...Tolstoy Ivan Ilyich has done nothing that would help him be termed as a noble. He is just a common man, but nevertheless, he does assume tremendous importance as an interesting literary figure on account of the experience he undergoes due to his sufferings prior to his death. His death in many ways is very similar to conditions that common human beings suffer in life, but he elates his character above that of the common men by having realized the uselessness of the life he lived before his death. This realization makes him rise above the common man. This is because common men are found avoiding the reality of death. They do not make the required efforts that would help them make their lives worthwhile and memorable. Ilyich by having realized the reality of death and the uselessness of his own life has managed to elate himself above the other common people and this makes his death and sufferings different than the condition of other human beings who mostly remain unaware of this important fact of life (Jahn, 1993). The death of the protagonist comes out to be a long way away from speaking to the condition of all human beings. Through his death, the readers are able to view, observe and understand a person who has been wasting his life and was incapable of admitting one of the main real fact of life; death. His death rather than speaking for the common men make it explicitly clear that the way we are living our live is of paramount importance. The protagonist’s death is more of...
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...With the emphasis on the Collected Poems by RS Thomas and The Death of Ivan Ilych by Leo Tolstoy and with wider reference to Wit Margaret Edson explore if the modern world destroy emotions, passions and irrationality creating a selfish, unresponsive and rational society? By: Imogen Teale The age we live in is the age of 'the machine,' where technological achievements are unimaginable, 'the age of space travel, the internet, genetic engineering,'(An Introduction to Marx's Theory of Alienation) this is The Age of Enlightenment. No longer are we seen as individuals in society, we are not urged to liberate human imagination and creativity to unleash,' the true, the good and the beautiful,'(Toward a Genealogy of Individualism By Daniel Shanahan) potential of individuals encouraged by the era of Romanticism. Living in the age where despite our power to control the natural world our society is dominated by insecurities, lives characterised by feelings of isolation, loneliness and the need for escapism,'insecurity has seeped in to the fabric of our lives.' (Insecure Times: Living with Insecurity in Modern Society, Author unknown, edited by Michael Hill, John Vail, Jane Wheelock) Exploring the ideas and themes portrayed in RS Thomas' Collected Poems, Leo Tolstoy's The Death of Ivan Ilych and supported evidence from Wit by Margaret Edson each author uses a main character as a symbol for the death of the natural world and the destruction of modernity. The more densely populated cities...
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...“The Death of Ivan Ilyich” begins with the revelation of the death of the aforementioned to a group of his coworkers at their place of work, to reactions that range from utter disbelief to a disconnected acceptance, as if some had expected it. Ivan's peers shuffle thoughts of work reassignments and potential promotions due to the man's death and even show a sense of gloomy annoyance at the interruption to their regularly scheduled card games. In this way, a recurring theme of selfishness and duty to social expectations is set in place. The story moves back in time to describe Ivan Ilyich's life from the time he attended law school, to his appointment as a court judge of high position, and death at the age of forty-five. Ivan was a hard working man, but came to dislike his family and family life due to marrying simply for the utility of such an arrangement with...
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