Leo Tolstoy's short story, "How Much Land Does a Man Need?," is an enduring meditation on the human condition and explores themes of materialism, mortality, and man's relationship to the land. Drawing upon Biblical parables and archetypal imagery, Tolstoy examines the pitfalls of greed and the futility of acquiring excessive wealth by constructing a narrative that follows Pahom as he attempts to acquire what he believes is necessary for his own contentment.