XII English STBB - Unit # 5 - HOW MUCH LAND DOES A MAN NEED
- Kiran Syed
- Oct 2
- 8 min read
Exercise # 2
Write the contextual meaning of the following phrases.
grew tired of – became bored or dissatisfied with
to look after – to take care of
to reckon it out – to calculate or figure it out
go round on your feet – walk around the land to cover it
get round – complete a circuit or cover an area by walking
dispersed for – separated and went away for the night
saw through – noticed or realized clearly
flashed above – appeared suddenly above
done up with – exhausted or worn out by
giving way – collapsing or becoming unable to support oneself
Exercise 04: Answer the following questions after reading the text.
1. What moral/lesson do you learn from the story of Pahom?
The main lesson of the story is that greed has no limits and leads to destruction. Tolstoy uses Pahom’s endless desire for land to show that humans are never satisfied with what they have. Each time Pahom acquires more land, instead of being happy, he becomes restless and dreams of gaining even more. His greed eventually costs him his life. The story also suggests a universal truth: in the end, a man needs only a small piece of land for his grave, no matter how much wealth or property he has gained.
2. What urged Pahom to abandon his well-settled life and desire for more land?
Pahom was initially a hardworking peasant who had managed to secure forty acres of land. However, he soon felt dissatisfied because his land did not seem much different from other people’s. When a traveler told him about the fertile land beyond the Volga where crops grew abundantly, Pahom’s dissatisfaction increased. His greed pushed him to sell his homestead, cattle, and previous land, and move with his family to the new settlement. Instead of appreciating his comfortable life, he was lured by the promise of better and more abundant land.
3. Describe what thoughts Pahom had about grasping the land.
Pahom constantly believed that the more land he owned, the happier and more secure he would be. At each new stage of acquiring land, he became excited but quickly grew dissatisfied. While walking to measure the Bashkirs’ land, he thought that the further he went, the better the land appeared. He became greedy and wanted to include fertile soil, damp hollows, and grassy plains within his boundary. His thoughts revealed his insatiable desire—he always wanted more than what was practical or necessary.
4. What strategy did Pahom use to mark the land that he covered while walking on it?
The Bashkirs instructed Pahom to take a spade with him and mark his route by digging holes and piling turf at every turning point. These small mounds of earth would later serve as visible markers, so the Bashkirs could plough along the holes to define his land. This strategy was practical and symbolic—it showed how human greed is measured step by step, with each mark representing Pahom’s desire to enlarge his territory beyond reason.
5. How did Pahom's attitude change, from being confident to fear of losing both life and land, as he went on in measuring the land?
At the start, Pahom was confident and enthusiastic. He walked steadily, thinking he had plenty of time and energy. However, as the day grew hotter and the land stretched endlessly before him, his confidence turned into anxiety. He realized he had gone too far and might not make it back before sunset. Fear gripped him—he worried he would lose not only the land but also his money. Later, as he ran desperately, his fear deepened into terror of death. His transformation from self-assured confidence to fearful desperation highlights how greed can overpower reason and bring about one’s downfall.
6. Do you think Pahom was pushing himself too hard while walking to cover as much land as possible? How?
Yes, Pahom clearly pushed himself beyond his physical and human limits. He began the day with energy but kept extending his path because of greed. He took off his boots, threw away his coat and flask, and still continued walking faster and faster under the hot sun. He ignored his exhaustion and thirst, telling himself that “an hour to suffer, a lifetime to live.” Instead of being content with a smaller, manageable plot, he pushed his body into extreme fatigue. Ultimately, this overexertion cost him his life, showing how blind ambition can destroy a person.
7. Why was the Chief of Bashkirs laughing on Pahom's efforts?
The Chief of the Bashkirs laughed because he found Pahom’s desperate struggle amusing. To him and the Bashkirs, land was abundant and not worth dying for. But Pahom, blinded by greed, was willing to risk his life for more land than he needed. The Chief’s laughter highlights the irony of the situation—what the Bashkirs viewed casually, Pahom viewed as a life-or-death race. His obsession appeared ridiculous to them, as they valued generosity and community more than selfish accumulation.
8. What does the ending of the story reveal about Pahom's character?
The ending reveals the tragic flaw in Pahom’s character: his insatiable greed and lack of contentment. Despite owning good land, he always wanted more, believing that greater possessions would bring him peace. His death at the very moment of “success” symbolizes the futility of greed. In reality, all the land he needed was six feet for his grave. The ending also shows his blindness—he failed to realize that true happiness lies not in material wealth, but in moderation, satisfaction, and spiritual well-being. Tolstoy uses this ending to underline the ultimate irony: the man who wanted vast land ended up with just enough to bury him.
Exercise 05 (Arrange events in proper order): Solved
Pahom is introduced to the reader.
Pahom sells his land, homestead, and other things to buy the land beyond Volga.
Bakhshirs receive him and serve him with delicious food.
Bakhshir's chief shares the terms and conditions for the land purchase.
He marks on the land by digging a hole and piling the turf on it.
He runs hard to grasp as much land as possible when sun is above his head.
He feels he would not be able to reach at the starting point when the sun is about to set.
He feels tired and exhausted yet does not stop from running to grasp more.
Out of exhaustion, fatigue and tiredness, he loses his breath and dies.
