In his short story The Death of Ivan Ilyich, Count Leo Tolstoy offers readers a glimpse into the life and death of a Russian gentleman socially ambitious, Ivan Ilyich. Over the course of the story, Ivan's character is revealed in several different ways: first, oddly enough, at his funeral, where the actions of his friends serve to describe Russian society as a whole. Tolstoy then uses the flashback technique to recount Ivan's life and his attitudes toward his family, work, and friends. Ivan's lifestyle only reinforces Tolstoy's perception of Russian society in the 1880s. Observing Ivan's thoughts and actions, it becomes apparent that he wants nothing more in life than to be approved by others and to do everything correctly. Through the life and death of Ivan Ilyich, Tolstoy criticizes the society around him, a society too preoccupied with propriety, conformity and social approval. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Tolstoy immediately begins his attack on Russian society at Ivan's funeral, through the actions of his "friends"; more specifically, it focuses on their preoccupation with proper behavior and job promotions rather than genuine grief. The various gentlemen actually show their selfish tendencies even before the funeral - as soon as they learn of Ivan's death, "the first thought of each of the gentlemen... was of the changes and promotions which this might occasion among themselves or among their knowledge” (96). They then recognize how much Ivan's death has weighed on them when they realize that "they would now have to fulfill the very tedious requirements of propriety by attending the funeral and paying a condolence visit to the widow" (97). During the funeral, Peter Ivanovich, one of Ivan's so-called closest friends, is consumed by doubt about whether he should cross himself, when he should bow to the widow, and how he should offer condolences (97-98). His attention to these small social niceties - and to the similar attitudes of others at the funeral - underlines Tolstoy's criticism of the proprieties and superficiality of Russian culture. After the funeral scene, Tolstoy returns to Ivan Ilyich's life, revealing that Ivan was just as much of a conformist as his friends. Ivan didn't care whether his behavior was morally right or not; he simply wanted to ensure that everything he did was done "with clean hands, with clean linen...and above all among people of the best society and therefore with the approval of people of rank" ( 106). Included in this category are courtship and marriage, which were "considered a good thing by the most senior of his associates" (109), as well as his behavior at work towards these associates, whom he treated in a cordial but condescending manner. (109). 107). Ivan was also concerned about appearances; he decorated his house “with antiques that he considered particularly appropriate” (115). In fact, this obsession with the appearance of his home would later contribute significantly to his emotional and physical downfall. Unfortunately, Ivan was so concerned with gaining social approval that he ultimately sacrificed his life in an attempt to climb the social ladder. This reality is clearly illustrated during an episode in which Ivan is busy decorating his new house in St. Petersburg. He climbs on a stepladder to hang curtains and suddenly slips off the ladder; However, he manages to cushion his fall and does not.