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Digvijay Pandya, Lovely Professional University Unit 6: How Much Land Does a Man Need by Leo Tolstoy

Unit 6: How Much Land Does a Man Need Notes
by Leo Tolstoy

CONTENTS

Objectives
Introduction
6.1 About the Author

6.2 Writing Style
6.3 Criticism on Tolstoy
6.4 Historical Background
6.5 The Stories for the People
6.6 How Much Land Does a Man Needs – Summary

6.7 Analysis
6.8 Various Aspects of the Story
6.9 Summary

6.10 Keywords
6.11 Review Questions
6.12 Further Readings

Objectives

After studying this unit, you will be able to:

Understand the life and works of Leo Tolstoy
Describe the writing style and analysis of Tolstoy’s work
Analyse the story ‘How Much Land Does a Man Need’

Introduction

Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy was a Russian author best known for his novels War and Peace (1869)
and Anna Karenina (1877) which is considered the greatest novels of realist fiction. Many also
regard Tolstoy as world’s best novelist. In addition to writing novels, Tolstoy also authored
short stories, essays and plays. In addition, a moral thinker and a social reformer, Tolstoy held
severe moralistic views. In later life, he became a fervent Christian anarchist and anarcho-
pacifist. His non-violent resistance approach towards life has been expressed in his works such
as The Kingdom of God is within You, which is known to have a profound effect on important
20th century figures, particularly, Martin Luther King Jr. and Mohandas Gandhi.
Tolstoy first achieved literary acclaim in his 20s for his Sevastopol Sketches (1855), based on his
experiences in the Crimean War, and followed by the publication of a semi-autobiographical
trilogy of novels, Childhood, Boyhood, and Youth (1855-1858). His fiction output also includes
two additional novels, dozens of short stories, and several famous novellas, including
The Death of Ivan Ilych, Family Happiness, and Hadji Murad. Later in life, he also wrote plays

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