Equivalent: Jurnal Ilmiah Sosial Teknik

Vol. 5, No. 1, January 2023

 

THE CHARACTERIZATION OF THE MAIN CHARACTE AND IVAN ILYICH CHARACTER ANALYSIS IN THE SHORT STORIES THE DEATH OF IVAN ILYICH WRITTEN BY LEO TOLYSTOY

 

Gilang Bintang, Satria Raditiyanto

Faculty of Social Sciences and Letters, Universitas Kebangsaan Republik Indonesia, Indonesia

Email: gilangbintang@ukri.ac.id, satriaraditiyanto@ukri.ac.id

 

Abstract

In this Literature research, the researcher will analyze about the characterization from the several main character and Ivan Ilyich character analysis as the main character from the short stories: The Death of Ivan Ilyich Written by Leo Tolystoy. This short stories also has scores another triumph for Nobel Prize winner. This Short stories is the filled with Ivan Ilyich profound vision of life, as the honest Judgment of a high court prosecutor in 19th-century Russian miserable husband, the proud father, and upwardly-mobile member of Russia's professional class, the object of Tolstoy's unremitting satire. The researcher will completed the character explanation with the description about the several characterizations from the another main character base from the short story written by Leo Tolystoy. Short stories are short stories with a small page 20 until 50 pages, considerably longer, depicting a real life in a complex sequence of events. Rees states that short stories is the most widely being read of all kinds of literature (1973:106). The Literature research will analyze about the characterization from the several main character, and analyze the Ivan Ilyich character base from E.M. Foster (1927), and the Ivan Ilyich obsession base from the short stories with using the structural elements of literature study.

 

Keywords: The characterizations analysis; Ivan Ilyich character analysis; Ivan Ilyich obsession; The Death of Ivan Ilyich short stories.

 

Pendahuluan

Short stories are short stories with a small page 20 until 50 pages, considerably longer, depicting a real life in a complex sequence of events (Julpiqar, 2016). Rees states that short stories is the most widely being read of all kinds of literature (Sari, 2018).

Researchers are interested in analyzing the character of Ivan Ilyich because we are more interested in knowing the character of Ivan Ilyich in this short story written by Leo Tolystoy.

Getting in touch with character analysis will highly raise awareness of the values of life since it implies moral and social values as well (Hikmasari, Susanto, & Syam, 2021). Working on literature is expected to bring the researcher to deepen of consciousness in gazing at value of life (Azzahra, 2012). In this case the researcher wants to analyze and show the general description about the main character Ivan Ilyich.

One of Leo Tolystoy short stories, The Death of Ivan Ilyich, is a dramatic stories with a lot of conflicts and motives. But the researcher will discussion more specifics with the character of Ivan Ilyich, and the researcher will describe about the characterization from the several main character likes; Praskovya Fedorovna, Peter Ivanovich, Gerasim, Lisa, Vladimir Ivanich (Vasya), and Fedor Petrovich (Petrishchev).

This short story also has scores another triumph for Nobel Prize winner. This Short stories is the filled with Ivan Ilyich profound vision of life, The honest judgment of the chief prosecutor of 19th century Russia - a hapless husband, proud father and newcomer to the Russian professional class, the constant object of Tolstoy's satire. Living a seemingly good life; despite a bad relationship with his wife, Ivan Ilyich Golovin hits his side as he draws the curtains in a new apartment designed to reflect His family's privileged position in society (Imanuel, 2019).

Dealing with statements of the problem and scope of the research, the scope of the research will be described as follows: The scope of our literature research are to try for understand how to arrange a research so that we could figure it out easier someday, and to analyze the characterization form several main character and from Ivan Ilyich character (Ningrum, 2018).

The purpose of this research is: a) The aim of the research is the life of a simple man namely Ivan Ilyich, which focuses on his struggle in his life. b) To describe the characterization from the several the main character from the short story The Death of Ivan Ilyich Written by Leo Tolystoy. c) To describe the Ivan Ilyich character and characterization as the main character. d) To describe the Ivan Ilyich obsession base on the short story The Death of Ivan Ilyich Written by Leo Tolystoy. e) To describe the internal and external conflicts experienced by Ivan ilyich.

 

Method

            The research variable used in this study is the writing of the character Ivan Ilyich in the short story Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy, explaining attitudes, reactions, perpetrators of certain events, habits, or circumstances. The research design is a literature study that then investigates the variables and provides operational definitions of the research variables (Ahmad, 2018). The method used in this research is a qualitative descriptive method, namely collecting, transforming, and analyzing data presented objectively (Nugrahani & Hum, 2014). The approach used is the descriptive method, namely the procedure for solving the problem investigated by describing the state of the research object based on the facts as they are (Tohirin, 2013). The last activity is writing a research report and drawing conclusions (Soendari, 2012).

