Student Question
How does Tolstoy portray Ivan Ilyich's priorities between work and family in chapters 1-4 of The Death of Ivan Ilyich? Would Tolstoy agree with these priorities?
Quick answer:
Ivan Ilyich’s priorities are comfort, power and prestige. Tolstoy’s priorities are to give up his inherited wealth and align himself with the poor.
Ivan Ilyich was a cold man, interested only in the comfort, power, and prestige that came to him through his official capacity as a magistrate. In his musings at the end of chapter 2, he recognizes that his life goal is to be
free from the unpleasant aspects of domestic life . . . by spending less and less time with his family . . . .
At work he enjoyed
the sense of his own power . . . the dignity of his office . . . [and] his success in the eyes of his superiors and his subordinates . . .
The proof that these are his priorities is found in his actions, beginning with his marriage choice. He married his wife not out of love, but as a socially acceptable choice of who could increase his prestige. However, as conflicts arose at home, he became more immersed...
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in work and expected only the simple actions at home that looked acceptable for a man of his rank.
His priorities as a man who wanted only quiet at home and success at work continued after the births of his children. He separated himself even further from the conflicts at home and found his home life even more disagreeable after the deaths of several of his children.
As time went on, his peace of mind deteriorated, as he believed his salary was insufficient for his position and lifestyle. Happiness returned with a promotion that brought more money and prestige, and for a short while this led to more domestic tranquillity. However, his marriage was dull, and he continued to devote himself to appearances that fed his vanity.
As he became ill, the lack of familial closeness came home to roost. As he tried to convey his health worries to his wife and daughter, they continued to immerse themselves in social activities.
Tolstoy’s priorities were quite different from Ivan Ilyich’s, although his marriage also deteriorated into one of great unhappiness. At first, his wife, who bore him thirteen children, was very supportive of his work and took care of many of the financial and editorial details. Their early marriage was collaborative and passionate, but as Tolstoy became more politically radical and spiritual, the marriage deteriorated. However, Tolstoy’s priorities were not comfort, money and prestige. His priorities were to divest himself of inherited and accumulated wealth and align himself with the poor and to espouse pacifism.