via Daily Prompt: Puzzled

Leo Tolstoy’s novella “The Death of Ivan Ilych” explores the inevitable occurrence of demise.  It is one of the human concerns, which crosses cultures and historic ages.  Tolstoy asks his readers to experience the process of dying and examining life with his protagonist Ivan Ilych.  The author is convinced that without death, life loses its meaning.  He compels Ivan Ilych to examine his life before he dies.  Olney (1972) writes that Tolstoy does not mean to frighten his readers with death, but rather to cause them to reflect on how they live.  Most do not live as if they will live forever.  Yet they spend their days as if they are not going to die.  At the end of his life, Ivan Ilych realizes that he spent his life chasing a social deception, which left him with nothing to show for.  Therefore, each must strive to…