The Bet
Characters
The Lawyer
Positive: He became a non materialistic person and found the meaning to his life.
Negative: Because of his greed and stubbornness he spent 15 years of his life locked up without a point.
Motivation: What really motivated him was his money.
The Banker
Positive: He decided not to kill the Lawyer.
negative: His greed was so big, he was prepared to kill to keep his money.
Motivation: His money was his motivation to kill the lawyer.
Who began the wager?
The Banker started it
Why and how did the lawyer’s reading habits change over the years?
He started being everyday further and further away from socialising and he started reading more existential books that helped him in his groth and way to find a purpose.
How does the lawyer help depict the theme?
By showing his journey in how he found purpose, and how much time he lost on his way to find it.
The banker’s perspective ever changed throughout the story?
Yes, It did at first he thought 2 million wasn’t much but after almost losing all his money he couldn’t give away 2 million. At first he wanted to pay his debt but at the end he didn’t.
What is the banker’s reason for thinking that the death penalty is better than life imprisonment?
He thought it was merciful to kill someone at the instant that rather leaving them in confinement dying in a miserable way.
How does the banker’s financial status change through the years?
It got worse as the years passed because he lost the majority of his money gambling. He ends up not having enough money to pay his debt.
Why do you think Chekhov left the characters unnamed?
Because of the engagement he wanted to have with the readers, he wants everyone to be able to identify themselves with the characters.
What do you think Chekhov is saying about wealth, freedom and greed?
About wealth, that it isn’t eternal and if you don’t take care of it you can easily and rapidly lose it. About freedom is that it is up to us if we want to be free or keep ourselves captive. Lastly About greed, that it blinds you and can take important parts of your life if you don’t let it aside.
Irony
Situational: The situational irony is that the lawyer after all those years of confinement didn’t miss human connection but despised instead.
Dramatic: The change of perception of the banker that at first thought that 2 million weren’t that much but at the end he appreciates that money and he is prepared to kill for it.
Verbal: When at first the lawyer talked about how he was able to complete the bet and how he wanted the money and at the end he wrote the note saying he didn’t want any of that, and he realized that after losing 15 years of his life.
Symbols
The Banker’s money: This symbolises the greed of the two men that are willing to do anything to keep it. The lawyer is locked up for 15 years for it and the Banker wants to kill the Lawyer to keep it.
Book: This represents human connection to the Lawyer, or connection to the outside world which he had no contact with during 15 years of his life.
Piano: It represents the isolation in which the Lawyer slowly got himself into, while years passed he was farther and farther away from society and the outside world.
Gospel:This represents the search of the lawyer for purpose in his life.
Theme
The main theme is about the meaning of life.
Voice
Omniscient third person narration.
Mood
Determination and desperation.
Tone
Defiant, critical and confusing.
Plot Analysis
Conflict
Man vs. Himself: The lawyer vs. his dilemma of leaving to live his life to the fullest and not waste those 15 years or staying and winning the bet and the money.
Man vs. Man: The banker vs. the lawyer who has different points of view towards the death penalty.
Man vs. Society: The lawyer vs. the society he had to face after being trapped for all those years, he had to be adapted again, and his social skills weren’t good after all of those years of confinement.
Man vs. Nature: The lawyer vs. his sanity that was a bit lost for being alone all of those years. The isolation from people made him want to be away from society.
Climax
When the lawyer left hours before his time was completed.
Resolution
When the banker hears the news, reads the letter that he left him and realises that he no longer has to kill him because he doesn't have to pay him.
