A Study Guide for Anton Chekhov's "The Bet," excerpted from Gale's acclaimed Short Stories for Students. This concise study guide includes plot summary; character analysis; author biography; study questions; historical context; suggestions for further reading; and much more. For any literature project, trust Short Stories for Students for all of your research needs.

How is this book unique? Font adjustments & biography included Unabridged (100% Original content) Formatted for e-reader Illustrated About The Bet by Anton Chekhov "The Bet" is a story by Anton Chekhov about a banker and a young lawyer who make a bet with each other about whether the death penalty is better or worse than life in prison. The story has a twist ending. Plot: As the story opens, the banker recalls the occasion of the bet fifteen years before. Guests at the party that he was hosting that day fell into a discussion of capital punishment; the banker argued that capital punishment is more humane than life imprisonment, while the young lawyer disagreed, insisting that he would choose life in prison rather than death. They agree to a bet of two million rubles that the lawyer cannot spend fifteen years in solitary confinement. The bet was on, and the lawyer cast himself into isolation for fifteen years.The man spends his time in confinement reading books, writing, playing piano, studying, drinking wine, and educating himself. We find him continuously growing throughout the story. We see various phases in his term of imprisonment over the years. At first, the lawyer suffered from severe loneliness and depression. But soon began studying vigorously. He begins with languages and other related subjects. Then, a mix of science, literature, philosophy and other seemingly random subjects. He ends up reading some six hundred volumes in the course of four years. Then, the Gospel followed by theology and histories of religion. In the final two years, the imprisoned lawyer read immensely on chemistry, medicine and philosophy, and sometimes works of Byron or Shakespeare.

At a banker’s party fifteen years ago, a young lawyer defends the position that life in prison is far less humane than capital punishment. The banker disagrees and proposes they bet—two million rubles in exchange for fifteen years of solitary confinement. The terms of their agreement allow the lawyer to have access to books, food, and wine, and over the course of his imprisonment, he reads widely. Nearing the end of the fifteen years, the banker comes to realize that he will be ruined by the lawyer’s winning of the bet, and both men find their lives changed by the lessons that the bet has taught them. HarperPerennial Classics brings great works of literature to life in digital format, upholding the highest standards in ebook production and celebrating reading in all its forms. Look for more titles in the HarperPerennial Classics collection to build your digital library.

The Bet and Other Stories is a collection of short stories about Russian society by famous playwright Anton Chekhov. The first short tale, "The Bet," is about a banker and a young lawyer who make a bet with each other following a conversation about whether the death penalty is better or worse than life in prison.

A haunting tale, Russian author Anton Chekhov’s ‘Ward No.6’ tells the story of Ragin, the head doctor in a provincial town’s mental institution. Frustrated by his banal surroundings and what he perceives as a lack of intelligent company, he turns to one of his patients, Gromov, with whom he can express his distaste for what his life has become. The townspeople grow suspicious of the time the doctor is spending with his patient, and so concoct a devious plan to get rid of him. A tale of existential crisis, neglect, and suffering, this is a poignant tale for readers contemplating life's big questions. Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) was a Russian playwright and novelist, best known for his short stories. His literary career began with short, humorous sketches, written to help support his poverty-stricken family. His work soon caught the eye of distinguished Russian writer Dmitry Grigorovich, and in 1888 Chekhov was awarded the Pushkin Prize for his short story collection ‘At Dusk’. Chekhov became a playwright too and authored the famous and much-adapted plays ‘Uncle Vanya’, ‘The Seagull’ and ‘The Cherry Orchard’ around the turn of the century. Leo Tolstoy was one of many admirers of his work. Chekhov remained a practicing medical doctor throughout his literary career and died from tuberculosis in 1904.

Charlie Fox has a terrific vehicle for a hot male movie star, and he has brought it to his friend Bobby Gould, head of production for a major film company. Both see the script as a ticket to the really big table where the power is. The star wants to do it; all they have to do is pitch it to their boss in the morning. Meanwhile, Bobby bets Charlie that he can seduce the secretary temp. As a ruse, he has given her a novel "by some Eastern sissy writer" that he is supposed to read before saying "thanks but no thanks." She is determined that the novel, not the trite vehicle, should be the company's next project. When she does sleep with Bobby, he finds the experience is so transmogrifying that Charlie must plead with Bobby not to pitch the sissy film. - Publisher's note.