I believe the conclusion is: the madagascan had cultural values based on family
In rain myths, a madagascan myth often described the<em> dead family member is the God on earth.</em>
The madagascan often rely on the spirit of their dead family to seek guidance on how they do on their current earth and all of the madagascan are obligated to respect their ancestor.
An appreciation of Tolstoy's, "The Death of Ivan Ilyich" requires the reader to come to grips with the image of the "ladder", from both a physical and a social/political perspective.
