At first glance, The Death of Ivan Ilyich and The Spirit seem to be poles apart. They have little in common except a dying main character and a lack of people who truly care about them. However, they share a similar theme that teaches us a valuable lesson: life still matters, even in the last seconds. Both Ivan and Vivian, the two main characters, demonstrate this when they both undergo dramatic and enlightening transformations at the end of their lives. These characters come to realize that what you do in your final moments actually matters and is not in vain, as they show a change in your thinking and who you are as a person. Vivian Bearing has spent her entire life alone, cut off from others. people. He considered himself uncompromising and carried this into his teaching career (Edson 12). When he received the news that he had cancer, he had no one to talk to or tell (Edson 11). Vivian had spent her life isolated from others, valuing the intellect and ignoring the emotions. She spent her days in the hospital, trying to be tough and taking the full dose of cap...