He is buried in the grave of six feet.
Exercise 06 (True or False):
Pahom was a wealthy landowner who was satisfied with his land. → F (He was never satisfied)
After selling his land and cattle, Pahom moved his family to the new settlement. → T
Pahom was content with his new land and did not want any more. → F (He still wanted more land)
A land dealer told Pahom that he could buy land from the Bashkirs for a very low price. → T
The Bashkirs sold land by the acre, and Pahom knew exactly how much he could buy. → F (They sold by a day's walk, not by the acre)
Pahom was required to return to the starting point before sunset to keep the land he covered. → T
Pahom took many breaks during his land measuring journey. → F (He only took short rests; he hurried because of time pressure)
Exercise # 3
Choose the correct option
One of the following objects used as metaphor in this story is....
Answer: B. land
Pahom takes ______ with him as he starts measuring the land.
Answer: A. a spade
The story expresses an irony on human's....
Answer: D. desire to grasp more
Which of the following proverbs befit the message of the story?
Answer: D. Greed is a bottomless pit.
Which of the following characteristics are found in Pahom?
Answer: A. Unsatisfied and desirous.
How does Pahom mark the land as he walks?
Answer: A. He digs holes and piles up turf.
"Though it will make my land lopsided, I must hurry back in a straight line now...." the underlined word means.
Answer: B. Uneven
The length of Pahom's grave at the end of the story symbolizes
Answer: C. The irony of his greed for land.
Summary:
The story "How much Land does a Man Need" by Leo Tolstoy is about a peasant named Pahom, who works honestly and manages to buy forty acres of land. However, he soon grows dissatisfied and begins to believe that if only he had more land, he would be completely content. One day, he hears about fertile land beyond the Volga and moves there with his family. At first, he is happy, but after some time he again feels restless and wants more land to expand his crops. Later, a land dealer tells him about the Bashkirs, a people who sell land very cheaply. Tempted by the offer, Pahom travels to them with gifts and negotiates with their chief.
The Bashkirs tell Pahom that for one thousand rubles he can claim as much land as he can walk around in one day, starting and ending at the same point before sunset. Pahom is delighted by the offer. The next morning, he sets out eagerly, marking the boundaries with his spade. At first, he walks confidently, but as the day gets hotter and the land stretches endlessly, he keeps extending his path to include more fertile soil. Gradually, he becomes tired and realizes he has gone too far. Fear begins to overtake him as the sun sinks lower, and he runs desperately toward the starting point.
Exhausted and breathless, Pahom throws away his belongings and uses the last of his strength to reach the Bashkirs’ chief’s cap, which marked the starting spot. Just as the sun sets, he collapses and dies from exhaustion. The Bashkirs click their tongues in pity, while his servant buries him in a grave only six feet long.
The story ends with bitter irony: despite all his greed and ambition, all the land Pahom truly needed was six feet to be buried in. Tolstoy conveys the moral that human greed is endless and destructive, and in the end, possessions are meaningless because life itself is short.
خلاصہ (طلبہ کی سمجھ کے لیے)
کہانی *"How Much Land Does a Man Need?"* لیو ٹالسٹائی نے لکھی ہے، جس میں ایک کسان **پاخوم** کی زندگی بیان کی گئی ہے۔ پاخوم ایمانداری سے محنت کرتا ہے اور زمین خرید لیتا ہے، لیکن وہ کبھی مطمئن نہیں ہوتا۔ اسے لگتا ہے کہ اگر زیادہ زمین مل جائے تو وہ خوش اور محفوظ ہو جائے گا۔ پہلے وہ ولگا کے پار زمین خریدتا ہے مگر جلد ہی اسے ناکافی سمجھنے لگتا ہے۔ پھر ایک سوداگر اسے باشکیر لوگوں کے بارے میں بتاتا ہے جو بہت سستی زمین بیچتے ہیں۔ پاخوم تحفے لے کر ان کے پاس جاتا ہے۔
باشکیر سردار اسے شرط بتاتا ہے کہ ایک ہزار روبل کے بدلے وہ ایک دن میں جتنی زمین پیدل چل کر گھیر لے گا، وہ سب اس کی ہو جائے گی، لیکن اسے سورج غروب ہونے سے پہلے واپس اسی جگہ پہنچنا ہوگا جہاں سے اس نے آغاز کیا تھا۔ پاخوم خوشی خوشی زمین ناپنے نکلتا ہے اور لالچ میں آ کر زیادہ سے زیادہ علاقے کو گھیرنے کی کوشش کرتا ہے۔ سورج ڈھلنے لگتا ہے، پاخوم تھکن سے چور ہو جاتا ہے لیکن پھر بھی بھاگ کر واپس پہنچنے کی کوشش کرتا ہے۔ آخرکار وہ سردار کی ٹوپی تک تو پہنچ جاتا ہے مگر اتنی زیادہ تھکن سے مر جاتا ہے۔ اس کے نوکر نے اسے صرف چھ فٹ کی قبر میں دفن کیا۔
کہانی کا سبق یہ ہے کہ انسان کی لالچ کی کوئی حد نہیں، لیکن حقیقت میں اسے زندگی کے آخر میں صرف چھ فٹ زمین ہی درکار ہوتی ہے۔
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