Point of View

"The Death of Ivan Ilych" is narrated by a third-person voice, telling Ivan Ilych's life story from what often seems like an objective point of view. The narrator speaks of the events in Ivan Ilych's life, both great and small, in the same tone. Ivan's marriage, his new house, the deaths of three of his children, the birth and education of two, and his fall while fixing the curtains are described in impersonal, quick paragraphs. Events that seem as though they should be more significant in his life are often thrown together with matters that are trivial, bringing all in Ivan Ilych's life down to the same superficial level. As paragraphs start with "So . . . ," they sweep away years of Ivan Ilych's life that are pleasantly and inconsequentially lived. Because Ivan Ilych treats all aspects of his life, from his work to his friends and family, in...