friend reads in the obituaries that he has died. The man had been ill for some time and was very close to all of them. They each think of how his death may result in promotion for them. Each man thinks gratefully that he is not dead but rather alive and well. They also reflect on their upcoming visits to his family, as well as other formalities they will have to go through because of this unfortunate event.
The next day, Peter Ivánovich goes to see Ivan Ilych. He sees that he seems more handsome in death than he was alive, and there is a look of satisfaction on his face. It also looks as if it warns the living about something. Before the services, Praskóvya Fëdorovna (Ivan’s wife) and Peter Ivánovich talk about how horrible Ivan Ilych’s suffering was before his death—he screamed for three days straight—and she asks him advice about pensions and government grants. On his way out, Peter Ivánovich sees Ivan Ilych’s daughter with her fiancé and son. During the service he comments to Gerásim, Ivan’s sick nurse who says it is God’s will; everything happens according to His plan just like all men die eventually.
Peter has plenty of time that evening to play bridge.
Tolstoy begins with the end of the story, and then he moves back in time to tell Iván Ilych’s life. He was a simple man who died at age 45 after having led an ordinary life.
The story begins with the protagonist’s childhood. He is a middle child and his father was in government. The protagonist attended law school and aimed to be like those who were successful, such as politicians. After graduating, he began working for the government.
He worked as an official for the governor and was transferred to a new town. He became friends with his neighbors and took up card playing. He married Praskovya Fyodorovna, his best friend’s wife. The marriage started off well but turned difficult after she had their first child. Iván Ilych dealt with it by spending more time at work than he did at home, which is when he made all of his moves in life: promotions, children births and deaths… Years passed: His eldest daughter was 16 years old while his son was still in school
After a setback, Ivan Ilych fights for a job with higher pay and ends up with one in St. Petersburg. He throws himself into decorating his house. One day when he is hanging curtains, he slips and hits his side, but the pain goes away quickly. The family settles into their new life by making friends with the right people and attending social functions regularly. Ivan Ilych does his job well enough to be considered adequate by everyone else around him, as long as they don’t look too closely at what he’s doing or how much time it takes him to get things done. He lives as he believes life should be lived: easily, pleasantly, and decorously (in other words without any real substance).
Iván Ilych’s pain in his left side gets worse. He had a fall while hanging drapes, and now he has an unpleasant taste in his mouth. His health deteriorates more, and he becomes irritable with those around him. The doctors diagnose him as having an appendix problem, but it just gets worse over time. Eventually, Iván Ilych moves into a separate room where he can’t move around much anymore because of the pain in his side.
After three months of being sick, Ivan Ilych can no longer control his bodily functions and needs help. He chooses Gerasim to take care of him because he is pleasant and kind. Even though most people disgust Ivan Ilych nowadays, the two get along well together. As time passes, Iván Ilych becomes increasingly aware that everyone around him is hypocritical; they only pretend to be compassionate and caring towards others. His wife especially makes him angry with her hypocrisy since she pretends to love him while actually despising both him and Gerasim for taking care of her husband as he dies. Only his son seems to truly care for Ivan Ilych during this difficult time in his life, but even that relationship is tainted by the fact that it’s a business transaction between them—Ivan will provide money for the boy in exchange for kindness now so that when he grows up he will make sure Iván’s family gets their fair share after Iván dies.
