Cemetery Path: Composition Assignment I

       Although there are many, many arguments to counteract, I believe it was Ivan who brought his death upon himself. There is so much evidence, and many different types of evidence, to support this. Just a few points are some of his verbal choices, which gave the Lieutenant the wrong idea, to him terrifying himself to death by stabbing his own coat, and finally to his social interactions.

       In the beginning of the story, the Lieutenant states that Ivan will walk around the cemetery in the freezing winter, but dares to cross it. Ivan replies with, “the cemetery is nothing to cross, Lieutenant. It is nothing but earth, like all other earth." Even though Ivan knows he's petrified to walk across, he still pretends as if it's almost as if it's a stroll through the park. This statement triggers the challenge that is then brought forth; to walk home through the cemetery that night. To say that the cemetery is 'nothing to cross,' and that it is 'nothing but earth,' Ivan is simply giving the Lieutenant the idea that he's not scared to walk across on his way home, at night. 

       Ivan was the one who terrified himself to death. He was the one to stab the sabre into the ground, or into his own coat. Yes, it's tragic that this happened to poor Ivan, but if he had just stopped to think logically for an extra minute or so, instead of freaking out like a crazy man and making 'senseless gurgling noises,' he may had very well been able to realize what he had done. 

       We all know that Ivan was lonely; being a 'timid, little man who lives in a lonely shack' clarifies that. He was longing to have company so badly, that he would spend every night with people who despise him. These people were the ones who went ahead and challenged him into killing himself. But there had to be other people living in the village, did Ivan ever think to stop and have a chat with them? Maybe if he had thought to do that, he would've surrounded himself with people who like him, and wouldn't challenge him to do the thing that terrified him the most. 

While many people would say the death of Ivan is the Lieutenant's fault, which in a way, it very well could be, it seems to me that the one behind his passing is none other than himself. Because of Ivan's choices, he petrified himself so much, he had shockingly passed away.