Comment on one or more of the following passages:
"It came up and stood right in front of him, and looked at him, and he froze, the light died out of his eyes, and once more he started asking himself, 'Surely it can't be the only truth?' . . . . And what was worst of all was that it drew his attention to itself, not for him to do something different, but only for him to look it straight in the eyes, look at it and, having nothing else to do, suffer unspeakably" (p. 38 section 6).
" .... he wanted someone to pity him as a sick child is pitied. He wanted them to stroke him, kiss him, cry a little over him, as children are cuddled and consoled" (p. 43, section 7)
The second one draws close to my heart, when you watch a person who has been strong for their whole life and finally it comes time for death and I watched my grandfather who was one of the greatest leaders i could ever have known die and when he was going this passage describes what i saw from him and it was fear. For his whole life he was in control and then he had to give it up and he did not know how to react other than hoping to be eased from this world and to have someone there to tell him it will be okay even when it is a fact that it will not be.
ReplyDeleteI find similar meaning within this quote. There are certain people that we see and in this case also read about who never normally would want pity in any way. They are the people we generally tend to see as strong leaders in some ways. I feel like it takes a lot for some people to get to this point like it did with Ivan. This reminds of my grandmother before she passed. She was always a strong person and the one who was doing extra work to help out others. Once you get to the end in many situations you become the one in need of help.
DeleteIn the first passage we can see how death is personified in the novel just as we discussed in in the last portion of class. The “it” that is referred to in the passage is death and Ivan Ilyich’s realization that it is inevitable and quickly closing in. Ivan is still young and is having incredible difficulty coping with the fact that death is at his door step. He searches for any possible alternatives any way that he might be able to escape this fate, but in the end he acknowledges it as a certainty and struggles to make peace with it.
ReplyDeleteIt can be seen in the second passage how Ivan is distraught over the fact that no one seems to be making a big deal over his eminent death. For Ivan, this predicament is the greatest tragedy in the world, yet his family and friends appear to be passing it off as only an ailment that will heal with time. He is craving human contact as his strength is leaving him and he approaches death. Ivan simply wants those around him to acknowledge the situation for what it is, instead of lying to him by saying things are going to be alright.
I think the second quote is about Ivan not feeling something with others because he does not a have a person that will take care of him like that in trying their best to help them out. He feels disconnected with people and starts to regret some of his decisions in life. The people around him do not seem to be taking his death very serious some are talking about the promotion and stuff that they can get because he is now dead.
ReplyDeleteThe second one caught my eye. My dad is one of the most important guys in my life. He has always been so strong and I look up to him a lot. However my dad was diagnosed with pancritis. He has "attacks" that cause him to double over in pain. My father also had a heart attack my senior year of high school. This was a very scary time for my family. It was amazing to me that a man who i have known to be so strong and the one i look to to take care of my to break down in tears and feel helpless. My dad just wanted someone to take care of him because of the pain that he was in. It is incredible the way that someone who is looked at as high and mighty can be taken down to the level of the weakest person in a short amount of time.
ReplyDeleteThe second one definitely caught my eye because from reading it I could sense the disconnection that Ivan must have felt. It helps me better understand some of the pain that Ivan was facing and how he felt no one was taking his death very seriously. Honestly I would probably have trouble dealing with my eventual death if I felt no one was caring when I died or what they could get when I am gone.
ReplyDeleteit is normal to want some one to love and miss you. He just wanted someone to morn his death not see it as a chance to move ahead in the world. I feel like that sometimes when I am sick I want someone to be concerned about how i feel and hope i get better.
ReplyDeleteIn the second passage i feel like Ivan's life is flashing before his eyes and the realization that he didn't really have anyone in the end that would truly morn his death was really bothering him. He was suffering alone because of his life choices and was not taking it well. I feel like it is normal for Ivan to want someone to be there for him and to cry over him, but because of his life decisions and the way he pushed people away, there wasn't anyone that was crying and carrying on about his death.
ReplyDeletethe second passage hit me with the meaning in that no matter how old you are, no matter how brave you are in life, when it gets right down to it, we're all still children.
ReplyDeleteand just like children whenever we are hurt, or sad, we want someone to comfort us, to grab us close and tell us it's going to be okay.
he needs and wants the reassurance that out there is someone who cares for him, and worries over him, as one would worry over a child, because at heart, that is what he is, a scared, hurt, and sick child.
The second comment strikes me as Ivan desperately wanting attention from those around him. He wanted to be pampered and taken care of as if he was a child. he felt lonely and needed to be comforted because he was feeling scared of knowing that he was on the verge of death. He's craving what he once had as a child and he just wants things to go back to the way they were before.
ReplyDeleteThe first one was the one that made me think of loss in my family that was probably one of the hardest things to do. It made me feel like I was literally watching someone take their last breathe before they past away. A certain type guilt also because you cant do anything to stop nature doing its work. The second quote is softer is asking for sympathy in my eyes I feel a softer tone coming from it.
ReplyDeleteThe second passage was the one that really stuck out to me in The Death of Ivan Illyich. Here was a man who had been strong his entire life, did not rely on anybody to help him through life. Then one day he finds out he is dying and starts to rely on people. He starts looking for people to show love and affection to him in his weaken state.
ReplyDeleteThe second quote made me feel kind of sad. All he wanted was for someone else to comfort him and no one in his family could do it. He was the one that did everything for everyone and now it was like he was the weak one. I can't imagine how someone would feel if they were in his position. In fact, I can't imagine how he felt. He never had to rely on anyone, but himself. He got through it alone and now that he is on his death, he is the one asking for help, not the one giving it. So it's kind of sad to see what he is going through.
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