How Much Land Does a Man Need

The story is written in the third person and the past tense, and the narrative is mostly limited to Pahom’s perspective. The main exceptions are when the story briefly shifts to focus on the Devil, as Pahom is never consciously aware of the Devil’s presence. Even the opening scene, which focuses on the two sisters, is arguably within Pahom’s perspective, as he is present to witness the conversation. The main narrative then follows Pahom’s experiences as he pursues land acquisition over a period of several years. The narration often enters Pahom’s perspective directly, in order to convey specific thoughts and emotions. These moments of interiority help to illustrate his pattern of greed, which is never permanently sated or reversed.

This story was originally written in Russian, Tolstoy’s native language. Because this version of the story is a translation into English, the reader should be aware of how translation might have some effects on the story’s language and presentation. The translation used for this guide appears to be generally faithful to the tone and wording of the original version. The story’s prose is most straightforward and unadorned, in order to present the narrative and its underlying messages clearly. The story accomplishes these effects with both narration and dialogue. For example, Chapter 1 ends with a striking moment in which the Devil soliloquizes, “All right. We will have a tussle. I'll give you land enough; and by means of that land I will get you into my power” (51).

The story is structured in a linear fashion and is divided into nine brief chapters. The first chapter is notable in that it begins by focusing not on the protagonist, but on the protagonist’s wife and sister-in-law. The sisters’ conversation foreshadows some of the story’s themes and ideas. At the end of the chapter, the protagonist Pahom is introduced via an interjection he makes in the conversation. The following statement is made by the Devil, who is unseen to the characters. This statement establishes the main narrative tension, wherein the devil will use Pahom’s desire for more land to ruin Pahom. The narrative then proceeds in a linear fashion, demonstrating how acquisition of land only feeds Pahom’s greed and destabilizes his interpersonal relationships.