Gerasim, on the other hand, acknolodges death, and does not ignore it. What really seems to draw Ivan to Gerasim is the fact that he seems to be the only one to pity him, instead of trying to ignore him. Ivan then begins to learn from Gerasim; he learns to accept death.
Full Answer
How does Gerasim react to Ivan’s death?
By acknowledging that it is death and not illness, Gerasim explodes "the lie" and is able to connect with Ivan on a sympathetic and human level. By the end of the chapter, it is the moral pain caused by "the lie" that torments Ivan most of all.
Why does Gerasim support Ivan's leg?
While Praskovya and Lisa, because of their self-interested natures, can only exacerbate Ivan's condition, Gerasim can both comfort and heal the dying man. When he supports Ivan's legs, Gerasim bridges the gap, both physically and spiritually, between Ivan and the world.
How does Tolstoy present the relationship between Ivan and Gerasim?
Moreover, as the falsity around him continues to "poison" his final days, Ivan is only truly comfortable in Gerasim's presence. Tolstoy's moral elevation of Gerasim, a "peasant lad," is both a defiant attack on convention and traditional authority as well as a clear statement about the proper way to live.
What did Ivan Ilych say to Gerasim in a weak voice?
“Gerasim!” said Ivan Ilych in a weak voice. “Gerasim started, evidently afraid he might have committed some blunder, and with a rapid movement turned his fresh, kind, simple young face which just showed the first downy signs of a beard. “Yes, sir?” “That must be very unpleasant for you. You must forgive me. I am helpless.”
What special care did gerasim give to Ivan Ilych?
Given the task of helping Ivan with his excretions and comforting him at night, Gerasim sees his duties as aid to a dying man. While Praskovya and Lisa, because of their self-interested natures, can only exacerbate Ivan's condition, Gerasim can both comfort and heal the dying man.
How does Ivan respond when confronted with the symptoms of his illness initially?
Ivan becomes annoyed with himself one day when he starts to believe that a wonder-working icon can affect miracles. Ivan realizes that those around him think everything is normal, and do not understand nor care to understand his condition.
Why was Ivan Ilych life terrible?
Ivan's life is terrible because it is a life devoid of true freedom, of true individuality. Ivan does not use his own reason to direct his moral life. Rather, he imbibes his beliefs from aristocrats. In a sense, Ivan is a robot.
Why does Ivan Ilych have such a difficult time accepting his illness and death?
Yet, Ivan cannot find an explanation for that general illness, he cannot understand why he is suffering. His spiritual rebirth is stalled because, as in Chapter IX, Ivan is still unable to admit that he has not lived correctly.
Why does Ivan become ill?
Ivan falls ill after a tumble in his drawing room; Ivan grows up and starts leading a false life. There are two good candidates for the moment when Ivan "falls under The Dark Power," each of which gives a different reading of "The Dark Power" which overwhelms Ivan.
Why was Ivan unhappy at the end of the story?
It seems that Ivan rectifies his life by dying. He finds that he wants to die now, not so much to put an end to his own sufferings, but to end the suffering of his family. His death itself can be seen as an act of compassion – possibly his first one.
What does Ivan Ilych realize?
He realizes that life will be better for his family when he dies, and desires to say as much, but not having the strength to speak, he understands that he must act.
Why was Ivan's family life unhappy?
Ivan Ilych is responsible for his family's troubles, because he has always refused to show any sympathy to his wife and children. Praskovya Fedorovna has no love for her husband, and by the time he dies she is only interested in his money.
What is the moral of The Death of Ivan Ilych?
An acceptance of death, however, and recognition of the true unpredictable nature of life allows for confidence, peace, and even joy at the moment of death. More than anything else, then, the novel can be seen as a lesson on making sense of death through living rightly.
What is the reaction of Ivan's friends when they learn of his death?
They were happy they werent the ones who died and feel it is a burden to attend the boring funeral of Ivan.
What does Tolstoy's novella The Death of Ivan Ilych offer as we consider living a life that matters?
The Death of Ivan Ilych is designed to make us question the way we have been living, and ultimately, to conform our behavior to the model of right living presented in the n ovel. Although imparted in the context of a story rather than in a logical argument, Tolstoy's beliefs come across no less clearly.
What is the conflict in The Death of Ivan Ilyich?
The central drama of the story is Ivan's struggle with illness and death, and Tolstoy gives us quite the setup. He tells us Ivan's whole life story up to the point when he becomes sick. We get to know Ivan, his habits and desires, his family and friends, and his circumstances.
