How Much Land Does a Man Need? Greed

  How Much Land Does a Man Need? Greed

Clay Payne

            How Much Land Does a Man Need is about a man who always wants something more in his life and is never content with what he is given. This story can teach the reader many different lessons, including learning how to not be too greedy. Pakhom is the main character in this story and begins as a very poor man who is barely able to provide the necessities for his family, but his family is content with that lifestyle. Pakhom's wife meets with her sister one day and they talk about their lives. In this meeting her sister brags about how much money she has, all of the luxuries she has, and how she has all of the food that she wants. Pakhom hears his wife's sister talk about different luxurious that she is able to enjoy such as skating and endless amounts of food. Pakhom decides that he wants to have a little bit more in life just as his sister-in-law describes.

     Pakhom decides that he needs to buy more land so that his possibilities are endless and no one can stop him; "even if the devil himself tried to stop him." The poor peasant starts off by trying to purchase 40 acres of land. He is very grateful for the opportunity of obtaining extra land, and believes he can do anything now that he has acquired more land than he has ever had. However, Pakhom runs into trouble when his neighbor’s animals trespass on his land and graze on his crop. He then has the desire to find more land away from the pesky animals next door. Soon enough, he hears about an area where anyone who moves in is given an additional 25 acres for free, so Pakhom decides to move his family and is able to buy a total of 125 acres at his new settlement. Even with increasing his land from just 40 acres to 125 acres, Pakhom hears about an even better offer where the area only will cost him 1,000 rubles. 

     Pakhom and his servant set off to take a look at the land and meet up with the landowners, the Baskir's. Pakhom talks to the Baskhirs and gives them vodka and tea to motivate them to sell their land. The Baskhir's meet with their chief and decide that they will sell Pakhom as much land as he can walk in one day. Therefore, Pakhom walks the land and decides to get a little too greedy with his route and ends up pushing himself too hard and dies as soon as he is emerging the ending mark of his route.

     The moral of this story to me is to be happy with the circumstances you are given. When you want more and more, there is never an end. Having the most money or land in life does not make a person more happy; but rather having a loving family and all the necessities is all that you need.