Symbolism In The Death Of Ivan Ilyich By Leo Tolstoy

He was afraid of that sack, yet wanted to fall through” (99). The Death of Ivan Ilyich, by Leo Tolstoy, is the story of a man who cares for nothing but worldly achievements and self-seeking happiness. Completely engrossed in his career, Ivan gives no thought to his spiritual life, and, as a result, the idea of death never crosses his mind—until death knocks on his door. When death stares Ivan in the face and laughs at his helplessness , Ivan can do nothing but pity himself, seeing no escape from the black sack that awaits him; however, in the last moments of his life, God gives Ivan a hope—the hope that he can escape the cruel clutches of death. The black sack only appears twice in the story, yet its significance is powerful. In The Death of Ivan Ilyich, Tolstoy reveals the meaning of the story by using the symbolism of the black sack to represent not only Ivan’s death and despair but also his path to hope and ultimate salvation.
The black sack represents death in multiple ways. For example, a black sack is actually a body bag. A body bag is “a bag used for carrying a corpse from…the scene of an accident or crime”(Oxford Dictionary). Thus Ivan senses death through the symbolism of a body bag or “black sack.” The first …show more content…
Despite his suffering, Ivan was able to escape despair and death by repenting and turning to God. While only appearing twice in the story, the black sack is a small symbol that displays the meaning of the work as a whole. It is a symbol of everyone’s death—Ivan had to travel through the dark pit to find salvation. Everyone will travel this path, but in order to see the light at the bottom of their black sack, they must open their hearts to God and turn to Him. Christ said, “’I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life’”(John