This content is from Wikipedia. We do not consider this content professional or citable. Please use your discretion when relying on it. GradeSaver also offers a professionally written study guide by one of our staff editors.

Interpretation

Many people have different interpretations for the end of the novella. One such interpretation is that Ivan Ilyich's whole struggle and agony ends with the great gift of a cessation of suffering. Another interpretation is that Ivan Ilyich's breakthrough is the freedom that comes with truth--in his case, seeing the falsity of his life, which enables him to have a brief moment of unselfish love or at least compassion for his wife and son. It can also be interpreted that Ivan did not feel compassion towards his wife, but pity, and saw the truth of humanity in his son, that is, what it meant to be truly human.

In his lectures on Russian Literature Russian-born novelist and critic Vladimir Nabokov argues that, for Tolstoy, a sinful life (such as Ivan's) is moral death. Therefore death, the return of the soul to God is, for Tolstoy, moral life. To quote Nabokov: "The Tolstoyan formula is: Ivan lived a bad life and since the bad life is nothing but the death of the soul, then Ivan lived a living death; and since beyond death is God's living light, then Ivan died into a new life- Life with a capital L." ^[6]

Perhaps another interpretation of the end of the novella is a more modern version of what Nabakov called God's living light: true consciousness. Ivan has been but a drone, living a lie perpetuated by society at large. In many ways he is analogous to Babbit in his pursuit of social ideals. Yet perhaps through his interactions with Gerasim, the dedicated and empathetic servant boy, Ivan begins to feel genuine human affection. Gerasim exiting the room thus begins the path of the snowball of Ivan's consciousness. He knocks on the door of self reflection, but tries his hardest to resist the truth. However, the momentum cannot be stopped. The kiss from his son's fingers acts as a catalyst for final acceptance and clarity. He can finally see his life through the lens of the truth, the emptiness of his history, and the fullness of what little future he has. As he breaks into the realm of consciousness he connects with his family. The clarity with which he now sees allows him to fall to death peacefully and with acceptance.