Analysis of How Much Land Does a Man Need by Leo Tolstoy

In the short story "How Much Land Does A Man Need" by Leo Tolstoy, Pahom is a peasant living on a small plot of land. When his wife brags that a peasant's life is safer than having money, because with money comes temptation, Pahom agrees, adding that he would not be "afraid of the devil himself" if he only had more land. He buys more land, but is unhappy, for no matter how much more land he gets, he wants more. He becomes greedier and greedier until he loses control of his life and, in the end, loses everything. This story shows us that even if we have enough to get by, the prospect of becoming wealthier is so alluring it can cause us to risk all the good things we already have.

At the start, Pahom is a content, hardworking men. Unfortunately, he makes the mistake of thinking that more land would make his life better. Pahom says to himself "our only trouble is that we haven't land enough. If I had plenty of land, I shouldn't fear the devil himself"! When an opportunity arises for Pahom to acquire more land, he jumps at the chance, convinced that more would make him happy. He paid off his debts and had plenty of fertile land to grow his crops and raise his cattle, but he was only satisfied for a short while. "Pahom was well-contented and everything would have been right if the neighboring peasants would only not have trespassed on his cornfields and meadows", so even when he had the extra land he wanted. His life was far from perfect. Disputes with his neighbors and court battles cause Pahom to be disliked by the Commune, so even though he had more land, his position in the town was worse than ever. Pahom's life may have been improved by owning more land, but human nature prompted him to continue to be greedy, wanting even more than he already had.

One day, Pahom hears word of a place where free land was given to any man who joins the Commune. Immediately the many acres of land that he does own seem unbearable and barren compared to the promise of better land. He asks himself, "Why should I suffer in this narrow hole, if one can live so well elsewhere"? so, although he has plenty of good land and a good life, Pahom sells everything he owns to pursue what he thinks will complete his idea of a happy life. With the new land, Pahom was content, but soon he grew accustomed to it and began to want more once again. After renting extra land, Pahom decided it would be an even better idea if he actually owned all his land for he believed he "should be independent, and there would not be any unpleasantness". He planned to buy more land, but along cam an opportunity that he would not let pass by.

A tradesman passing through told Pahom of lush land, sold for nearly no money, so Pahom decided that land would be a better deal. "If I take it out there, I can get more than ten times as much for the money" he figured, so he abandoned everything he had worked so hard for and when to check out the land. Just as the tradesman had promised, the land was lush and fertile and the owners promised to give Pahom all the land he could walk around in a day for a very cheap price. Pahom walked the entire day, but greed overtook him and he bit off more than he could chew. Exhausted, he tried to make it back to the designated meeting place before the day was over, but his body was too tired. Defeated, he made one last effort, "there is plenty of land, but will God let me live on it" he wondered. This journey was to no avail-he had taken too much, and died in the process.

Through the story we are shown that human nature pushes us to want more and more. We are never content with our lives, no matter how well off we may be, and , while trying to better out standard of living, we put ourselves in danger of ending up with nothing.

Sources:
"How Much Land Does A Man Need" by Leo Tolstoy