The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories · Character
Ilyás
A Bashkir who spent thirty-five years amassing horses, cattle, and flocks until everyone envied him — then lost it all and went to work as a hired laborer.
major
First appearance: Ilyás
As a major figure in The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories, Ilyás is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.
The protagonist, a Bashkir who experiences the full cycle of great wealth and total poverty.
Ilyás rose from seven mares and two cows to two hundred horses and twelve hundred sheep, welcoming every visitor with kumiss, tea, and slaughtered mutton. When his sons spoiled, his sheep sickened, and the Kirghíz stole his best herd, his wealth drained away until he and his old wife Sham-Shemagi took service with a pitying neighbor. His story asks whether a man who has lost everything can still call himself happy — and what, exactly, he has left.
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Character Web
5 connectionsA slice of how Ilyás sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.
Relationship types
- Other
Character groups
- Diverse Character Assortment
- Peasants and Masters
- Artists and Patrons
- Parable of True Happiness
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Open in readerNarrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Rising action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
The emotional peak is Esarhaddon's shocking, direct confrontation with the truth that he and his victim are on…
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Follow the arc while readingIn the story
Ilyás appears across 1 companion beat. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.
Chapter companion notes
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See Ilyás in Ilyás