The Bet By Anton Chekhov Analysis

In life, even the smallest of actions can have repercussions just as influential as larger actions. This moral lesson can be shown in a numerous amount of stories. One of the themes that Ray Bradbury explores in “A Sound of Thunder” is that all actions have consequences, big and small. Three examples that support this theme are the mouse case, stepping of the Path, and the butterfly. The first example that supports the theme of all actions have consequences, big and small, is the mouse case.

Anton Chekhov’s short story, “At Home,” provides a representation on how societies view morality when faced with the action of discipline. This view is imperative to the story because Chekhov wants the reader to recognize the futile ways societies determine what is morally correct or incorrect, by implementing consequences without considering why an action must be punished. Evgeni Bykovski, an attorney, is faced with this exact problem as he determines how to properly teach and discipline his son, Seriozha, who has been caught stealing, smoking, and lying. Nevertheless, Evgeni finds himself at his most difficult trial because as he ponders how to punish his son, he encounters his own set of crossroads on how societies discipline

Though Anton Chekhov's "The Bet" was written in a different country at a different time, it portrays a timeless theme; greed is a crippling trait of mankind. This message can be seen through the author's use of characterization of both the lawyer and the banker. The banker was a static character; he was greedy from start to finish. The lawyer was a dynamic character and he saw the wrong in his ways and changed them in the end.

The reasoning and thought process behind any decision will dictate the outcome of the situation, as it is affected by prior knowledge and experience, which is necessary in predicting how an event will play out. In both “The Day of the Last Rock Fight” by Joseph Whitechill and “Lather and Nothing Else” by Hernando Tellez, the authors use fear driven characters who are in similar situations regarding immorality. However, the events leading to and reasoning behind their thoughts remain very different despite the fact that the circumstances they find themselves in are alike in nature. This is portrayed through the barber and Ronnie’s contrasting beliefs and impact from society. It is also shown through the variance in the decision making process carried out by the two individuals. Ronnie habitually makes hasty decisions that will benefit himself, whereas the barber makes calculated and selfless decisions. Through the two stories it is explained that the latter will result in a better conclusion, as being selfish and too quick to act can lead to unexpected personal and external conflicts. The opposing outcomes highlight the idea that the ways in which decisions are made are extremely influential, regardless of the circumstances.

When Swami Sivananda said, “A mountain is composed of tiny grains of earth. The ocean is made up of tiny drops of water. Even so, life is but an endless series of little details, actions, speeches, and thoughts. And the consequences whether good or bad of even the least of them are far-reaching.” He was correct because every microscopic action that we commit has an unintended consequence. Some consequences, are good. Other consequences, on the other hand, can be miserable. In The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and The Other Wes Moore, by Wes Moore, both stories exhibit that each choice a person makes has a consequence, good or bad.

The story "The Cold Equations" by Tom Godwin, displays the theme, There are consequences for every action. The story begins by taking us inside an Emergency Dispatch Ship (EDS) in mid-flight, when the ship’s gauges alert the pilot that a stowaway is hiding aboard in the small closet. The pilot immediately infers it is a grown male stowaway, whom the pilot orders out of the closet as he lay his hand on his blaster gun. To his utter surprise, the stowaway who emerges is a young female, causing him to immediately realize the inevitable end to the situation at hand, as the protocol for stowaways was very harsh; upon discovery of such person, the stowaway would be dispersed immediately into space leading to imminent death. The EDS was only permitted

I think this theme is really common both in literature and in today’s society. In fact, a couple of years ago I remember hearing about a story with a homeless guy who found an abandoned backpack in a mall, with over $40,000 in it. Rather than keeping it, he turned it in. Just after that, a man set up a online fundraiser for the homeless man that raised over $160,000. Similarly, theres also stories of how hunters end up being killed by the same kind of animals they hunted. Either way, the message is the same in that by doing good things, good things will come back to you. Or, in Ethan and Mattie’s case, doing immoral things, will bring bad things to come, even if it is twenty years

Last of all, this unit used amazing imagery to describe visually what was going on. The story “The Bet” was the story that stuck out to me because of all the imagery. “The Bet” was about two men, a lawyer and a banker, who were fighting over whether a death penalty or a life sentence in jail is more moral. The banker thought that a death penalty is more moral, while the lawyer thought that imprisonment for life was more moral. The lawyer thought that because he said “To live is better than not at all.” They got into an argument and the banker bet 2 million dollars that the lawyer would stay in jail for 15 years, and the lawyer agrees. The time had come for the lawyer to go to jail, and he was allowed musical instruments, books, to write letters,

“An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind (Gandhi)”, is the perfect analogy for Edgar Allen Poe’s short story “The Cask of Amontillado”. Montresor seeks revenge after Fortunato insulted his pride. Fortunato foolish pride led him to his demise at the hands of his opponent Montresor. A man’s pride can leave him blinded.

