ocrisy occurs when Peter Ivanovich visits with Ivan Ilych's widow. The widow, Praskovya Fedorovna, at first puts up a good show of weeping, but it soon becomes apparent to Peter Ivanovich that all she really cares about is "how she could obtain a grant of money from the government on the occasion of her husband's death" (Tolstoy 102).
After providing this type of background in the first chapter of the novella, Tolstoy then proceeds to trace the life of Ivan Ilych, with an emphasis on those elements which lead to his feelings of isolation, his unexpected death, and finally to his inner realization of the fact that his life had been devoid of true meaning. It has been noted that Tolstoy's ordering of the plot elements in The Death of Ivan Ilych, with his death and the reactions of those around him coming first, serves to make "the ambitions, the minor successes and failures, the distractions, the sources of frustration or satisfaction, all seem so trivial in Ivan Ilych's case . . ." (Cain 159). This effect is further emphasized in Tolstoy's novella by saving the final revelation of Ivan Ilych until the very end. When Ivan Ilych's realization comes, it is quick and forceful, and the story ends on this sudden transformation in the soul of a dying man. Thus, the sudden awareness at the very end of Ivan Ilych's life stands in sharp contrast to the years of pain, suffering, loneliness and despair which are expressed in detail throughout the remainder of the novella.
Tolstoy's approach to style also serves to emphasize the basic theme of loneliness in the confrontation of death. The point of view expressed in the narrative of The Death of Ivan Ilvch is one which parallels the overall emptiness and loneliness of the main character's life. For example, it can be seen that Tolstoy's description of Ivan Ilych's career, marriage and illness all read "like an inventory rather than
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