What is a summary of 'The Bet' by Anton chekhov?
"The Bet" emphasizes the idea that the life of a human is far
more valuable than money. In the short story "The Bet a wager is
made that changes the lives of two people. The story begins with a
argument at a party over which is more moral, capital punishment or
life imprisonment. The banker believes that capital punishment is
more moral because the death sentence kills the victim quicker
rather than dragging out the process. The lawyer at the party
responds, saying, he would choose the life sentence to be more
moral because any life is better than no life at all. Hearing this
response causes the banker to bet the lawyer two million dollars
that the lawyer cannot last five years in solitary confinement. The
lawyer accepts the wager, but pushes it to fifteen years in hopes
of making a point. The terms of the wager are that the lawyer is to
live in solitary confinement without any human interaction for
fifteen years, but is granted any books, music, wine, or anything
that he wants. As the fifteen years pass, the lawyer discovers the
significance of human life. "The Bet" emphasizes the idea that the
life of a human is far more valuable than money.
Materialism had blinded the lawyer to such an extent that he
sacrificed his freedom and youth just to claim a sum of two
millions at the end of his self imposed fifteen year term in
confinement. It was during this course of time that he realised
that knowledge was true wealth. So he embarked on a journey to
enlighten himself. He read voraciously and became a man of letters.
He also renounced his claim over his "prize money", which drives
home the point that knowledge is the light which dispels the pall
of greed and materiality. On the other hand the banker after having
lost a fortune on the stock exchange was prepared to murder the
lawyer in cold blood to save himself from paying up the two
millions to him-this tells us that money drives man to commit the
most henious of all crimes.
The author also touches upon dark subjects like lonliness and
death. What lonliness can do to a person is clearly visible in this
extract"....seeing his emaciated aged-looking face, no one would
have believed that he was only forty". Moreover the lawyer did not
find pleasure in the best quality wine, because he did not have
company. This signifies that in the absence of fellowmen, world's
greatest luxury seems worthless.
The author also emphasises on the need to keep one's head above
the shoulders while taking major decisions and not be swayed away
in a fit of excitement, otherwise one may land up in the shoes of
the banker or the lawyer.
