Ivan Ilych is the main character of The Death of Ivan Ilych, written by Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy in 1886. At the beginning of the story, the reader is an observer at the character's funeral title. Several people have gathered to remember his passing: judges, family members, and acquaintances, but, during and after the ceremony, mourners begin to consider how Ilych's death might be to their advantage in terms of money or position. In a line from William Shakespeare's Macbeth, one of the characters observes Macbeth's life as: "Nothing in his life / Became like leaving her." (Act 1; scene 4; lines 8-9). The reader is introduced to Ivan in his prime. He is the middle child of his own family and lives a normal life. He studied law and later became a judge. During this period he expels all sensitivity from his life. He completes his work objectively and in cold isolation. He becomes a strict guardian and father, traits common among heads of families in Russian culture. Seen through history, Ivan Ilyich's life is mediocre. He didn't have much influence on his peers or even his own family. Nothing he experienced in his life was significant; Ivan was happy only at the moment of his death, when he knew that his time on Earth was coming to an end. However, on his deathbed he experiences a form of spiritual awakening and looks back on his life. Ivan Ilych throughout the story questions the purpose of not only his death, but death in the life of every human being. On his deathbed, he fulfills his purpose during his final moments. Ivan reflects on the purpose of his death and the purpose of death itself. At the beginning of the sixth chapter, Ivan is fully aware that his life is fading away, but he cannot fully grasp...... middle of the paper... la, Ivan expresses deep comfort for his wife and son, who neglected him for many years. Ivan frees his mind from the ideals set by "high society" that he had believed to be true. As Ivan bridges the gap, his isolation disappears, the meaning of life is revealed, and true joy fills him. The story of The Death of Ivan Ilych begins at the scene of the main character's funeral, and then tells the story of his life. All the while, Ivan lived a normal life, with no real importance to his name. The aura of wealthy society tormented his mind with ideas of how to live. Ivan carried these ideas forward until the time of his death. Tolstoy suggests through Ivan's epiphany that his character infers an altered understanding of life and death. There was nothing of vital importance in Ivan's life until his death, when he realizes the importance of family and regrets the way he treated it..