Page 84 - DENG202_ELECTIVE_ENGLISH_III

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

For one thousand rubles (a large sum in those days), Pahóm can buy as much land as he can walk Notes
around in one day. He has to start at daybreak and mark his route with a shovel at key points
along the way. As long as he returns to the starting point before sunset, the land that he has
marked off will be his. If he fails to return on time, he will lose his money and receive no land.
He is delighted, as he believes that he can cover a great distance and has chanced upon the
bargain of a lifetime.
Pahóm is certain that he can cover a great distance and that he will have more land than he could
have ever imagined. That night, Pahóm has a surreal foreboding dream in which he sees himself
lying dead at the feet of the Devil (who changes appearances – peasant, tradesman, chief of the
Baskirs), who is laughing.
The next day, with the Bashkirs watching from the starting point, Pahóm sets off at a good pace
as soon as the sun crests the horizon. He covers a lot of ground, marking his way as he goes.
At various points, he begins to think that he should change direction and work his way back, but
he is constantly tempted by the thought of adding just a bit more land. The day wears on and, as
the sun begins to set, Pahóm discovers that he is still far from the starting point. Realizing that
he has been too greedy and taken too much land, he runs back as fast as he can to where the
Bashkirs are waiting. He arrives at the starting point just in time just before the sun sets. However,
as the Bashkirs cheer his good fortune, Pahóm drops dead from exhaustion. His servant buries
him in an ordinary grave only six feet long, thus ironically answering the question posed in the
title of the story.

6.7 Analysis

“How Much Land Does a Man Need?” is an 1886 short story by Leo Tolstoy about a man who, in
his lust for land, forfeits everything.
Since Adam and Eve ate the fruits from the Tree of the knowledge of Good and evil, humans
desired to take possession of more than they need in benefit of themselves. Human desires have
brought many of us away from our original natures that God gave in the beginning. We often
waste our time that has been given pursuing materialistic things. The theme of the story
“How much land does a man need?” by Leo Tolstoy clearly delivers its message that greed as no
boundaries and will bring you to death.
Tolstoy tells that greed starts from coveting of other’s possessions. He starts his story with two
women, arguing about whose life was better; a life with or without possessions. As the two
continued, the master of the house, Pahom, thought to himself, “If I had plenty of land, I shouldn’t
fear the Devil himself!” Pahom’s thought that he would not do any sin if he had land started the
whole process of greed and triggered the Devil to grant him his wishes for land. Therefore,
Pahom ended up with lands to himself by the power of the Devil. When we covet other’s
possessions and let greed take over our mind, we often give in to the works of Devil over our
lives. This showed how greed could make us fall into Devil’s work.

As the story progresses, Tolstoy conveys his message that greed has no boundaries. When
Pahom gained land, he became possessive of the land and caused disputes with his neighbours.
Due to threats by the neighbours, Pahom moved to a larger land where he could possess and
grow more crops for himself. Whenever there was an opportunity to gain more land, Pahom,
full of greed, moved to the other land to satisfy him. However, everywhere he moved, he was
not satisfied with what he had. He looked for more and better land even though what he had was
enough for him. Pahom’s actions reflect the characteristics of greed again. As what Tolstoy tried
to tell, greed has no boundaries. What we have with us does not seem satisfactory, and it keeps
us to look for more.
Tolstoy ends his story with an excellent example. On Pahom’s last trip to find land, he gained an
opportunity to gain land as much as he wanted. Pahom made a deal that he would gain the land

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