Sammanfattning
The purpose of this study is to explore the importance and expression of care in the face of suffering in a classic text. The chosen text is The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy. Hermeneutic reading of text is employed as a methodological approach. Throughout the interpretation process three main themes emerged: Being self-sufficient is enough – when one is independent and invulnerable; being self-sufficient is not enough – when dependence and vulnerability emerge; to become oneself – when dependence and vulnerability meet care. The classic text shows that caring might have limited conditions in man. It shows how man can become self-sufficient in pursuit of his own enjoyment and pleasure. When the human’s pleasurable life is disturbed, and vulnerability is awakened, independence becomes insufficient, and an appeal to be seen and met with care is actualized. Care is timeless in time.