One of these gentlemen is Pyotr Ivanovich. Tolstoy tells us that he "...had been closest to him. [He] had studied law with Ivan Ilyich and considered himself indebted to him." Still, even Pyotr Ivanovich is only a "so-called friend of Ivan Ilyich"; the first thought that occurs to him upon Ivan Ilyich's death is whether or not he will now be able to have his brother-in-law transferred from another district, thereby (and finally) making his wife happy.

Among Ivan Ilyich's colleagues, however, Pyotr Ivanovich comes closest to comprehending both Ivan Ilyich's death and the vast concept of death itself. Ultimately, Pyotr Ivanovich fails to get the message communicated by the death of Ivan Ilyich -- but he almost gets it, very nearly breaking through the emotional shielding that protects him from thinking about such a fearful subject and how it might apply to his own life.

Pyotr Ivanovich is introduced to us as the man who announces Ivan Ilyich's death to his coworkers. It is the middle of a business day, and a spirited office debate is taking place, but Pyotr Ivanovich is paying no attention:

...Pyotr Ivanovich, who had taken no part in the dispute from the outset, glanced through a copy of the News that had just been delivered.

'Gentlemen!' he said. 'Ivan Ilyich is dead!'

'Really?'

'Here, read this,' he said to Fyodor Vasilyevich, handing him the fresh issue, still smelling of printer's ink.

Tolstoy tells us shortly thereafter of Pyotr Ivanovich's close friendship with Ivan Ilyich. But Pyotr Ivanovich seems not to be greatly distraught by the death announcement. He does not even display any real emotion about the matter at all --  he merely happens upon the death notice while "glancing" through the newspaper. That the newspaper was just delivered, and that Pyotr Ivanovich appears to be the only person present not participating in the office debate, indicates that he is bored and has turned to the paper as an alternative source of entertainment, using it as an excuse to isolate himself from his colleagues. The death notice catches his attention perhaps for that reason; he exhibits no particular emotional response.

Furthermore, he informs his colleagues of Ivan Ilyich's death in a very unemotional manner. He addresses them formally -- "Gentlemen." He shows no excitement or distress in his voice -- "he said," not "he announced" or "he cried." And when the others show interest, he does not involve himself further by reading the death notice out loud or commenting upon it; he disengages, passing off the newspaper to Fyodor Vasilyevich, and that while the paper is still "fresh."

Then, like the rest of Ivan Ilyich's colleagues, Pyotr Ivanovich thinks "Well, isn't that something -- he's dead, but I'm not." He occupies himself with thoughts of his career advancement and of pleasing his wife by having his brother-in-law transferred. And, because he is a friend of the dead man, or at least a "so-called" friend, he also realizes that he must "fulfill the tedious demands of propriety by attending the funeral service and paying the widow a condolence call."

After work, he discusses the matter at home:

...At dinner that evening he told his wife the news of Ivan Ilyich's death, conjectured about the possibility of having her brother transferred to their district, and then, dispensing with his usual nap, he put on a dress coat and drove to Ivan Ilyich's home.

Ivan Ilyich's death cannot be too grave a matter; it is being discussed informally over Pyotr Ivanovich's dinner. The topic of Ivan Ilyich's death, in fact, merely leads to a discussion of the possibility of Pyotr Ivanovich's brother-in-law transferring as a result. We know that this latter topic more fully occupies Pyotr Ivanovich's mind, since we are informed only one page before of his thoughts: "I must put in a request to have my brother-in-law transferred... My wife will be very happy. Now she won't be able to say I never do anything for the family."

Stoically, Pyotr Ivanovich forgoes his evening nap, somehow conveying to the reader the impression that doing so is as significant as the condolence call for which he has just made time. "Well, there's no question but that we'll have to go and see [Ivan Ilyich's widow]," Pyotr Ivanovich had previously informed his colleagues, in a very businesslike, even cavalier tone. Despite the fact that he has complained of Ivan Ilyich living "so terribly far away," Pyotr Ivanovich trots out his fanciest outerwear after dinner and drives to the dead man's house.

We learn more of Pyotr Ivanovich's personality after he arrives at Ivan Ilyich's house. Compared to the "playful" and "piquant" Schwartz, who is so bold as to wink in the face of death, and who later telegraphs his desire to arrange a night of card-playing, Pyotr Ivanovich is "bewildered" upon arriving and falls back on safe behavior -- crossing himself. We get the first indication here that Pyotr Ivanovich is beginning to realize the seriousness and solemnity of death; not only does he suddenly start acting in an uncomfortable and bewildered manner, he exhibits no particular response to Schwartz's whimsy, even though the reader gets the sense that Pyotr Ivanovich normally is responsive to Schwartz.

