Question

what is the theme of the short story "The Bet" by Anton Chekhov?

Answer 1

@Mertsj @wio @inkyvoyd @ghazi

Answer 2

I actualy read this story, but I forgot what it was about. In fact, I kind of remember it, but you should be able to answer this question yourself :). Any ideas?

Answer 3

not at all :(

Answer 4

Well, I got no ideas for you either then. Tough luck.

Answer 5

I'm not here asking you to spoon feed me an answer, i need help..kind of the whole point of posting the question...

Answer 6

A bit of googling could offer some insight.
http://www.reference.com/motif/arts/analysis-of-the-bet-anton-chekhov

Answer 7

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080327154745AAX9pXY

Answer 8

so I keep getting "Value of Human Life"

Answer 9

Yeah, or you could make up something yourself (english teachers usually like that way more, even if you are off by a little)

Answer 10

I'd go with what i just said, even if it seems harder, if it is for the sake of writing an essay, or other long response answer. Otherwise, you can go with the common answer.

Answer 11

i get the theme now, but it says to use textual evidence from the most important passage of the story...i have no clue what could support my claim of the theme

Answer 12

just look for stuff remotely related. The last part is key to the whole thing, I believe.

Answer 13

*the ending

Answer 14

yea it is, his letter, but he doesnt talk about the value of life

Answer 15

he talks about how fleeting materials are, correct? and by doing so he unknwoning saves his own life. Just BS something up and you'll be fine.

Answer 16

i cant BS it..

Answer 17

here..skim through if you can
http://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-stories/UBooks/Bet.shtml

Answer 18

the middle of section 6 is where his letter starts

Answer 19

Strech the words and make implications is what I meant when I said BS. Use the most important passage, but that passage should be heavily supported by the rest of the story.

" "And I despise your books, I despise wisdom and the blessings of this world. It is all worthless, fleeting, illusory, and deceptive, like a mirage. You may be proud, wise, and fine, but death will wipe you off the face of the earth as though you were no more than mice burrowing under the floor, and your posterity, your history, your immortal geniuses will burn or freeze together with the earthly globe.

"You have lost your reason and taken the wrong path. You have taken lies for truth, and hideousness for beauty. You would marvel if, owing to strange events of some sorts, frogs and lizards suddenly grew on apple and orange trees instead of fruit, or if roses began to smell like a sweating horse; so I marvel at you who exchange heaven for earth. I don't want to understand you.

"To prove to you in action how I despise all that you live by, I renounce the two million of which I once dreamed as of paradise and which now I despise. To deprive myself of the right to the money I shall go out from here five hours before the time fixed, and so break the compact ..." "

he's saying that he depsises the materials that the world and the banker is obssessed with. If it were me, I'd write about how material objects are not worth as much as they seem, actually. What I'm saying is that you could just as easily twist it to say that life is important.

Answer 20

okay cool, i have a better idea of this now, thanks

Answer 21

You're welcome. Good luck.