How Much Land Does a Man Need?

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They wish me to tell you that in return for your ​presents they will gladly give you as much land as you want. You have only to point it out with your hand and it is yours.' Tolstoy’s short story – “How much land does a man need?”— is a religious-morality tale which can be interpreted in a variety of ways, but which seems primarily concerned with the destructive consequences of human ambition. The story is about a man named Pahom – a peasant farmer — who desires to acquire more land, acquires some land, but is not satisfied and needs to acquire more. Eventually he over-reaches, forfeits all his accumulated wealth and causes his own death. (*See below for a Summary of story). The message to take from the story may be as simple as a warning against biting off more than you can chew, or we could say simply that the story shows how 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 improve our standard of living, we put ourselves in danger of ending up with nothing. Meanwhile, the narrative characterizes the Bashkirs as one large, carefree community. As a foil to Pahom, the Bashkirs are uninterested in work and land, preferring to spend their time leisurely, with kumiss, music, and socialization. The stark juxtaposition between Pahom and the Bashkirs’ values, motivations, and lifestyles pronounces the misery and tragedy of Pahom’s lonely, greedy existence—and thus further anticipates his undoing. As far as the men were concerned, drinking kumiss and tea, eating mutton, and playing on their pipes was all they [the Bashkirs] cared about. They were all stout and merry, and all the summer long they never thought of doing any work. The narrator, p. 13 Look at that,' thought he, 'the land is all being sold, and I shall get none of it.' So he spoke to his wife.

He sat down, and ate some bread and drank some water; but he did not lie down, thinking that if he did he might fall asleep. After sitting a little while, he went on again. At first he walked easily: the food had strengthened him; but it had become terribly hot, and he felt sleepy; still he went on, thinking: 'An hour to suffer, a life-time to live.' That night, Pahom dreams that the traveling peasant, dealer, and Bashkir chief each transform into the Devil, who then laughs at a dead body at his feet. Pahom discovers that he is the dead figure and wakes up, alarmed. He shrugs off the nightmare and awakes the Bashkirs, declaring that he is ready to start covering his land. Our only trouble is that we haven’t land enough. If I had plenty of land, I shouldn’t fear the Devil himself! Pahom, p. 5 moves to attain that goal. He boasts that he wouldn't be afraid of the devil himself if he just had

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How much wealth and power does a society need? At what point does it become inconsistent with a good life for the citizens?

Presently Pahóm heard that a neighbor of his was buying fifty acres, and that the lady had consented to accept one half in cash and to wait a year for the other half. Pahóm felt envious. So Pahom quarrelled with the Judges and with his neighbors. Threats to burn his building began to be uttered. So though Pahom had more land, his place in the Commune was much worse than before.

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The younger sister was piqued, and in turn disparaged the life of a tradesman, and stood up for that of a peasant. He went on in the same way for three years; renting land and sowing wheat. The seasons turned out well and the crops were good, so that he began to lay money by. He might have gone on living contentedly, but he grew tired of having to rent other people's land every year, and having to scramble for it. Wherever there was good land to be had, the peasants would rush for it and it was taken up at once, so that unless you were sharp about it you got none. It happened in the third year that he and a dealer together rented a piece of pasture land from some peasants; and they had already ploughed it up, when there was some dispute, and the peasants went to law about it, and things fell out so that the labor was all lost. "If it were my own land," thought Pahom, "I should be independent, and there would not be all this unpleasantness." However, when peasants begin trespassing his land, Pahom fears for the condition of his property. He complains to the local courts, despite knowing of the peasants' good intentions. Like the soldier, Pahom levies ruthless fines on the peasants, who begin to resent Pahom; some even threaten to burn his homestead. Meanwhile, Pahom complains that he feels too cramped at his property, and a traveling peasant notifies him of a village past the Volga River, where families are immediately granted 25 acres of fertile land for free. This will be the mark. Start from here, and return here again. All the land you go round shall be yours.'

The Bashkir leaders are charmed by Pahom’s gifts and tell him they will sell him however much land he wants for a thousand rubles. Pahom is skeptical of this unconventional offer, but the Bashkirs assure him that the deal is sound—however much land he can walk around in one day will be his. However, if he does not return to the starting point by sundown, both the land and money will be forfeit. Look at that," thought he, "the land is all being sold, and I shall get none of it." So he spoke to his wife.

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All right! We shall see about that. I’ll give you land enough; and by means of that land I will get you!” He went on in the same way for three years; renting land and sowing wheat. The seasons turned out well and the crops were good, so that he began to lay money by. He might have gone on living contentedly, but he grew tired of having to rent other people's land every year, and having to scramble for it. Wherever there was good land to be had, the peasants would rush for it and it was taken up at once, so that unless you were sharp about it you got none. It happened in the third year that he and a dealer together rented a piece of pasture land from some peasants; and they had already plowed it up, when there was some dispute, and the peasants went to law about it, and things fell out so that the labor was all lost. That night Pakhom experiences a strange dream, in which the Bashkir elder, the passing merchant, and the traveling peasant each transform into the Devil, who then laughs at a dead and nearly-naked figure at his feet. Pakhom realizes that the dead figure is in fact himself. Upon waking, however, he brushes off the dream. He sets his eyes on the land waiting to be claimed, grabs his spade, and begins his walk. They wish to tell you," said the interpreter, "that they like you, and that it is our custom to do all we can to please a guest and to repay him for his gifts. You have given us presents, now tell us which of the things we possess please you best, that we may present them to you."

Though afraid of death, he could not stop. 'After having run all that way they will call me a fool if I stop now,' thought he. And he ran on and on, and drew near and heard the Bashkírs yelling and shouting to him, and their cries inflamed his heart still more. He gathered his last strength and ran on. What pleases me best here," answered Pahom, "is your land. Our land is crowded, and the soil is exhausted; but you have plenty of land and it is good land. I never saw the like of it." Yes,' replied he, 'that can be done quite easily. We have a scribe, and we will go to town with you and have the deed properly sealed.' 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.” So we have a story in which Tolstoy teaches a lesson about humility and the need to fear and respect the Devil, or at least recognize the power he can exert over us. For those who don’t believe in the Devil, the mythical character can be seen as personifying those aspects of our nature which are destructive and can eventually lead to our complete demise. This is probably how Tolstoy would have us read the story.The Devil then sets in motion the series of events that eventually end as Pahom forfeits everything including his life.