Pyotr Ivanovich is so unsure of his behavior in this situation that he actually continues to cross himself until he feels that he has "overdone" it; he then studies the dead body of Ivan Ilyich. Pyotr Ivanovich is observant and sensitive enough to notice and appreciate the minute features of the dead man's face -- particularly, to notice that Ivan Ilyich's face

...had acquired an expression of greater beauty -- above all, of greater significance -- than it had in life. Its expression implied that what needed to be done had been done and done properly. Moreover, there was in this expression a reproach or a reminder to the living.

Pyotr Ivanovich, in other words, notices the dead body. He examines it, and first finds that somehow the face contains an expression of greater beauty than it had in life. Pyotr Ivanovich then begins, it seems unconsciously, to break through some of his mental shielding -- he makes an emotional leap and assigns a greater significance to the dead man's expression. Upon further consideration, Pyotr Ivanovich decides that the message being conveyed is one of satisfaction with a job well done, and that the expression also contains a reproach or reminder to the living. None of Ivan Ilyich's other friends is presented as the sort of character who would take the time, or have the capacity, for such introspection. Certainly Pyotr Ivanovich stands in contrast to Schwartz, who is depicted as the stereotypical "so-called friend" that Tolstoy derides at the beginning of the story.

Just as he is on the brink of consciously discarding his emotional shielding in favor of an extended contemplation on death and its ramifications, Pyotr Ivanovich becomes "somewhat uncomfortable." His perception of a message within Ivan Ilyich's expression seems "out of place," that it should not be directed at him, and Pyotr Ivanovich retreats within his shielding, beginning once again to cross himself, this time "hurriedly," and once again he is aware of his surroundings, since he actually is crossing himself "all too hurriedly, he felt, from the standpoint of propriety." He can stand no further consideration of Ivan Ilyich's dead form or of death in general, and makes for the door.

Schwartz is "waiting for him" outside, and for the third time the word "playful" is used to describe Schwartz, who now stands in even starker contrast to Pyotr Ivanovich. When Ivan Ilyich's widow approaches them both, Schwartz makes a minimal, "vague" response, but Pyotr Ivanovich is invited to the inner rooms for an extended conversation with her -- and just as they leave, Schwartz winks conspiratorially at Pyotr Ivanovich, for the second time. Schwartz seems to have no emotional involvement in Ivan Ilyich's death at all, and Pyotr Ivanovich, while somewhat recovered from his time with the corpse, is still emotionally susceptible enough to be "touched" by his conversation with Praskovya Fyodorovna.

Pyotr Ivanovich's battle with the ottoman during his conversation with the widow is a further indication of his emotional involvement. The groaning springs actually make him even more emotionally aware and vulnerable -- the short time he spends with the widow leaves him "chilled" and "scowling." During Praskovya Fyodorovna's graphic description of Ivan Ilyich's last days, Pyotr Ivanovich once again considers the dead body and the message, the reminder, implicit in the dead face, and "for a moment felt panic-stricken." Clearly, he is getting Ivan Ilyich's message, and the concept of death is finally being communicated.

But one thought of Schwartz's playful expression revives Pyotr Ivanovich and restores his emotional shielding. One thought of Schwartz and Pyotr Ivanovich falls back upon "the customary reflection that all this had happened to Ivan Ilyich, not to him, that it could not and should not happen to him; and that if he were to grant such a possibility, he would succumb to depression, which, as Schwartz's expression had made abundantly clear, he ought not to do." However, this time Pyotr Ivanovich consciously decides to retreat behind his shields -- he realizes that the alternative, which involves the contemplation of death as a possibility in his own life, would lead to depression, and he does not want to be depressed. His friend Schwartz is not depressed; why should he be?

Pyotr Ivanovich's emotional separation from death has increased, apparently cancelling out his earlier emotional progress. However, even after speaking with Praskovya Fyodorovna and deciding not to consider death, thereby avoiding depression, Pyotr Ivanovich remains uncomfortable, indicating that he has in fact learned something, or at least part of something. During the service he does not look at Ivan Ilyich and is one of the first to leave, and is uncomfortable enough to speak to Gerasim simply "in order to say something." After such a trying ordeal, Pyotr Ivanovich finds it refreshing to breathe the outdoor air, and, perhaps out of a need to reconnect himself with the familiar reality of the living, he heads off for a night of cards.

During his condolence call, Pyotr Ivanovich, who is first presented by Tolstoy as one of Ivan Ilyich's "so-called," self-centered friends, in fact shows signs of making progress toward reaching beyond his emotional shielding in order to comprehend death. He very nearly gets the message conveyed in the dead man's expression; his realizations during the condolence call leave him uncomfortable and chilled. However, the contradictory influence of his friends, particularly Schwartz, contribute to Pyotr Ivanovich ultimately failing to get the message. He does consider death briefly, and perhaps the concept of death now lingers in the rear of his subconscious mind, but Schwartz's playfulness and emotional disinterest help to restore Pyotr Ivanovich's own emotional disinterest.