Page 83 - DENG202_ELECTIVE_ENGLISH_III

Elective English—III

Notes lubok or illustrated text. Not itself a form of folklore, it was well-known to the popular audience.
The word lubok (from lub, the inner bark of the lime tree, or from lubochnaia koroba, the
phrase designating the box used by peddlers to transport their goods) was known from the early
17th century. Essentially, the lubok consisted of a picture (or a series of pictures) accompanied
by a printed text which might be explanatory or narrative as the case required. Many of the
shorter stories for the people (e.g., “Little Girls Wiser Than Their Elders,” ‘’Evil Allures, But
Good Endures,” and “Il’ias”) were modelled on the lubok and printed, often as separate sheets,
with an accompanying picture. Finally, Tolstoy made use of folklore anthologies as sources for
the stories. “The Godson,” “The Repentant Sinner,” “The Workman Emel’ian and the Empty
Drum,” “The Three Hermits” and “The Imp and the Crust” are all closely modelled on religious
legends or fairy tales found recorded in the collections made by A.N. Afanas’ev and other
folklorists.
Finally, Tolstoy quoted freely from scripture and adopted some mannerisms typical of the Bible
and other religious literature. This element is most frequently found in the epigraph (where it
has a significance not unlike that of the proverbs used as titles) or at the climax of the story or,
where there is a moral, in the passage where it is explained. Assuming that to the popular,
Orthodox reader Biblical language would be both familiar and authoritative; Tolstoy may have
used it to add weight to the moral teaching of his stories.
It may be thought unlikely that works so overtly burdened with didactic purpose and directed
at so specific an audience would have much chance of being artistically memorable. In the case
of many of these stories, especially the very brief ones, this prediction proves all too accurate.
Yet such stories as “God Sees the Truth, But Waits,” “What Men Live By,” “Two Old Men,’’
“The Three Hermits,” “Where Love Is, There Is God Also” and “How Much Land Does a Man
Need?” possess high artistic value.

!
Caution The works represent a masterful achievement in the creation—from heterogeneous,
although related, elements – of a unified style, which yet permits a modicum of flexibility
and is singularly well adapted to its solemn moral purpose.

6.6 How Much Land Does a Man Needs – Summary

The protagonist of the story is a peasant named Pakhom, whose wife at the beginning can be
heard complaining that they do not own enough land to satisfy them. He is a man of humble
means who lives a decent life. However, after his sister-in-law has bragged that city folk have a
much better life than country peasants do, Pahom bemoans the fact that he does not own land.
He states, “If I had plenty of land, I shouldn’t fear the Devil himself!” Little does he know that the
Devil is sitting close by and listening?
The Devil says, “All right! We shall see about that. I’ll give you land enough; and by means of
that land I will get you into my power.”
Shortly thereafter, Pahóm manages to buy some land from a woman in his village. He works
hard, makes a profit and is able to pay off his debts and live a more comfortable life. However,
he is not satisfied and, after a peasant told him about the opportunity to own more land, he
moves to a larger area of land... Pahóm grows more crops and amasses a small fortune, but it is
still not content. Now another character tells him of another opportunity to own more land.
Pahóm hears (from a tradesman) about the Bashkirs, a simple people who own a huge amount
of land deep in Central Asia. After a long trek, Pahóm meets the Bashkirs on the vast steppe. He
is prepared to negotiate a price for as much land as possible, but before he can do so, the Bashkirs
make him a very unusual offer, the same one that they make to anyone who wishes to buy land
from them.

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