In the short story, “The Bet” by Anton Chekhov, a banker and a young man make a bet with each other based on capital punishment and whether the death penalty is better or worse than life in prison. The terms of the wager state that if the lawyer can live in solitary confinement for fifteen years, he will be given two million dollars. When examining the story, the Marxist lens would offer an insight to the ability of symbols and its forms, styles and, meanings. Chekhov connects these themes by utilizing the literary elements of Power. More specifically the power of money, knowledge, language, and competition.

Our existence can be illustrated by envisioning a painter who is fabricating a painting. As the painter begins to use the soft brush, its thistles with each movement construct systems and subsystems that are elaborately woven together to display biased perception of ourselves. Consequently, a misguided stroke may alter an exceptional piece of art turning it into a catastrophe. Regrettably, this metaphor unveils the misfortune that can occur in the lives of numerous individuals. Comparatively, like the painter who can be consumed by adversity, a victim of domestic violence with one misstep can eradicate his/her own life.

The theme of Revenge has been utilized in numerous works of art throughout history, including books, plays, movies, etc. Revenge is the result of one’s desire for vengeance, however, revenge is known to be implied under high emotions of anger thus not with reason concluding with a horrible outcome. Shakespeare’s play ‘Hamlet’ is no doubt a play about a tragedy caused by revenge; Prince Hamlet’s retribution for his father, King Hamlet’s murder and Laertes vengeance for his father, Polonius’ murder. The theme of revenge in Hamlet is portrayed through various literary techniques such as foreshadowing and irony.

“Nothing has ever been more insupportable for a man and a human society than freedom.” –The Grand Inquisitor” “Above all, don't lie to yourself. The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to a point that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others. And having no respect he ceases to love.” - Father Zosima. These two quotes voice the polarized philosophies that impregnate the book, The Brothers Karamazov. Ivan, the second of the three sons, and Zosima, the old monk, are huge commentators on the question, “Is the burden of free will to much for a human to bear?”

A short story’s purpose is to introduce an idea or moral to the reader. In many cases the reader can understand the thesis, but there will be times where the reader is uncertain. The reason for this is because the short story’s moral is profound ironically. Ultimately the reader is able to relate to him or herself in the short story various ways. Likewise the use of irony in, “The Bet” by Anton Chekhov, illustrates the characters and their opposing speculations that demonstrate the importance of human life and confinement. Relating to the thesis of the short story, there are three main points that irony plays a key role on. To begin with, there are the two main character’s roles that guide the reader though both perspectives of their conflicts. There are also main points in their dialect and involvement that Chekhov used to help the reader understand the character’s ironic speculations.

In high school I read a short story called The Bet by Anton Chekhov. The story was about a young lawyer who made a bet with a banker that imprisonment for fifteen years was better than the death penalty. Like Socrates in Plato’s Crito the lawyer was trying to challenge society’s beliefs. While in confinement the lawyer read many books, whose subjects ranged from languages to philosophy. After fifteen years of solitary confinement the lawyer rejects his prize money and defaults on the bet, hours before winning. I wonder if the man had read the Crito. We can reason that Socrates’ could have inspired the man to decide to pick the more brash choice to try and teach his accusers a lesson. The man may have decided to default on the bet when he was so close to winning because he wished to make the lesson the banker learned more memorable and infinite. In the Crito even though Socrates thinks himself to be innocent of the charges brought against him he still refuses to escape prison when presented with the opportunity. This helps him teach his final lesson about the principles he believes are worth dying for. His principles are that the opinion of the many is unimportant, his life is not worth living with a corrupt soul, life is not as important as living justly, the only consideration to take into account is justice, and acting unjustly is always bad and shameful. Even though Socrates and the polis or laws arrive at the same conclusion that Socrates should not escape prison, the