How much Land does Man need?

                           

                                  How Much Land Does Man Need?

            

          Leo Tolstoy is a writer of this short story which is supposed to be greatest short story ever written in English literature. This particular story revolves around the character mane Pakhom and his greed. It revolves around the theme of leading to your own demise. Story starts with the scene  wherein two sisters are talking to each other in the village from which one resides in the town and other in the village. One who state in the village is the wife of Pakhom , she is happy with the life but her husband is dissatisfied  with his life. Once out of arrogance finally decides to buy some land and saw seeds in his own land.

      

         After earning some good money he became more greedy and interested in the land which is very cheap and as good as dirt near Volga. He came across the fact that he would get 30000 acars in thousand rubles. Land is belong to the Bashkirs. They were king hearted  people who would give him  as much land  as he wants and all were expected good gifts in return. Pakhom decides to go there with family. He go there with his family and meet with Bashkirs with the gifts for them. They are very happy for gifts. They decides to give land to Pakhom but only he has to pointing the figures, he has to walking by the dawn and  as much as he covers by coming back to the hillock good.

          

           Pakhom can’t believe and tells them to sign a deed because if it is not done. Ecstatic Pakhom decides to start walking but his greed and ambition overpower his thoughtfulness and physical energy. As soon as he come back he lost his consciousness and causes his own demise.

      

        Thus, the story tells us that one should not be ambitious and dissatisfied with whatever have. Containment is what  required to be happy. The story is in a way didactic in nature and shows that excessive desire may lead to one’s own downfall.