How Much Land Does a Man Need

Pahóm works hard as a peasant tilling the land; the only thing that bothers him, setting the entire plot in motion, is his desire for more land. At first, there seems to be nothing wrong with this desire to have a little more (the Devil’s declaration in Part 1 not withstanding), and his ambition to become a landowner is understandable. He merely hopes to prosper—to improve his lot in life. A warning note, however, is sounded in Part 2, when the lady landowner sells her land. When the peasants decide to buy the land individually, Pahóm hears that one of his neighbors is buying 50 acres, and he “[feels] envious” (209). Pahóm fears that other people are getting ahead of him. After he has purchased some land, he quarrels with his neighbors. There are even threats to burn his building down, which never happened when he did not have much property. A pattern begins to emerge: “[T]hough Pahóm had more land, his place in the Commune was much worse than before” (212).

Each gain in land coincides with a loss in some other area of life. Often the loss is of peace of mind.