Step 1: Select one of the following quotations that you will apply to "How Much Land Does a Man Need?" by Leo Tolstoy.
“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien, writer of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings
“It’s been my experience that you can nearly always enjoy things if you make up your mind firmly that you will.”― L.M. Montgomery, writer of Anne of Green Gables
“The grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.”― George Washington Burnap, writer of The Sphere and Duties of Woman: A Course of Lectures
“Man only likes to count his troubles; he doesn’t calculate his happiness.”― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, writer of Notes from Underground
“The things you own end up owning you. It's only after you lose everything that you're free to do anything.”― Chuck Palahniuk, writer of Fight Club
“A lot of people get so hung up on what they can't have that they don't think for a second about whether they really want it.”― Lionel Shriver, writer of Checker and the Derailleurs
Step 2: Write a well-reasoned response to the quotation and use evidence from Tolstoy's short story to support your perspective. There is no right or wrong response—your instructor will evaluate your thoughts and how well you've supported and explained your points.
Step 3: Use these questions to ensure you've addressed everything needed for a persuasive essay.
Do you agree or disagree with your chosen quotation? Why?
What evidence can you find in the short story to support your opinion?
What evidence do you have from one other literary work? This can be from another class or from your personal reading.
What evidence can you think of from real life that supports your opinion?
You do not need to research for this essay; your instructor wants to know what you think.
As you discuss your perspective and explain your examples, be sure to give credit to the sources of your examples using citations.
Since you're using Leo Tolstoy's short story, you do not need to cite any quotations, paraphrases, or summaries from that story. However, if you choose to include any outside literary work, you will need to provide a Works Cited and use quotations or paraphrases correctly. Refer to MLA Style Documentation for an overview and helpful tips on citation and documentation
