Acknowledgment For The Presentation of World Literature

As we wrap our session, I would like to take a moment to say thank you for presenting world literature in a way that made it easier to grasp. Your lectures brought a different perspective than that of the book and that helped to wrap my brain around the ideas being discussed. Although it was fast and furious, it also forced me to be more thorough in my thoughts. I feel like I have gained some knowledge regarding how the literary works and worldviews of the past have influenced our world today.

I understand now how those influences are important in all walks of life.

I feel like I related more to these last few words as I could easily place them in the history timeline and understand the big picture. Having heard of some of these later authors whether it was through high school readings or movies it indeed made it easier to jog my memory of literary elements you have mentioned throughout this course.

One, in particular, is Leo Tolstoy. I found it interesting how the editors of the book described Tolstoy as one who was “a passionate advocate of the Russian peasantry” even though he was born into the highest class, the aristocrats. With access to all that this society had to offer him, he chose to spend his time focusing on those less fortunate.

Like many other works influenced by Homer, Tolstoy’s Death of Ivan Ilyich begins in the middle of the story or media res bringing us right to the point of the story.

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I felt this was not a story one would read and put back on the shelf but one that forces the reader to sit and think deeply about all that it implies without thinking about what was next on a personal schedule to accomplish. I was forced to think about the certainty of death as well as what the really important things are while we are alive. My personal thought was, “What can I do to make the time I have on earth worth talking about when I am dead and gone instead of focusing on those things that bring glory only to myself?” This is exactly the type of reaction Tolstoy was hoping for from readers. He forces you to come to terms with the fact that we will all die and helps us realize that we as humans do all we can to ignore death.

“Besides considerations as to the possible transfers and promotions likely to result from Ivan Ilych’s death, the mere fact of the death of a near acquaintance aroused, as usual, in all who heard of it the complacent feeling that, ‘it is he who is dead and not I.” (813) Even when confronted with the death of someone in our personal lives, we tend to shirk it off as Peter Ivanovich does here. However, our so-called true friends feel obligated to pay their respects to the widow. While I know that Ivan hit his side when he fell, my hope was that Tolstoy would eventually explain what really happened to Ivan that made him go crazy physically and emotionally. Although, I guess that is part of what makes the story what it is. One that allows the reader to think for themselves as to what he is implying throughout the work. I liked that Tolstoy chose to use the name Ivan Ilyich.

I learned from your lecture material, that in Russia it is the type of name that is as common as our “John Smith” and reflects his desire to be as common of a man as possible during this time period. In closing, I would like to address how this work introduced us to the idea of Realism. The sense of urgency to tell the plain truth about the world objectively and without reason cannot go unnoticed. Authors during this time period were not afraid to express their true feelings about their governments or communities. This behavior made it interesting to read how upset Ivan became when his family did not feel sorry for him when he was on his death bed, however, during his life he did not show interest in other people’s problems.

Therefore, we see the introduction of some of the worldview characteristics represented in Tolstoy’s writing. First, I noticed the sense of objectivity where the focus shifted from describing one’s surroundings with emotions to that of “what you could see with your naked eye”. (699) This means describing in a way that was real, literally. Next, I saw the use of criticism against society and individuals. I liked how Tolstoy portrayed this in Ivan Ilyich’s marriage, the birth of his children, and during his illness. Since the story is told in media res, I first noticed the criticism of the society surrounding Ivan at the time of his death and how selfish the bystanders were as they were glad it was not them. This selfishness was described by Tolstoy as coming from the influences that society had on individuals and how it clouded their ability to think of anything but themselves. Criticism was also evident within Ivan’s own marriage and the addition of children.

Where he found the marriage part to be quite nice, having to fulfill the needs of someone else took away from his focus on himself. Lastly, I saw his criticism during Ivan’s illness when he displayed angry thoughts regarding the attention he was not receiving from his family. As you explained in the lecture, he was a mirror image of his society as he never really focused on anyone but himself. This work also introduces us to isolationism and the difference between loneliness and being alone. As the worldview of this time was so critical it was not a shock to me that one would feel all alone in a very populated place. This helps explain the difference. Lonely is basically an emotion or the way someone feels when they are abandoned or isolated. On the other hand, being alone is just simply being by yourself as in a state of solitude.

I think America today mimics the Death of Ivan Ilyich. Our society and the people within it are very self-centered in their pursuit for the American dream and terribly critical of their surroundings if it gets in the way of that pursuit. I have found throughout this study that many of the worldviews are more similar in their thinking than we want to believe. However, each has unique qualities that make them who they are, and it influences other worldviews in a variety of ways. Thank you again for providing a good study on literature and worldviews and how they both influence the societies of the past, present, and future.