 

Results and Discussions

1.    Character

(Handayani, 2013) distinguishes between Flat and Round character, he said that Flat characters are some characters that build in some kind of caricatures, maybe types in their purest form, just constructed around a single idea or quality and could be expressed just one sentence. We can also say that such characters do not develop in the course of the action. In the other hand, round character are defined by contractive implication, namely those that are not flat, it having more than one quality and developing in the course of the action (Raudatussolihah, 2016).

2.    Characterization

Analysis is the process of breaking down a complex subject or matter into smaller parts in order to better understand it. The technique has been applied to the study of mathematics and logic, although analysis as a formal concept is a relatively recent development (Rinaldi, Hanoum, & Sinansari, 2021).

 

The Characterization Analysis From The Short Stories The Death of Ivan Ilyich Written by Leo Tolystoy

1.    The Characterization of the Main Character

a.    Ivan Ilyich

He is the husband from Praskovya Fedorovna, and the father from Lisa and Vladimir Ivanich (Vasya). Ivan Ilyich having works as the honest judge who work well. When he was sick, Ivan Ilyich does not accept the fact that his age will not be long now, this is the irony of Ivan Ilyich is always honest in his life.

Ivan's defining characteristic and greatest flaw is that he lives his life according to other people's instructions. Instead of relying on his own reason and common sense to guide his moral life, Ivan blindly embraces the beliefs and values ​​of aristocratic society. Like a fly to a bright light, Ivan is attracted to people of high social status. He believed that by emulating their behavior and lifestyle, by following the path prescribed by high society, his own life would go according to plan and he would find meaning and fulfillment. Ivan was obsessed with propriety and decorum, the etiquette of high society. He started acting on his stance. He took a wife because of course young lawyers should. He bought a house in the city and adorned it with elaborate finery, since a cultured nobleman should have material status symbols.

As Ivan grew accustomed to decency, he became less and less tolerant of anything that threatened his own comfort and material well-being. He protects himself from any unpleasant influences. When Praskovya introduces something unseemly and uncomfortable about her pregnancy, Ivan withdraws from his wife and immerses himself in his official duties. When married life gets difficult, Ivan takes a formal contractual position with his family. Ivan's professional ability to reduce complex cases to paper forms, and to deal with underlying emotional and personal situations with a ruthless facade is evident in every aspect of his life.

To avoid discomfort, Ivan reduces his relationships to shallow, self-sustaining simulations. By embracing the values ​​of aristocratic society, Ivan isolates himself from the world instead of using his wits to figure out what is really meaningful in life. Instead of meaning and satisfaction, Ivan finds only pain and dissatisfaction. However, Ivan is not just a character who goes astray. He is a representative figure in a wider moral system. The bourgeois sensibility represented by Ivan, the aristocratic type imbued with extreme materialism and egoism, becomes inadequate and completely unrealized under Ivan's example. Just as Ivan's death made him realize what was wrong with his life, it also sent a message to readers that a life without compassion and empathetic relationships would lead to an equally unattainable ending.

So Ivan's illness can be seen as a healing effect. By forcing Ivan to confront the prospect of his death, he faces his own isolation. This isolation terrifies Ivan and prompts serious existential reflection. As Ivan begins to examine his life, questioning his own existence and the reason for his suffering, he slowly begins to realize that his life is not supposed to be like this. Ivan's illness revealed to him the true nature of life. In the climax of the novel, when Ivan enters into the existence of light and realizes that compassion and love are the true value of life, the priceless happiness he experiences is a proof of this quality of life.

b.   Praskovya Fedorovna

Praskovya Fedorovna are the wife of Ivan Ilyich, he was a petty, hypocritical, and difficult to understand. During her illness, she hopes her husband die. After her husband dies with the tears, he urges Peter Ivanovich with the questions about her husband's pension fund.

c.    Peter Ivanovich

Peter Ivanovich is Co-worker and close friend of Ivan Ilyich. He is a colleague of Ivan Ilych and only appears in the first chapter of the novel. However, since the narrator spends a great deal of time describing his thoughts and actions, Peter and his vision of Ivan's life and society play an important role in establishing the setting and values ​​of the story. Peter as a representative of Ivan's social life. His relationships with people are superficial and selfish. Although he had known Ivan all his life, Peter did not feel much remorse over Ivan's death. Instead, his thoughts revolved around the career development and mobility that Ivan's vacancy might lead to. Peter, like the rest of the society he represents, sees relationships as a tool to achieve his goals. Compassionate and loving relationships don't exist, and Peter's take on Ivan's death highlights this feature of society. Besides his closed and selfish qualities,

