"The Wager" is a short story written by Anton Chekhov, a Russian playwright and short story writer who is widely considered to be one of the greatest writers of all time. The story tells the tale of a man named Ivan Petrovich, who is known for his love of gambling and betting on anything and everything.
The story begins with Ivan Petrovich making a bet with a group of his friends that he can survive for an entire month on just ten rubles. His friends are skeptical, but Ivan Petrovich is confident that he can do it. He decides to take on the challenge in order to prove to his friends that he is not a reckless gambler, but rather a man of intelligence and resourcefulness.
Throughout the month, Ivan Petrovich faces many challenges and obstacles as he tries to stretch his limited funds as far as possible. He lives frugally, eating only the cheapest and most basic foods, and even resorting to begging for food at times. Despite these hardships, Ivan Petrovich remains determined to win the bet and prove his worth to his friends.
However, as the month comes to a close, Ivan Petrovich realizes that he has made a grave error in calculating his expenses. He had not taken into account the cost of rent and other necessities, and as a result, he finds himself unable to pay his debts. Facing financial ruin and the loss of his reputation, Ivan Petrovich is forced to confront the reality of his reckless gambling habits and the consequences they have brought upon him.
In the end, Ivan Petrovich learns a valuable lesson about the dangers of gambling and the importance of being responsible with one's finances. Through his struggle to win the wager, he comes to understand the true value of hard work and the importance of being self-sufficient.
Overall, "The Wager" is a thought-provoking and cautionary tale about the dangers of gambling and the importance of taking control of one's financial well-being. It serves as a reminder to be careful and thoughtful in our decision-making, and to always consider the potential consequences before making a bet.
The Best Known Works Of Anton Chekhov by Anton Chekhov
The banker ordered two shots to be fired in the garden. But Ivan Ivanovitch kept sighing and turning over from side to side; then he got up, went outside again, and, sitting in the doorway, lighted his pipe. He was frequently at Kovalenko's, but he did not alter his manner of life in the least; on the contrary, indeed, his determination to get married seemed to have a depressing effect on him. The story is relevant to modern times as there is still a controversy regarding the kind of punishment that can be awarded to a person. He did not keep a female servant for fear people might think evil of him, but had as cook an old man of sixty, called Afanasy, half-witted and given to tippling, who had once been an officer's servant and could cook after a fashion. He grew thinner and paler, and seemed to retreat further and further into his case.
The Wager, by Anton Checkhov, part 1 of 2 chat fiction thrillers
Reality irritated him, frightened him, kept him in continual agitation, and, perhaps to justify his timidity, his aversion for the actual, he always praised the past and what had never existed; and even the classical languages which he taught were in reality for him goloshes and umbrellas in which he sheltered himself from real life. It was agreed that for fifteen years he should not be free to cross the threshold of the lodge, to see human beings, to hear the human voice, or to receive letters and newspapers. When he went to bed he covered his head over; it was hot and stuffy; the wind battered on the closed doors; there was a droning noise in the stove and a sound of sighs from the kitchen -- ominous sighs. The majority of the guests, among whom were many journalists and intellectual men, disapproved of the death penalty. The failure of his play The Wood Demon 1889 and problems with his novel made Chekhov to withdraw from literature for a period.
The Best Known Works Of Anton Chekhov by Anton Chekhov
He was a skeleton with the skin drawn tight over his bones, with long curls like a woman's and a shaggy beard. With a clear conscience I tell you, as before God, who beholds me, that I despise freedom and life and health, and all that in your books is called the good things of the world. We set off, and he was green in the face and gloomier than a storm-cloud. The banker strained his eyes, but could see neither the earth nor the white statues, nor the lodge, nor the trees. His face was yellow with an earthy tint in it, his cheeks were hollow, his back long and narrow, and the hand on which his shaggy head was propped was so thin and delicate that it was dreadful to look at it.
Chronic Curiosity Syndrome: The Wager by Anton Chekhov
That little hut is going to be your grave, my young friend, but an open grave, one that you can leave anytime and rejoin the living. Going to the spot where the lodge stood, he twice called the watchman. How are you foolish enough to think you could keep this bargain, even for two million dollars? Chekhov hoped to use the results of his research for his doctoral dissertation. A damp cutting wind was racing about the garden, howling and giving the trees no rest. The story highlights the point that man always longs for freedom, which is more valuable than materialistic benefits.
