Reading Notes W11: Tolstoy, Part A

When reading the historical context provided in The Norton Anthology of World Literature Volume E about Leo Tolstoy and his work: "The Death of Ivan Ilyich", I'm struck by not only the work, but the individual artist. His imperfections are plastered throughout these sections; pointing out the constant contradictions between his the life he lived and the writings he produced. This is evident in the following passage which describes Tolstoy as an enigma of sorts: "And yet this heap of contradictions should not be seen as the mark of a hypocrite. Tolstoy was always fully conscious of the disparity between his ideals and his life. 'Blame me,' he wrote, 'and not the path I tread'" (735). Most critics viewed the disparity between the man and his writing as a strength. He was able to successfully write about subjects from all branches. Portraying the good and bad; as evidenced in the following: "This painful self-division reflects his intense, lifelong struggle to find the best way to live in the world- how to respond to the pressure of guilt and pleasure. . .And it suggests the source of one of his great talents as a writer: the capacity to represent a vast, various, and conflicting array of desires and ideals" (735). The work that is presented in this anthology comes from "The Death of Ivan Ilyich". It's a story about death and the acceptance of the individual who is reaching the end; and the folks who mourn his loss. Tolstoy uses the literary device of non-linear storytelling at times, especially during the beginning; first giving the readers the reaction of Ivan Ilyich's death from others, before reverting to Iilyich's himself discovering his own mortality is coming to a close. Both this fictional work (although speculation relates this story to the death of Tolstoy's brother) and Tolstoy himself, are fascinating; especially when sifting through the plethora of context available.