The Death of Ivan Ilyich

Mar 2, 2024

You can tell he's starting to spiral a bit more on this page when he asks people to stop "lying" about his condition. I could see these "lies" in both perspectives. Maybe the doctors really thought that he would recover and was being dramatic and thus made his family not take his condition that seriously. Or maybe it was better to lie to him than tell him he was outright dying. I'm not sure if I would want the truth if I were in his position...

The Death of Ivan Ilyich

Mar 2, 2024

He's attempting to distract himself both physically with the rearranging of the room and mentally by starting arguments. I find this both funny and very realistic!

The Death of Ivan Ilyich

Mar 2, 2024

I think this is the best "death scene" I've ever read. The gradual distance we see in the narration starting from this last page is done so well it's like a camera zooming out.

The Death of Ivan Ilyich

Mar 2, 2024

" ' Take him away...sorry...for you, too..." He also wanted to say 'Forgive," but said 'Forgo,' and, no longer able to correct himself, waved his hand, knowing that the one who had to would understand." I really like this quote! It makes me wonder if those those that surrounded him both physically in the moment and in his life would understand the extent of his suffering.

The Death of Ivan Ilyich

Mar 2, 2024

XII

The Death of Ivan Ilyich

Mar 2, 2024

XI

The Death of Ivan Ilyich

Mar 2, 2024

X

The Death of Ivan Ilyich

Mar 2, 2024

This second inner voice, the "voice of his soul", resonates with power! I pictured it as some kind of thunderous god talking to him from the sky.

The Death of Ivan Ilyich

Mar 2, 2024

IX I was wondering how to picture Gerasim's posture when he holds up Ivan's legs! This must be so tiring

The Death of Ivan Ilyich

Mar 2, 2024

I like how the irony in Praskovya's statements are recognized by Ivan. He's in such a state of hyperawareness that his overthinking actually makes sense.

The Death of Ivan Ilyich

Mar 2, 2024

VI

The Death of Ivan Ilyich

Feb 17, 2024

Ivan is finally starting to contemplate death and what it means to die. If this illness truly is life threatening and physical, he is just now starting to understand what that means for his future

The Death of Ivan Ilyich

Feb 17, 2024

I wonder why we did not see a description of those physical differences between Ivan looking in the mirror and the portrait of himself

The Death of Ivan Ilyich

Feb 17, 2024

V

The Death of Ivan Ilyich

Feb 17, 2024

Interesting that the pain from this illness only appears when he has experienced an unpleasantness within his daily life. Examples include when his wife annoys him, a setback at work, or when he's played a bad hand at cards. This makes me feel like the illness is more mental than physical although described in physical symptoms. These unpleasantries correlate to Ivan's perspective of the perfect life in pg. 13 Perhaps since Ivan tried to but what it means to have a perfect life in a box, he reacts physically when something does not fit in that box.

The Death of Ivan Ilyich

Feb 17, 2024

I love the comparisons of the doctor and judge terminology.

The Death of Ivan Ilyich

Feb 17, 2024

Now the view has switched to project Ivan as more of a nag than his wife because of this illness. I can understand the frustration from both sides, especially if Ivan is in a lot of pain. At the bottom of this page, I love how the doctor is describing the specifics of the examination while also using vague terms for the reader. I think this is genius because the reader's job isn't to give Ivan a diagnosis but to learn that there is one to some extent.

The Death of Ivan Ilyich

Feb 17, 2024

IV

The Death of Ivan Ilyich

Feb 17, 2024

"But Ivan Ilyich's real pleasure was in little dinners, to which he invited ladies and gentlemen of important social position and passed the time with them similarly to the way such people usually pass the time, just as his drawing room was similar to all other drawing rooms." I love this quote because it again shows that extroverted side that Ivan relies on.

The Death of Ivan Ilyich

Feb 17, 2024

There's just something so euphoric about rearranging your room/house. I thought it was just me but I guess it applies in other people's lives too haha

The Death of Ivan Ilyich

Feb 17, 2024

**Side note: I love how this book is physically made because I can flip to the exact last page to see all the footnotes on one page. It's making reading through this a breeze! **

The Death of Ivan Ilyich

Feb 17, 2024

III Ivan Ilyich mentions that he feels abandoned by his friends and family. Realistically I think he means that this is the first time he's having to establish his own life without constant reassurance or assistance from others, so this is funny to me that he thinks the position he's in is not normal and he needs immediate change. This seems like the first sign of depression when it comes to getting older.

The Death of Ivan Ilyich

Feb 17, 2024

I find it ironic that Ivan Ilyich is interpreting his wife's behaviors as erratic and annoying in his life as if they are purely her fault. Mentioned in the pages before, he did not marry her out of immediate love, it was clear that she was infatuated by him, but more of convenience since he thought he was at a point in his time where young men like him would be getting married. Although this perspective is told from Ivan's, I can somehow sympathize with his wife in this passage especially knowing that this was early marriage.

The Death of Ivan Ilyich

Feb 17, 2024

"that character of life - easy, pleasant, merry, and always decent and approved of society - which Ivan Ilyich considered the very essence of life." I find this quote really interesting because it shows Ivan Ilyich's values. He's a rule follower and people pleaser.

The Death of Ivan Ilyich

Feb 17, 2024

I love the information we see not directly in scene. This would mostly be seen as like an information dump so we can get a sense of the character's background, but it's written so well that it doesn't read awkwardly and continues with the natural flow of the story.

The Death of Ivan Ilyich

Feb 17, 2024

II

The Death of Ivan Ilyich

Feb 17, 2024

"comme il faut" = proper/properly

The Death of Ivan Ilyich

Feb 3, 2024

Maybe it's just me, but I'm not quite sure what "acts of great vileness" in law school could refer to. Cheating? I also think the engraving on the watch could be foreshadowing to the focus on his death. "Look to the end"

The Death of Ivan Ilyich

Feb 3, 2024

I wonder why his kids seem so mad at Pyotr? Maybe they feel embarrassment for the situation (sort of like their mother) and are projecting that outwards into anger instead?

The Death of Ivan Ilyich

Feb 3, 2024

I probably shouldn't like Praskovya as much but I think her character's mannerisms are so comedically described I can't help it. "(these details Pyotr Ivanovich learned only by the effect of Ivan Ilyich's sufferings on Praskovya Fyodorovna's nerves)" immediately followed by "the widow evidently found it necessary to proceed to business" made me laugh out loud