Tolstoy - The Death of Ivan Ilych

Hmm… Tolstoy today. If nothing else, Смерть Ивана Ильича is very intriguing. It makes me somewhat regretful that Tolstoy eventually went insane, and that many of his beliefs were so spiritually, if not morally, flawed. The spiritual ethics in Ivan Ilych are stellar, and I see a lot of true thinking and right belief reflected in Tolstoy’s idea that spiritual and physical infirmity (or health) reflect one another, and that only in death may one comprehend the true meaning of life. Death is indeed the final equalizer, and when a man faces it, humility is required. One must be willing to comprehend his own life from the perspective of another, and to fully acknowledge all of the wrongs he has committed, laying his soul bare for both his own inspection, that of the world, and most importantly, that of the divine. Without this fundamental consistency and self-understanding, one’s life is not as complete. Death, therefore, ought to be constantly in mind.

From Tolstoy’s perspective, however, it seems that one’s relations with those surrounding him are the final arbiter for his peace in death, and thus in life. The soul must judge itself, in this view, and seems to be objectively condemned if it refuses to do so. I find this to be a healthy view, if incomplete. Either way, Tolstoy was a thinking and a moral man, and that is to be respected, despite some of the questionable ethics of his religious belief.

Visiting the Дом Толстого was also really interesting, from the view of how he lived his life. During the tour, I was frequently wondering whether it is wise, or really even humanizing, to preserve a person’s entire house like that, as if in wax, and to try to re-create the situation that he lived in. Does it present more of a caricature, or is the actual experience beneficial? How much analytical material are we actually presented with here that allows us to evaluate and to better understand Tolstoy’s life. And, a better question: from Tolstoy’s perspective, should we be evaluating his life, or simply leaving him be as an ordinary man and appreciating him? This would be fun to fully establish. But I digress.

Anyway, visiting his house did give me a little more respect for the man. I had previously thought of him as a sort of odd ball character, with defined ethics and morals, but who really misses the point. But he lived in close quarters with his (somewhat domineering, I think) wife and his ten children, and still insisted on living in a way that he believed to be right. He obviously had quite a resilient character, and refused to compromise his morality in the face of adversity. There were multiple beautiful things evident there, including his love for nature and music, as well as his humility and his love for his family.

And I seem to have answered my own question very neatly. Visiting the house of Lev Tolstoy may not have completely realized him in my mind, but it did make him a little more human- I know his interests now, not just his ideals. Count Tolstoy was an intriguing man, and I will appreciate spending far more time with him this coming semester.