My topic was very narrow so have to choose two sources. The first one of my
sources has a title "The Death of Ivan Illych" by Leo Tolstoy, and it provides example
how one's men view on death changes over time, giving us illustration on different inner
experiences of person near death. The second source is an article form MSN Encarta
about Death and Dying (Psychology of dying) and it provides a scientific and
psychological views on the process of death and dying.
The most primitive men reaction to death is fear. Death brings fear because it is
something that a human does not understand and have no control over it. Some people
fear death because they image the dying process to be very painful
In the other hand death can bring hope, and many people believes that death transfer us
form this world to another better one.
In the Leo Tolstoy work "The Death of Ivan Illych" author personify death, by
describes it as a person that is "knocking ghastly at the door of his consciousness". On
the contrary, the main character of Leo Tolstoy's story maintains that death is an
unwelcome guest and that no one is really waiting for it. In the middle of the story
Tolstoy is showing us the inner conflict that takes place in main character mind. Deep
down in his consciousness main character knows that death someday will take him to the
"other side", but he refuses "to give admittance to the thought". He denies death, because
of selfish reasons he thinks he is unique and different not like ordinary human being, so
death couldn't anxiety him. Main character finds death disgusting and awful. To describe
death he uses a lot of similes: a "terrible person, a bill collector or a murderer". In the end
of the story main character finally realize that there is no escape form death and his
...