Peter is characterized by a strong desire to avoid unpleasant things. He dodges the question of Ivan's death, reluctantly attends the funeral, and is generally reluctant to face the prospect of his own death.

d.   Gerasim

Gerasim is a male farmers, he is the assistant head nurse maid Ivan Ilyich. He really showes a sense of sympathy at Ivan Ilyich. He is a simple person, and he have the good attitude with Ivan Ilyich, and not like the others who turn a blind eye to the sickness condition and assumed the death of Ivan Ilyich.

e.    Lisa

Lisa is the daughter of Ivan Ilyich. When his father dies she is not nice even try to avoid. She is young and tough, but he was selfish and cold.

f.     Vladimir Ivanich (Vasya)

Vladimir Ivanich is the son of Ivan Ilyich. He's a strange and sad because his father not careless with him.

g.    Fedor Petrovich (Petrishchev)

Fedor Petrovich (Petrishchev) is Lisa's finance. He's equal with the murder of Ivan Ilyich's family.

 

2.    The Character Analysis of Ivan Ilyich from The Short Stories The Death of Ivan Ilyich Written by Leo Tolystoy

Through-out the play, Ivan Ilyich is the kind Judge and always take the honestly action and always take the fair action if he does his job as a judge in his office. Because Ivan Ilyich are always kind and fair in doing his job, a lot of people likes about his action as a judge in his office. There is several character analyses has already found by the researcher are visible on The Death of Ivan Ilyich short stories written by Leo Tolystoy:

  1. When he is young Ivan Ilyich is a bureaucrat, he graduates from the law school and works directly for the provincial officials, because he became a judge very professional in this city, where he can mingle with local society and marry the girl's most popular areas.
  2. Because he is honest and defends the truth, he was promoted as a respected judge, but because he busy Ivan Ilyich abandoned his family.

c.      But behind of this action, in his office having several colleagues not like about the performance likes Fedor Vasilevich, Ivan Egorovich, and Schwartz (Peter Ivanovich friends). This Ivan ilyich colleague didn’t like about the performance of Ivan Ilyich.

d.     Ivan Ilyich pain due to accidents caused by the inclined board and causing him to slip and hit his side. So after a doctor diagnosed the illness worse Ivan Ilyich that he must stop playing Remi and out.

e.    Ivan isolates himself from the family to visit him but felt more comfortable because he felt the Aides sincerity of the attendants the family. And for a long time Ivan Ilyich sick because he always isolated himself and thinking about his family he died because the illness.

The Obsession of Ivan Ilyich

Comparing with the character image from the Ivan Ilyich character in the short stories play, Ivan Ilyich have the obsession is:

Obsession is compulsive idea or emotion associated with the subconscious and exerting a more or less persistent influence upon conduct and behavior (Arni & Halimah, 2020). The entire human must have some obsession for enjoying the live and for making experiences in the world life. As we can see, through-out the play, Ivan Ilyich as a kind judge and always take action honestly (Restu & Agustina, 2017).

The proved about Ivan Ilyich obsession in Leo Tolstoys argument: Ivan Ilyich worked hard to ultimately lead a life that is worthy of respect, in the eyes of the ‘They’. He started off as a lawyer and ultimately become a high-ranking examining magistrate in his municipality. One might positively believe that he lead an intently superficial life. “Ivan Ilyich himself undertook the decorating, selecting the wallpaper and the upholstery, purchasing more furniture, mostly antiques, which he thought particularly come if fault, and everything progressed until it began to approach the ideal he had set himself.” (Tolstoy, 56).

The another Leo Tolstoys argument is : Upon hearing the news of Ivan Ilyich’s death, Tolstoy describes the feeling of his colleagues as such: “the very fact of the death of a close acquaintance evoked in them all the usual feeling of relief that it was someone else, not they, who had died.” (Tolstoy, 33)

Another proved about the Ivan Ilyich obsession is in Heidegger argument: Heidegger associates this distantiality from death to humanity’s consideration of death as an event in the course of one’s life, similar to one getting married or becoming pregnant. When deemed as such, it is absurd to concern one with the idea of it ahead of time. In ‘Being and Time’, Heidegger describes this phenomenon as Being-towards-the-end, as opposed to Being-a-whole, like such: “Being-towards-the-end has the mode of evasion in the face of it—giving new explanation for it, understanding it in authentically, and concealing it.” (Heidegger, 298).

