AN ANALYSIS OF LEO TOLSTOY AND THE DEATH OF IVAN ILYCH.
Tolstoy painted such vivid pictures of death after the first half of his writing career because he was figuratively dying. As a result, he was able to relate to death. In this paper we will discuss Tolstoy and his intense enticement to describe and understand the stages of death. Also this essay will explain the significance of "The Death of Ivan Ilych" in comparison to the life Tolstoy. Finally, this composition will conclude discussing the communication between the living and the dead in expressions.
The author's descriptive analysis of "The Death of Ivan Ilych," was as natural to him as waking up each morning. Furthermore, a wonderful example of his descriptive nature is when he describes Peter Ivanovich observing Ivan Ilych's corpse. Tolstoy states.
"His rigid limbs sunk in the soft cushions of the coffin, with the head forever bowed on the pillow. His yellow waxen brow with bald patches over his sunken temples was thrust up in the way peculiar to the dead, the protruding nose seeming to press on the upper lip. He was much changed and had grown even thinner since Peter Ivanovich had last seen him, but as is always the case with the .
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dead, his face was handsomer and above all more dignified than when he was alive. The expression on the face said that what was necessary had been accomplished, and accomplished rightly."(Katz 125).
Tolstoy begins the essay with Ilych's friends surprisingly finding out about his death. However, the story is actually about Ivan Ilych's stages leading up to his death. Death and its stages seemed to be very important to Leo Tolstoy. This analysis comes into focus as his last agonizing stages of death are placed in great detail. The various stages of death became more evident as the story unfolds, occurring in the following order: "Denial and isolation, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.