The climactic moment of The Death of Ivan Ilych, the changeless instant when Ivan passes through the black sack into the light, fully resolves the contradictions and conflicts present throughout the novel. As Ivan is reborn into the light, the spiritual finally transcends the physiological. Life conquers death, and the authentic prevails over the artificial. At the very moment of his rebirth, when Ivan asks himself, "What is the right thing?" Ivan's hand falls on Vasya's head and he feels sorry for him. Ivan's sincere and heartfelt expression of compassion, coupled with physical human contact, bridges the gap that Ivan had created between himself and others. Throughout Ivan's life, he had erected barriers between himself and the world. Whether by engrossing himself in his official work, losing himself in the game of bridge, or adopting a formal and escapist attitude toward life's unpleasantness, Ivan has isolated himself from meaningful human interaction. By adopting the values of high society, Ivan's life has lost all value. Yet when Ivan realizes the error of his past life, when he feels sorry for Vasya and Praskovya, when he opens himself up to an empathetic connection with another human being, the walls fall from around him. The self-erected barriers drop away from all sides, and Ivan experiences the true joy of unimpeded, authentic human relationships