The Death of Ivan Ilych

Ivan Ilyich (Ilyich is a patronymic, his surname is Golovin) is a highly regarded official of the Court of Justice, described by Tolstoy as, "neither as cold and formal as his elder brother nor as wild as the younger, but was a happy mean between them-an intelligent, polished, lively, and agreeable man."[3] As the story progresses, he becomes more and more introspective and emotional as he ponders the reason for his agonizing illness and death. Praskovya Fedorovna Golovin is Ivan's unsympathetic wife. She is characterized as self-absorbed and uninterested in her husband's struggles unless they directly affect her personally."