Student Question
What were the two different uses for Pahom's spade in "How Much Land Does a Man Need?"
Quick answer:
In "How Much Land Does a Man Need?", Pahom's spade serves two primary purposes. Initially, it is used to mark the land he wishes to claim by digging up the soil to establish boundaries during his challenge with the Bashkirs. Later, as his greed drives him to exhaustion, the spade becomes a physical aid to support him. Ultimately, after his death, it is used to dig his grave, symbolizing the futility of his greed.
Spades are instruments that have been used in agriculture, and I think you can safely assume that Pahom, as a peasant, has used them throughout his life. However, within the context of "How Much Land Does a Man Need," the spade takes on a very specific role within the story—in the context of Pahom's bargain with the Bashkirs.
Pahom comes to the Bashkirs to acquire more land. These are the terms they set: at the price of one thousand rubles, he will be given the opportunity to take as much land for himself as he can physically walk around in a single day. It is in this context that his spade has its initial importance: it serves as a tool to mark his progress. By digging up the ground, he can provide proof of where he has walked (and thus lay out the boundaries for his future property).
However, when Pahom embarks on the Bashkirs' challenge, he is destroyed by his own greed. Suffering under the day's heat, locked in a race against time, Pahom's physical condition deteriorates, becoming so depleted that he must turn to his spade as a physical aid. While he is able to complete the circuit, his exertions are so great that he dies in the process.
Thus, in addition to the two uses already mentioned, the spade actually has a third use as well (although Pahom himself will not be the one to physically wield it): it is used to dig his grave.
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