How Much Land Does a Man Need

As Pahóm starts out on his ill-fated attempt to acquire some of the Bashkir lands, the sun plays a large role. It symbolizes the course of a man’s life, the urgency of Pahóm’s desire, and his ultimate descent into darkness, death, and hell. As dawn approaches, “the morning red [is] beginning to kindle” (221), which suggests the stirring fire of Pahóm’s desire. The color is a little ominous since red is the color of blood and will reappear in that context at the end of the story. Pahóm sets off with confidence, like an energetic young man, walking toward the rising sun. By noon, it has become very hot and Pahóm is feeling increasingly uncomfortable, but he is determined to continue; the intensity of the sun’s burning heat symbolizes the strength of his desire. However, as the sun reaches the halfway point of its descent to the horizon—symbolizing the decline of life and vigor over the course of a man’s life—he gets increasingly weak. By the time the sun is at the rim of the horizon, Pahóm is desperate and breaks into a run, even though this causes him immense physical distress. He fears he may die.