Question

From the library or Internet, read the story ‘How much land does a man need?’ by Leo Tolstoy and write a review of the same, covering the following points.

• Background of the story
• Characters
• Plot/Theme
• Climax
• Message/Moral

Answer 1

Background of the story:

Leo Tolstoy wrote “How much land does a man need?” against the backdrop of the massive changes in 19th-century Russia. Until the emancipation of Russian serfs by Tsar Alexander II, the peasants were virtual slaves of landowners and aristocrats. Tolstoy wrote this story after the Serfs had already gained their freedom for 25 years. They now had rights and their own land. There was progress among the peasants, but Tolstoy was apprehensive about whether the peasants’ progress brought changes they would regret. This story serves as a harsh warning against unchecked materialism, clearly established through the fate of Pahom, the protagonist, and his sad, untimely death.

Characters:

Pahom (the protagonist), his wife, his sister-in-law, the Bashkirs, and the Devil.

Plot/Theme:

Pehom, a Russian peasant, overhears his wife and her sister arguing over whether it is better to live in the country or the city. This leads Pahom to make the dangerous declaration that if he had just enough land, he would not even fear the Devil. The Devil hears this boast, decides to put it to the test, and exploits Pahom’s greed. The story relates to Pahom’s success in buying land, yet also his dissatisfaction.

Climax:

Pahom learns about the Bashkir region, where very fertile land can be purchased cheaply. The Bashkirs agree to sell him for 1000 roubles, as much land as he can pace off in a day, as long as he returns before the end of the day to the starting point. Pahom walks far, trying to get as much land as possible, but when he sees more fertile land ahead of him, greed overtakes his senses, and he keeps walking further and further away without realising it would be difficult for him to return to the starting point. In his rush to get back to the starting point. In his rush to get back to the starting point, which he succeeds in, he collapses and dies. When he dies, the Baskhins ask Pahom’s servant to bury him on the same land, and he ends up with six feet of land, enough to bury him instead of all the land that he had acquired.

Message/Moral:

The story tells us about the destructive consequences of human ambition & greed. The message is clear: a warning against biting off more than you can chew. The story shows us how human nature pushes us to want more and more. We are never content, no matter how well off we may be. While trying to improve our standard of living, we risk ending up with nothing. It gives us the message that greed and excessive desire for earthly desires can destroy a person.