Love Truly Conquers All.....Even Death

Ronald Blythe stated, “[Love] could have rescued Ivan Ilyich from all the fright and despair which terorized him during the final two weeks had he allowed it to. . . Love masters death [only at the end].” I could not agree more with Blythe. In my opinion, "The Death of Ivan Illyich," is not only about the literal death of Ivan but also the death of Ivan's soul. It is evident that occupation, status, and love are the key components that make up his soul and slowly die throughout the novella. However, his fading love with his wife is a subject for investigation in that, the pressure of a failing and unhappy marriage could be responsible for the death of Ivan Ilyich.
As the novel works from the end to the beginning, as a reader we see Ivan's life fail right before our eyes. It seems as though his wife no longer cares for his well-being. She is incredibly self-centered and is more worried with sucking more money out of the government instead of playing the role of grieving wife. She talks more about how Ivan's cries of pain and suffering bothered her to such an extent that she could not support or care for her husband. One could assume that her love and support for Ivan could have saved him. Even though Ivan became consumed with wealth and status, Praskovya's failure to love him is ultimately the last factor which kills his soul and eventually his persona. In this way, as we piece the puzzle to the mystery of Ivan's death, we realize that Praskovya had much influence in the matter. Whether simply speculation, her love could have conquered all, even death.
In this way, "The Death of Ivan Ilyich," is the curious quest to prove the power of love. We see how even when an occupation, status, or wealth is on the path to failure, love has the potential to fix emotional distress and suffering. For these reasons and many more, Tolstoy's story is a backward interpretation of the true power of love and how the quality of life can be forever changed by its extraordinary strength.