Another argument from Heidegger argument is: Ivan Ilyich’s absorption in the superficial aspects of his life, and his genuine absence from the parenting of his children are indicative of a life that is lacking meaning, according to Heidegger. Even when his sickness became terminal, there existed great tension between his reluctance to accept the inauthentic life he had lived and to reconcile himself, with himself (Heidegger, 166).

 

Kesimpulan

The conclusions about this research are in character analyzed of Ivan Ilyich is the honestly judge and always give the true decision about all the case in his work as a judge in his government office in this city. The surface stories of Ivan Ilyich's physical decay leading to death is the stories of a spiritually ill man's progress toward enlightenment and salvation.

Ivan Ilyich is an honestly judge but because he always thinking about his job he forget think about his family. His wife and his child is angry with him because Ivan Ilyich never careless about his family. When Ivan got sick his family not cares with him. And Ivan Ilyich isolated himself when he sick until he die his family not careless again. This Short stories giving a study about the careless in human being lives. If not careless about the family or all person in your social reality life maybe no one person careless about you and maybe you got a illness like Ivan Ilyich.

 

BIBLIOGRAFI

Ahmad, Jumal. (2018). Desain penelitian analisis isi (Content analysis). Research Gate, 5(9), 1–20.

Arni, Arni, & Halimah, Nor. (2020). Fenomena Kesurupan: Studi Analisis Kritis dalam Kajian Teologi dan Psikologi Islam. Madania: Jurnal Ilmu-Ilmu Keislaman, 10(2), 105–122.

Azzahra, Rizmada. (2012). Aspek sosial budaya masyarakat pinggiran dalam novel rumah tanpa jendela karya asma nadia (kajian sosiologi sastra dan nilai pendidikan). UNS (Sebelas Maret University).

Handayani, Tatik. (2013). Kasus Korupsi Dalam Kartun (Analisis Semiotik Terhadap Kritik Atas Kasus Korupsi Dalam Kartun Panji Koming Yang Dimuat Harian Kompas Edisi Minggu Periode Januari SD Desember 2011).

Hikmasari, Dyan Nur, Susanto, Happy, & Syam, Aldo Redho. (2021). Konsep Pendidikan Karakter Perspektif Thomas Lickona dan Ki Hajar Dewantara. AL-ASASIYYA: Journal Of Basic Education, 6(1), 19–31.

Imanuel, Nehemia M. A. U. (2019). Pengaruh Kepemimpinan, Motivasi Kerja, Kompensasi dan Lingkungan Kerja Terhadap Kinerja Karyawan Pada PT. Kalisari Putra Semarang. Skripsi.

Julpiqar, Tio. (2016). Perancangan Karakter Tokoh dan Latar Suasana Cerita Rakyat Mundinglaya Dikusumah pada Buku Cerita Bergambar. Tio Zulfiqar 116010018. Desain Komunikasi Visual.

Ningrum, Kuncoro Widiyarti. (2018). Analisis struktur dan nilai-nilai budaya novel 99 cahaya di Langit Eropa karya Hanum Salsabiela Rais.

Nugrahani, Farida, & Hum, M. (2014). Metode penelitian kualitatif. Solo: Cakra Books.

Raudatussolihah, Baiq. (2016). Analisis Linguistik dalam Al-Qur’ân (Studi Semantik terhadap QS al-‘Alaq). Universitas Islam Negeri Alauddin Makassar.

Restu, Uliviana, & Agustina, Helmy. (2017). Peristiwa komunikasi dalam pembentukan konsep diri otaku anime. Jurnal Kajian Komunikasi, 5(2), 202–209.

Rinaldi, Ilham, Hanoum, Syarifa, & Sinansari, Puti. (2021). Identifikasi Tingkat Kematangan Risiko di Badan Usaha Milik Negara (Studi Kasus: Perum Jasa Tirta II). Jurnal Sains Dan Seni ITS, 10(1), D77–D82.

Sari, Nalaria Mustika. (2018). Mengembangkan Literasi Anak Usia Dini Melalui Model Permainan. Lembaga Penelitian Dan Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat Universitas Muslim Nusantara Al Washliyah Medan, 9(10), 162.

Soendari, Tjutju. (2012). Metode Penelitian Deskriptif. Bandung, UPI. Stuss, Magdalena & Herdan, Agnieszka, 17.

Tohirin. (2013). Metode Penelitian Deskriptif Kualitatif. Journal of Chemical Information and Modeling, 53(9), 1689–1699.

 

                                                

Copyright holder:

Gilang Bintang, Satria Raditiyanto (2023)

 

First publication right:

Equivalent: Jurnal Ilmiah Sosial Teknik

 

This article is licensed under: