He fights his death as he fought the truth in his life. His pain was a metaphor for his ignorance of life. When he starts to leave society?s propriety, he no longer feels the pain. When he asked for help, Gerasim provided it with goodness of heart that warmed Ivan. He felt comfortable to ask. Gerasim did not see him as a burden, unlike most of the rest of society. Gerasim realizes that suffering is life. That warmth of heart and little things to suffering person can relieve more pain than most powerful opium. As he still had the pain with morphine shots and drinking opium. However, when, ?Gerasim lifted his higher, and it seemed to Ivan Ilyich that in this position he felt no pain at all.? (Leo Tolstoy, Pg. 102) Although the doctor and his wife thought this is a foolish notion to relieve pain. As where Ivan thought, the doctor was thinking ?Patients sometimes get these absurd ideas in their head, we just have to forgive them.?
"Lev Tolstoy in Yasnaya Polyana", 1908, the first ...
English: Signature of Leo Tolstoy
Л. Н.Толстой рассказывает с...(Leo Tolstoy, Pg. 112) Slowly he gives up society?s propriety, and receives pity and compassion from Gerasim. ?He saw that no one pitied him because no one even cared to understand his situation. Gerasim was the only who understood and pitied him.? (Leo Tolstoy, Pg 103) Before his incident and his consequent suffering, he would not have allowed such pity as unbecoming of a functionary of his age. ?He knew he was an important functionary with a graying beard, and so this was impossible; yet all the same he longed for it.? (Leo Tolstoy, Pg. 104) He tortured his loved ones as he changed during his suffering, as he longed for compassion. Yet, they could not give it, as they still follow...