Heroes, throughout time, intrinsically portray noble stalwarts that selflessly defend commoners from imminent danger by operating with abounding strength and bravery. A steadfast moral compass, that also inherently abides within them, leads heroes to ethical and upright decisions. Conversely, a protagonist who lacks the qualities of a hero is referred to as an antihero; he or she serves as an example of how one should not live. Leo Tolstoy contributes to the hero versus antihero archetype with Ivan Ilych, who, when faced with his own mortality, commits to an internal battle between right and wrong. In The Death of Ivan Ilych by Leo Tolstoy, the protagonist Ivan Ilych overcomes his self-centeredness and cowardice to achieve the status of a hero by bravely confronting the realities of his life.
Ivan Ilych’s desire for power and high social status drive him toward self-centeredness, which defines him as an antihero. Gleaned from the notion that he deserves to ascend the social hierarchy, “Ivan Ilych became …show more content…
By breaking through his selfishness and cowardice as though “he fell through the hole and there at the bottom was a light,” (Tolstoy 155) Ivan Ilych comes to an appreciation that love holds more importance than social status and propriety. He becomes a hero to the reader because he discerns that only love remains when all other material possessions waste away. In the final hours of his life, the love from Ivan Ilych’s son shines through his suffering and humbles him because he recognizes that his selfishness developed into a cruel impediment to his family’s happiness. Therefore, dying becomes Ivan Ilych’s greatest act of heroism because he abandons his self-centeredness and bravely sacrifices himself to relieve the burden he places on his family. Once Ivan Ilych embraces his newfound humility by asking for forgiveness and faces his demise without fear, he truly embodies the fundamental qualities of a
Ivan Ilych’s desire for power and high social status drive him toward self-centeredness, which defines him as an antihero. Gleaned from the notion that he deserves to ascend the social hierarchy, “Ivan Ilych became …show more content…
By breaking through his selfishness and cowardice as though “he fell through the hole and there at the bottom was a light,” (Tolstoy 155) Ivan Ilych comes to an appreciation that love holds more importance than social status and propriety. He becomes a hero to the reader because he discerns that only love remains when all other material possessions waste away. In the final hours of his life, the love from Ivan Ilych’s son shines through his suffering and humbles him because he recognizes that his selfishness developed into a cruel impediment to his family’s happiness. Therefore, dying becomes Ivan Ilych’s greatest act of heroism because he abandons his self-centeredness and bravely sacrifices himself to relieve the burden he places on his family. Once Ivan Ilych embraces his newfound humility by asking for forgiveness and faces his demise without fear, he truly embodies the fundamental qualities of a