major 2
Name of college: Maharanishree nandkuvarba mahila arts and commerce College
Name: Gohil Dhruvishaba Jaydipsinh
Year: F.Y.B.A. (Sem-1)
Subject: English (Major-2)
👉Home assignment✨
Question : Write a Note on Realism with Reference to Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Ilyich
~> Introduction
Realism is a literary movement and method that presents life as it actually is. It avoids unnecessary imagination, idealization, and exaggerated description. Realist writers focus on ordinary people, everyday life, society, human relationships, problems, and emotions.
Realism gives importance to truth and reality. It presents both the positive and negative sides of human life. Realist literature often deals with subjects such as family, work, social status, money, illness, suffering, and death.
Leo Tolstoy is one of the important writers who presents human life realistically. His novella The Death of Ivan Ilyich is a powerful example of Realism.
~> Realism in The Death of Ivan Ilyich
The Death of Ivan Ilyich tells the story of Ivan Ilyich, a respectable middle-class Russian judge whose life changes when he becomes seriously ill. Through his life, illness, suffering, and approaching death, Tolstoy presents the realities of ordinary human existence.
The story does not present an ideal or perfect world. Instead, Tolstoy shows the weaknesses, fears, selfishness, social conventions, and emotional struggles of human beings. This makes the work strongly realistic.
1. An Ordinary Protagonist
Ivan Ilyich is not a traditional heroic character. He is an ordinary professional man who wants a respectable career, a comfortable home, and a socially successful life.
His ambitions and concerns are familiar aspects of everyday human life. Through an ordinary man, Tolstoy explores universal human experiences.
2. Realistic Everyday Life
The story presents ordinary aspects of life such as career, marriage, family relationships, social position, household matters, and professional success.
Tolstoy does not create a fantasy world. He shows the kind of life that ordinary people experience and the importance they often give to social respectability and comfort
3. Psychological Realism
One of the strongest features of the story is its portrayal of Ivan Ilyich’s inner feelings.
As his illness becomes serious, he experiences fear, loneliness, anxiety, pain, and confusion. He begins to think deeply about his life and questions whether he has lived correctly.
Tolstoy therefore presents not only external events but also the psychological changes taking place inside the character.
4. Reality of Illness and Suffering
Illness is presented realistically rather than romantically. Ivan Ilyich experiences physical suffering as well as emotional and mental pain.
His illness makes him understand that death is not an abstract idea but a real possibility that every human being must face.
This honest treatment of suffering is an important characteristic of Realism.
5. Social Reality
Tolstoy also presents the behaviour of society around Ivan Ilyich. The people around him are influenced by social manners, personal interests, and conventions.
The story shows a contrast between social appearance and genuine human sympathy. This realistic observation of society adds depth to the story.
6. Human Weakness
Realism does not present human beings as perfect. Tolstoy shows characters with weaknesses and limitations.
Ivan Ilyich himself has spent much of his life concerned with social respectability and material comfort. His illness forces him to reconsider these values.
Thus, Tolstoy realistically presents the weaknesses and contradictions of human nature.
7. Reality of Death
Death is the central reality of the story. Tolstoy does not treat death as something distant or romantic. He presents the fear and suffering associated with it.
Ivan Ilyich gradually becomes aware of his mortality. His approaching death makes him examine the meaning of his life.
This direct treatment of death is one of the strongest examples of Realism in the story.
8. Gerasim and Genuine Humanity
The character of Gerasim, Ivan Ilyich’s servant, is important in showing genuine human sympathy.
While some people behave according to social conventions, Gerasim responds to Ivan Ilyich’s suffering with kindness and understanding.
Through this contrast, Tolstoy explores the difference between artificial social behaviour and genuine human compassion.
Major Features of Realism in the Story
The following features make The Death of Ivan Ilyich a realistic work.
=>Ordinary characters
Everyday social life
=>Realistic family and professional relationships
=>Psychological depth
=>Human weaknesses and imperfections
=>Social conventions and behaviour
=>Physical and emotional suffering
=>The reality of death
=>Genuine human emotions and compassion
Why is the Story Realistic?
The story is realistic because Tolstoy does not try to make human life appear perfect. He shows people as they really can be—with ambitions, weaknesses, fears, selfishness, suffering, and moments of understanding.
The story also makes the reader think about an important question: What makes a life meaningful?
Ivan Ilyich’s illness becomes a turning point because it forces him to look beyond social success and examine his real life.
~>Conclusion
Realism is the truthful representation of life, society, and human nature. Leo Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Ilyich is an excellent example of this approach.
Through an ordinary man, Tolstoy presents everyday life, social relationships, psychological suffering, human weakness, illness, and death. He does not idealize his characters or their lives. Instead, he makes the reader face the realities of human existence.
Therefore, The Death of Ivan Ilyich clearly demonstrates how Realism presents life not as an ideal world, but as a complex reality filled with ordinary experiences, human emotions, suffering, and truth.
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