Analysis of the Story How Much Does a Man Need

Analysis I. Summary/Plot The story is entitled â€Å"How Much Land Does a Man Need?† because Leo Tolstoy wants us to know about what consequences we may encounter. This story shows the greediness of a man on material things. How man wants everything he could get a hold on. Basically, the question imposed in the title is answered ironically by Tolstoy. It is indeed that a man needs a land that is six feet above his head. The story is about a man who wants to find the enough or at least I say that, he wanted much land that he grew greedy about getting much land as he could. Leaving his family at his homestead, he sacrifices all that he can for the land the he wanted for his farming. All that he can get for a low price but great, he will grab†¦show more content†¦Literary Devices Irony was very used in the story. The first was when the wife of Pahom was talking to her sister that she boast about them having a good life in the countryside where indeed her husband, Pahom, thinks that they should h ave more than they have now. Another is that when he bought the land from the old woman who has a husband that is very particular on their land that every little thing that is ruined will be fined to that of responsible. But he got his chance on the land, he was worse than the husband of the old woman. The final, and most evident, piece of irony is the ending of the story, in which Pahom dies. He had walked around the land and marked much of it. He even ended the day back where he started, but he died when he got there. His servant buried him there in a six-foot plot. The lesson is that, all he need was six-foot plot for the servant to bury him. In conclusion, the irony in this story is very evident and also very sad. He doesn’t agree with his wife and thinks the exact opposite. He also treated the other peasants badly, wherein when he was a peasant too before a landowner. He also used symbolism in the story, using the Devil as the symbol for temptation, greed, envy and materialism. The Devil did everything he could so Pahom will fall on his traps. And so did Pahom fall. Let us not forget that the Devil will do anything just to get us away from the path toShow MoreRelatedLiterary Analysis Of A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings1264 Words   |  6 PagesLiterary Analysis: A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings: A Tale for Children â€Å"A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings: A Tale for Children† which was written in 1955 by Gabriel Garcà ­a Mà ¡rquez has been described by many as difficult to understand and hard to follow. Faulkner describes it as having a â€Å"charming (but unsettling) effect† (1) on readers. 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