Why doesn't Gerasim mind Ivan?
While the other servants, along with Praskovya and Liza, are all unable to sympathize with Ivan because they don’t truly want to understand what it must be like to be in his position, Gerasim doesn’t mind because he accepts that everyone will someday face a similar fate.
Who is Ivan's favorite caretaker?
A gentle and kind man, Gerasim is quite wise, reminding Pyotr Ivanovich at Ivan’s funeral that death will come for everyone someday.
Who is Ivan Ilyich's servant?
Gerasim. A young man from a peasant family, Gerasim is one of Ivan Ilyich ’s servants. Unlike everyone else in the house, Gerasim is more than willing to empathize with Ivan because he isn’t afraid to try to understand what it must be like to die.
Why did Gerasim weep in Chapter 9?
He was weeping because of his own helpless state, and his loneliness, and other people’s cruelty, and God’s cruelty, and God’s non-existence.
What does Gerasim say about the state of affairs?
When one comments to Gerasim about the state of affairs, he replies "'It's God's will. We shall all come to it some day' " (254). He embodies the stability of the peasantry. He is strong, emotionally balanced, and knows that death is a part of life. He is not bothered by it, just takes it respectfully in stride.
What is the death of Ivan Ilyich?
the death of ivan Ilyich One can see that satisfaction in life is a mirage because the same is interpreted differently by different people.... Thesis statement: The analysis of the character Ivan Ilyich in the novella the death of ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy proves that this character faces emotional trauma in his private circle, he tries to withstand the same by undergoing guilty consciousness, but self realization and reconciliation helps him to get transformed from a self-centered individual to an enlightened persona in the end....
What do his work cronies think of the obituary?
His work cronies read the obituary in the local newspaper and have two thoughts. The first one, an opening will occur in the department and one of them will be promoted. They begin to fantasize about the higher pay and status of the new position . The second one, they will have to go through the formalities of visiting the family, attending the funeral and subsequent burial. They are not saddened or upset, they think of this as an inconvenience "his so-called friends, could not help thinking also that they would now have to fulfil [sic] the very tiresome demands of propriety by attending the funeral service and paying a visit of condolence to the widow" (Tolstoy, 248).
What is Gerasim's willingness to accept the fact that Ivan is dying?
Gerasim's willingness to admit and accept the fact that Ivan is dying is in contrast to the hypocritical attitude of Ivan's family and friends. By acknowledging that it is death and not illness, Gerasim explodes "the lie" and is able to connect with Ivan on a sympathetic and human level.
What does Gerasim serve Ivan?
Gerasim serves Ivan "easily, willingly, simply, and with a good nature.". More than the physical pain, what begins to torment Ivan most of all is the awful deception of those around him. They use the pretense that he is not dying but is simply ill.
What does Gerasim accept?
Gerasim accepts unpleasantness and pain as a part of life. He understands that the world is unpredictable, and he knows the value of sympathy. Gerasim's qualities temporarily rescue Ivan from his life of isolation and unhappiness. Ivan is cut of from his family, friends, and colleagues not only by their indifference to his predicament ...
How does Tolstoy comfort Ivan?
He not only helps Ivan with his bodily eliminations, he also comforts Ivan by "supporting" Ivan's feet on his own shoulders. This position is strikingly similar to the position of women during childbirth, and Tolstoy may be hinting at a process of spiritual rebirth helped along by Gerasim as a kind of midwife.
What is Tolstoy's moral elevation of Gerasim?
Tolstoy's moral elevation of Gerasim, a "peasant lad," is both a defiant attack on convention and traditional authority as well as a clear statement about the proper way to live. Not the elite, nor the wealthy, nor the nobles experience the peace and assurance that Gerasim does. Only the peasant servant has no fear of death and no discomfort in dealing with someone who is dying. Gerasim accepts unpleasantness and pain as a part of life. He understands that the world is unpredictable, and he knows the value of sympathy.
Does Gerasim offend Ivan?
Unlike the health and vitality of others, Gerasim's health and vitality do not offend Ivan. One day, as Gerasim is helping Ivan to the sofa, Ivan finds that his pain is much relieved while Gerasim is holding his feet. After that, Ivan frequently asks Gerasim to hold his legs on his shoulders, finding that that position is best of all.
Who supports Ivan's legs?
