Themes: The Corrupting Power of Greed 

The key theme of this short story is greed and its power to corrupt. At the beginning of the story, Pahom, the protagonist, believes that he would “not fear the Devil himself” if he only had enough land. The Devil begins to tempt him, and Pahom has opportunity after opportunity to acquire more land. 

Though his land grows, Pahom is never satisfied, and he is increasingly willing to step over other people to get more and better land for...

Themes: Susceptibility to Temptation

Part of the irony in Tolstoy’s short story lies in the fact that Pahom and his wife believe that people in the country are less susceptible to the Devil’s temptation. Pahom’s wife believes that the men of the town are constantly in danger of temptation through “cards, wine, or women” and that they are corrupted by these things “often enough.” Like the old proverb that the Devil makes work for idle hands, Pahom claims that the hard work of country...

Themes: Rural Russian Values

Tolstoy, like many Russian writers across history, often writes in praise of the Russian peasantry, whose simple lifestyle evokes a sense of bucolic elegance and national pride. Toiling in the fields, owning only such luxuries as can be handspun, and the humble pride of self-sufficient labor are all tokens of the lifestyle Tolstoy and many others write of and honor. However, this short story takes up the potential for the Russian peasantry to be...

Themes: Greed

In "How Much Land Does a Man Need?" greed is the central theme that drives the narrative and leads to the protagonist's downfall. Pahom, a peasant, believes that acquiring more land will bring him happiness and security. However, his insatiable desire for more land ultimately leads to his demise. Tolstoy uses Pahom's story to critique the endless pursuit of wealth and illustrate the futility of materialism.

Pahom's greed is evident from the...