What exactly is dysfunctional? Who wrote the rules for correct family or social behavior? How do you know exactly what the correct reaction is? Every family has its crazy members and every town has crazy citizens, but many do a great job of hiding it. Especially when it comes to a high social position. Many are very careful not to air their dirty laundry in public. There are times when things can get out of hand and the unthinkable can happen. Is it right for a person to automatically name themselves head of the family like Orgon in Tartuffe? And what about Ivan Ilyich? Would he be considered the breadwinner because he let his wife's attitude predict the family's social status? These two stories are classics of the situational irony of not only families, but human nature. To analyze Tartuffe and The Death of Ivan Ilyich and then compare them, one must have an open mind to all types of behavior and believe that these situations are indeed a reality. Tartufo's work really had many different personalities. Even though The Death of Ivan Ilyich actually had only one main point of view, enough information was given about Ivan's wife to form a hypothesis about her attitude. The first characters that come to mind to compare are Madame Pernelle and Ivan's wife Praskovya. Both women had grown up high on the social ladder and both seemed to have a sense of entitlement. They too felt the need to make decisions and asked to be listened to. There aren't many things that keep women so out of their depth and can help or hurt people. It seems that in both of these stories they were actually a nuisance to other family members. Praskovya was not the caring wife to Ivan that bitch... middle of paper... whose feelings are hurt or the actions of a dutiful daughter like Mariane who will obey her father, regardless of his chosen feelings. Technology, time, place, situation and scenario have not changed anything over time. The one diminishing quality that we see less of today is dedication and support like that of Dorine and Gerasim. Who knows what this world will truly face in the end, but who sets the rules for what is right and what is wrong? Works Cited Moliere, Jean-Baptiste Poquelin. "Truffle." Norton Anthology of World Literature: 1650 to the Present. 3rd ed. Volume D. Puchner, Akbari, Denecke, et al. New York, London: W. W. Norton, 2012. 144-197. Print.Tolstoy, Leo. "The Death of Ivan Ilyich." Norton Anthology of World Literature: 1650 to the Present. 3rd ed. Volume E. Puchner, Akbari, Denecke, et al. New York, London: W. W. Norton, 2012. 740-778. Press.