The death of Ivan Ilyich ;Review;

It’s a story of Ivan Ilyich and his death ,it seems quite simple as a premise but the complexities of the story are worth discussing it .

Ivan was pursuing his life in the way society deemed normal and important at that time .He married because it was the right thing to do ,he minimized his presence In the house .He was admired for his correctness and good manners with his superiors and colleagues .There's a passage : "He behaved with dignity both with his superiors and inefriors .he was exceedingly reserved ,punctilious ,and even severe (in official matters ).but in society he was often amusing and witty and always good natured,correct in his manner , and bon enfant ". Climbing the social ledger was the only worth time consuming activity .His life wasn’t linear but the real dip was his sickness ,that he found hard to adjust to at first or even to accept .Even during his pursuit of an answer to his illness ,theories were multiple. There’s a passage :”From the doctor’s summing up Ivan Ilyich concluded that things were bad ,but that for the doctor ,and perhaps for everybody else ,it was a matter of indifference, though for him it was bad “ It explores the dynamics of the relationship between Ivan and the doctor ,it’s something we don’t necessarily learn in textbooks but we do experience when we’re in the place of the patient or we hear it from someone close .

We get to explore suffering of a lonely men ,the denial , the seeking of a diagnostic and treatment then the seeking of relief from the pain ,then the questioning of the life he had as he’s nearing the end ;This whole process alone even if he has “family “, “friends” and ” physicians“.

His closest surrounding couldn’t grasp his state .Even after his death here’s a passage of a dialogue including his wife Fedorovna : “For the last three days he screamed incessantly .It was unendurable .I cannot understand how I bore it .You could hear him three rooms off. Oh what I have suffered .”

Even his colleagues upon hearing his death ,started thinking about the promotions now that his post is empty .

It’s right that the story is in 19 th century ,and with the medical advances we got to witness .There’s an important part of medicine that still needs to be improved ,and it’s palliative care .

A 19th century perspective that is quite familiar in our the 21th century.

Have you read this book .If so what do you think ? Tell us your thoughts .