The Death of Ivan Ilyich follows the theme of death and the acceptance of death throughout the entire story. Once he realizes he is dying he must accept death and acquire the proper attitude towards the life he lived. The life Ivan led prior to falling and hurting his side was socially oriented. He married simply because it was the right thing to do at the time. Everything he did was proper, and he did not seem to really enjoy most things in his life. It is not until he realizes that he is dying: And suddenly the matter presented itself in quite a different aspect. " It's not a question of appendix of kidney, but of life and death There was a light and now there is darkness.".
When he first discovers he is going to die he is overwhelmed with terror. He had been having dreams of a black bag that he was thrust into. This bag is a representation of death and Ivan's fear of facing his own death. In the beginning of his realization of his impending death he is upset by the fact that everyone else insists he is only sick: What tormented Ivan Ilyich most was the deception, the lie, which for some reason they all accepted, that he was not dying but was simply ill This deception tortured him wanting to lie to him concerning his condition and forcing him to participate in that lie. During this time of his illness he wanted to be pitied because he was dying, however no one would admit that he was dying. Ivan wanted comfort from his friends and family. He feared the darkness and the sight of the things his illness did to the body. .
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As the pain Ivan experiences grows worse and worse he begins to question god and his motive for bringing this pain upon him. He then questions himself about what he truly wants. The only pleasant memories he has are those of childhood, all memories of his present person are trivial and nasty. This is the period in which Ivan begins to come to terms with the fact that he did not live his life the way he really wanted to.