Chapter 2.2 – Three Questions Std 10 English • Leo Tolstoy

I had been helping a dyslexic child cope with the English language. I tried every method I could think of to pique the child’s interest in language. This child would go into his dream world many times. At the beginning, I used to coax him out of his dreams by peeping into them and asking about them. As time passed, I felt I was not making any substantial improvements with the child. The child was very intelligent but had a very limited span of attention.

The year went by, and his final exams were over. Although I did my best, I was unsure of the result, and this hurt me a lot. His mother wanted me to help him the next year as well. I was a little dejected because I felt my hard work was wasted. I told his mother to give me some time to decide. In the meantime, his results were out, and his class teacher praised him for doing exceptionally well in English. When I got to hear about this, I was extremely elated, and then and there I decided to help him until the time he needed me.

Background of the story: Leo Tolstoy wrote “How Much Land Does a Man Need?” against the backdrop of massive changes in 19th century Russia. Until the emancipation of Russian serfs by Czar Alexander II, the peasants were virtual slaves of landowners and aristocrats. Tolstoy wrote this story 25 years after the serfs had already gained their freedom. There was progress among the peasants, but Tolstoy was apprehensive whether this progress brought changes they would regret. The story brings a harsh warning of unchecked materialism, clearly established through the fate of Pahom, the protagonist, and his sad, untimely death.

Characters: Pahom (the protagonist), his wife, his sister-in-law, the Bashkirs, and the Devil.

Plot / Theme: Pahom, a Russian peasant, overhears his wife and her sister arguing over whether it is better to live in the country or the city. This leads Pahom to make the dangerous declaration that if he had just enough land, he would not even fear the Devil. The Devil hears this boast and decides to put it to the test, exploiting Pahom’s greed. The story relates Pahom’s success in buying land, yet also his growing dissatisfaction.

Climax: Pahom comes to know about the Bashkir region, where very fertile land can be purchased cheaply. The Bashkirs agree to sell him as much land as he can pace off in a day, for 1000 roubles, as long as he returns to the starting point before the end of the day. Pahom walks far, trying to get as much land as possible, but when he sees more fertile land ahead, greed overtakes his senses and he keeps walking further without realising it would be difficult to return. Rushing back to the starting point, which he barely succeeds in reaching, he collapses and dies. The Bashkirs then ask Pahom’s servant to bury him on the same land, and he ends up with just six feet of land – enough to bury him – instead of all the land he had acquired.

Message / Moral: The story tells us about the destructive consequences of human ambition and greed. The message is clear – a warning against biting off more than you can chew. It shows us how human nature pushes us to want more and more; we are never content, no matter how well off we may be. While trying to improve our standard of living, we put ourselves in danger of ending up with nothing. It teaches us how greed and an excessive desire for earthly possessions can destroy a person.