Who Is The Hero In Tolstoy's The Death Of Ivan Ilych

The entirety of Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Ilych leads up to the revelation Ivan has right before he is finally met with his death. The book harps on the idea that Ivan has not lived his live to the fullest, and arguably had not truly lived. Ivan valued power and doing things just as society dictated they should be done. Only in his final moments, he realizes how wrong he was in what he valued and pursued. Ivan finds himself wondering what the correct way of life would have been. Tolstoy writes, “He asked himself ’What was the right thing?’ and grew still, listening. Then he felt that someone was kissing his hand… he looked at his son, and felt sorry for him” (Tolstoy 119). In this moment, Ivan experiences the first instance of sympathy …show more content…
Don Juan is an absurd hero because he lives for the conquest of seducing women. His goal is neither love, nor is it to be with more women than anyone else. His only goal is to experience as many women as possible and enjoy each of them by living within the moment. This is a stark contrast from what Ivan realizes as important at the end of his life. There is no love for Don Juan; there is only conquest. Don Juan lives to enjoy his own life, this is evident by the fact that he cares not if he hurts every woman he sleeps with. He is just there to satisfy himself. When Ivan looks into the eyes of his son from his deathbed, he recognizes something more. Ivan sees the meaning of human connectivity; Ivan recognizes community. He knows that his choices do not only affect him, but permeate every life around him. This concept of choice affecting the lives of everyone, not just the individual, is a concept that Sartre (and all true existentialists) believe in. Sartre says that when we choose, we choose not for ourselves, but for all of humanity. This is to say that no choice is ever made in a vacuum. Every choice has an impact beyond the