At times Gerasim supports Ivan's legs all night. Gerasim alone does not lie about the nature of Ivan's situation. With the words, "We shall all of us die, so why should I grudge a little trouble," Gerasim makes clear to Ivan that he does not consider his work a burden, but a service to a dying man.
What is the only control Ivan has over his life?
By finally letting go of the idea of beating this illness, Ivan goes against his doctors, and this is perhaps the only kind of control over his life that he’s able to recapture before dying—a kind of control that has more to do with the way he mentally frames his situation than with what will actually happen to him.
What does Tolstoy mean by the death of Ivan Ilyich?
In The Death of Ivan Ilyich, Tolstoy uses Ivan ’s decline to illustrate the uncomfortable fact that becoming ill often means involuntarily relinquishing control over one’s own life. Although Ivan has long enjoyed the privilege of fine-tuning his life by manipulating his power and influence in society, he now has to come to terms with the fact ...
Why does Gerasim have such a good nature and such sympathy for Ivan?
Why does Gerasim have such a good nature, and such sympathy for Ivan? It's because Gerasim knows that he himself will die one day. The other characters refuse to admit that they will die, and can't deal with Ivan's death because it makes them nervous. Gerasim has no reason to ignore the fact that Ivan's dying, because he doesn't need to hide from death from himself. He just sees a suffering, frightened, dying man and has pity on him. Gerasim recognizes the dying need comfort, and hopes that when he is dying himself he will receive from someone else the same care he gives Ivan:#N#Once when Ivan Ilych was sending him away he even said straight out: "We shall all of us die, so why should I grudge a little trouble?" – expressing the fact that he did not think his work burdensome, because he was doing it for a dying man and hoped someone would do the same for him when his time came. (7.33)#N#Of course, unlike the other characters, Gerasim isn't completely self-absorbed either. This allows him to give of himself selflessly to someone in need. Not only that, he also believes in God. This isn't ever spelled out in great detail, but Gerasim does tell Peter Ivanovich that Ivan's death is "… God's will. We shall all come to it some day" (1.50). The novella suggests that Gerasim's acceptance of death is bound up with his faith. No one else has a genuine faith like that, except of course for Ivan at the very end of the novella.
What makes Gerasim different from everyone else?
There's another thing that sets Gerasim apart from everyone else in the book: his class. While all the other characters are members of the middle class, Gerasim is a peasant, and Tolstoy never lets us forget it. Not only that, we're almost always also told that Gerasim is a "healthy" and "clean" peasant. As in:#N#…Gerasim, displaying his teeth – the even white teeth of a healthy peasant… (1.50)#N#Gerasim was a clean, fresh peasant lad, grown stout on town food and always cheerful and bright. At first the sight of him, in his clean Russian peasant costume, engaged on that disgusting task embarrassed Ivan Ilych. (7.5)#N#Gerasim with a firm light tread, his heavy boots emitting a pleasant smell of tar and fresh winter air, came in wearing a clean Hessian apron… (7.7)#N#There's something a little too idealized about Gerasim: he's a stereotype. He has no flaws; he's just pure, clean, wholesome, down-home-country peasant goodness. What a contrast with the false middle class presented in this story. If it's hard not to hear an aristocratic disdain (remember, Tolstoy was a count) for the middle class throughout The Death of Ivan Ilych, then it's just as hard not to find in Gerasim a completely romanticized vision of the simple life. You might worry that Gerasim is so one-dimensional his character seems…fake. That would be quite an irony, wouldn't it?
What is Gerasim's character?
Gerasim is Goodness personified. In the desert of falseness and fakery that is Ivan Ilych's world, Gerasim is the lone oasis of genuine honesty and kindness. Besides young Vasya, he's the one character who is obviously not false. Beyond that, Gerasim is the only person who provides comfort and support to Ivan during his illness.#N#Technically a servant employed in Ivan's house, Gerasim is the assistant of the butler, Sokolov. Gerasim is willing to do a lot to help his boss. Once Ivan's incapable of going to the bathroom without help, Gerasim is the one who gives a helping hand. Gerasim is also willing to sit or stand for hours at a time while keeping Ivan's legs resting on his shoulders, because that helps Ivan with the pain. And he takes the time to stay and talk to Ivan, which no one else really seems to do. All of this Gerasim does willingly, even happily:#N#Gerasim did it all easily, willingly, simply, and with a good nature that touched Ivan Ilych. Health, strength, and vitality in other people were offensive to him, but Gerasim's strength and vitality did not mortify but soothed him. (7.32)