Analysis I. Summary/Plot The story is entitled “How Much Land Does a Man Need? ” because Leo Tolstoy wants us to know about what consequences we may encounter. This story shows the greediness of a man on material things. How man wants everything he could get a hold on. Basically, the question imposed in the title is answered ironically by Tolstoy. It is indeed that a man needs a land that is six feet above his head. The story is about a man who wants to find the enough or at least I say that, he wanted much land that he grew greedy about getting much land as he could.
Leaving his family at his homestead, he sacrifices all that he can for the land the he wanted for his farming. All that he can get for a low price but great, he will grab a chance on that. And all he was getting for is his death. Pahom learned his lesson a little too late for him to go back and take back time to where it is at first. When he had a little farm and was contented with his family. It was when he heard the chat of the two sisters, bragging about their lives; one from the town and one from the country, his wife. II. Analysis a. Characters The story took place in Russia as for Tolstoy is a Russian novelist.
Pahom, a small time farmer grew tired of his life because he overheard about a better land to be had. He then risks all his belongings and did all he could to get the enough money. As we can see, he already portrayed a greedy man with a great deal on material things and wants to have more that he could. It was his pride that made him all the he was before he died. “It is perfectly true,” thought he. “Busy as we are from childhood tilling mother earth, we peasants have no time to let any nonsense settle in our heads. Our only trouble is that we haven’t land enough. If I had plenty of land, I shouldn’t fear the Devil himself! It was the Devil that wanted him to want more so that Pahom will be on his side and not on God’s side. Pahom was lacking faith on God that’s why he was tempted easily by the Devil. “All right,” though the Devil. “We will have a tussle. I’ll give you land enough; and by means of that land I will get you into my power. ” b. Literary Devices Irony was very used in the story. The first was when the wife of Pahom was talking to her sister that she boast about them having a good life in the countryside where indeed her husband, Pahom, thinks that they should have more than they have now.
Another is that when he bought the land from the old woman who has a husband that is very particular on their land that every little thing that is ruined will be fined to that of responsible. But he got his chance on the land, he was worse than the husband of the old woman. The final, and most evident, piece of irony is the ending of the story, in which Pahom dies. He had walked around the land and marked much of it. He even ended the day back where he started, but he died when he got there. His servant buried him there in a six-foot plot. The lesson is that, all he need was six-foot plot for the servant to bury him.
In conclusion, the irony in this story is very evident and also very sad. He doesn’t agree with his wife and thinks the exact opposite. He also treated the other peasants badly, wherein when he was a peasant too before a landowner. He also used symbolism in the story, using the Devil as the symbol for temptation, greed, envy and materialism. The Devil did everything he could so Pahom will fall on his traps. And so did Pahom fall. Let us not forget that the Devil will do anything just to get us away from the path to goodness. Stream of consciousness was also used and so as local color, dilemma and foreshadowing.
We have read all the thoughts that came across the mind of Pahom. Whether he was for the land of his dreams or when he realized that he had gotten too far for his materialism and greediness. Local color for Russia was the setting of the story ant the Bakshirs for the nomads in the desert of Russia. Dilemma was used when he was choosing between two bad things and such. He always goes for the worse choices that he came to the point of dying because of his greediness. And at last, foreshadowing was also used when he had a dream about the man that he met who told him about the Bakshirs had been laughing at him while we was fast asleep.
And so depicting that it was a really bad idea to push on for he cannot have that land for just one day. c. Point of view The point of view that was used is the omniscient point of view. Tolstoy was narrating the story for he was in the third person point of view. And as my research, Tolstoy has been always using the omniscient point of view in all of his stories. d. Themes Greediness will do no good to us for it will only bring us down no matter how much we get. Remember that is only lending us all that we are experiencing right now for he created all of these.
We owe Him all even our lives that we repay Him all by doing good and living by His words and deeds. Materialism also is one that keeps us from standing up against evil. Remember that all the riches that we will have or have right now, we can never bring that all when we’re dead. So the only passport we need to enter God’s kingdom is to live by His words, deeds and guidance. Remember that we can only be redeemed by believing in Him. Also, we should not let the Devil get in the way for he will destroy everything so we will turn up against God and revoke Him.
Remember that God can only bring us eternal salvation and happiness. e. Social Relevance Many of us think that money is real reason why we are happy or will be happy. Remember that money is the root of all evil and that we can’t be happy if we always think of it that way. Yes, of course we need money but the real essence of that is to sustain our existence in this world not to be center of our world. For God is the true center of our lives. Many cases of this situation happen in real life. Let us not forget that there are really people who would do anything they could to grab the chance to get everything they want.
They may have all the riches in the world but can they enter the kingdom of the Lord? There are parables about situations like this. The Lord asked a farmer and a businessman to come to his kingdom and when they both got there the Lord said, “come to my kingdom and be happy forevermore but you can only bring you. ” And so the farmer accepted the offer without thinking twice for he had nothing but the businessman hesitated for his riches will be left. The Lord answered, “Let this be a lesson to all of you, only your faith and love can save you. ”
