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The Bet
The Bet: Short Story | Anton Chekhov
36 posts | 45 read | 3 to read
At a bankers 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 bettwo 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 lawyers 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.
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Khadija2023

A human aspect from the bet is greed. In the bet a banker and lawyer argue about whether or not they would be able the banker should stay in solitary confinement for a certain number of years or not.They entered the bet because they both want the money. People think that money will lead them to success and make them happy.

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shahria16

The human aspect that my group chose was “money“. Throughout the story, money is constantly brought up and is the pillar on which their bet is played. 15 years in imprisonment, in exchange for 2 million dollars. Money symbolizes greed and selfishness, and so does the banker. This story expressed that knowledge and freedom don't have a value that can be paid for with paper currency.

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$hon_McHugh

the bet is a interesting story about how people react/change we they are isotaled for a long period of time and has a good theme and story

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Noah22

There was lawyer that was willing to take away 15 years of his life for 2 million. He stayed in a cell all alone without any human interaction but was allowed to read books. All the lawyer did for 15 years was learn things from the books he was reading. In the last 5 hours of the bet he left the cell, breaking the rules and not getting the money because he thinks that nothing has meaning in his life anymore.

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BEARMAN

Our human aspect was change and evolution. Over the course of the story we see the lawyer change and grow as a person which can be symbolized with our box because as you change and grow as a person you keep adding layers to your character which symbolizes growth and change as a person.

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maggie_.ba

“The Bet” by Anton Chekhov classifies money as an important human aspect. The bet is the result of a debate between two people regarding whether the death penalty is better than life in prison. This is shown when the lawyer initially wanted 2 million dollars. The banker was also willing to kill the lawyer at the end of the 15 years to stay financially stable. This is a clear demonstration of how money can foster corruption and greed in a person.

review
Dynaria
Mehso-so

In this short story The Bet, a banker and the lawyer start up a bet about how long the lawyer can stay in solitary confinement after they establish what was going on in the bet the lawyer come out as a new man and has learned new skills and in the end a better and wiser man

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DevaDeCelis

human aspect: Change, evolution, and adaptation. As we go through life we add more and more layers to our personalities. This becomes very prominent as we read about both the lawyer and the banker in this story.

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w_postal07
Pickpick

i liked the bet i thought was interesting and showed a lot of different aspects that the banker experienced. and how solitary condiment can change a person.

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Maggiefrellisch

For our human aspect project we chose to represent stress. This is shown through a collage where a man shows traits of stress like immense pressure from the people and responsibilities around him. This relates to “The Bet” since the banker who was put in solitary confinement consistently showed behaviors associated with stress such as “doing nothing but eating and drinking and lying in his bed, frequently yawning and angrily talking to himself”.

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allie vu

My human characteristic portrayed in The Bet is greed. Initially, the lawyers reason for taking the bet was the prize of 2 million dollars, which he believed was worth 15 years of his life.

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ZAIR3

For my project I chose the human aspect of greed. i made a hand with money in it to represent greed. the banker showed greed in this story.

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Emanuel7394

i chose to show isolation as my human aspect for my project. I made of drawing one person on one side and a group of people on the other side. The story the bet shows isolation when the lawyer is stuck by himself for 15 years

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India_Brooks25

The book shows you how greedy people can be and it can make them do some outrageous things all for money. But this book also shows you that you have to go through different challenges to make you the person that you are.

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elliesebesta

My human aspect from this text was the social aspect. Without the social aspect of our lives, we would go insane and become pretty depressed, just like what happened to the lawyer when he was inprisoned. For his first years of solitary confinement, the author described how depressed lonely, and angry at himself the lawyer was. Having people around may not be a physical need, but it is indeed an emotional one.

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Boringllama30

As the lawyer came to his final years of jail he decided that he didn't want the money.

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elig25

A human aspect of the bet is ignorance, with the Lawyer being completely ignorant to the fact of the money needing to be paid to the Banker, and blowing through all of it.

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25dcrosby

Our human aspect project is about greed and how everyone is greedy whether they want to admit it or not. humans have always been greedy and humans will always be greedy. people will do any thing for the right amount of money whether it goes agents your morals or not.

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LiseWorks
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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Looks good!! 14mo
12 likes1 comment
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__mz.3
The Bet: Short Story | Anton Chekhov
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Author: Anton Chekhov

Genre: Fiction, Ethics

Date started/finished: Grade 8

Reason I chose the book: I haven't had a short story yet inmy litsy account, so I decided to do this one.

Summary: In the comments

__mz.3 This book all started when a young man and a banker. Their conversation were going smooth until they decided to bet. Their bet was a question they had, which was: Which one better or worse? A death penalrty or a sentance to life? The young man had said a sentence to life and the banker bet a large amount of money that the young mad wouldn;t survive in solitary confinement. After 15 years, the banker was no where to be found. 4y
1 comment
review
Melkyl
The Bet: Short Story | Anton Chekhov
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Pickpick

It excites me that I can still be introduced to a new story that I have never heard of and be completely blown away. Then I have to ask myself - how did I make it through school without reading some of these stories?! Anyway, this story was very interesting and had quite a twist. It is one that should resonate with the book lovers here on Litsy.

Joy0201 Chekhov stories are great! (edited) 5y
staci.reads Love that one! 5y
33 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Emma3
The Bet: Short Story | Anton Chekhov
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Mehso-so

Of to a good start already for August. Short but thought provoking.

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janeycanuck
The Bet: Short Story | Anton Chekhov
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EDP and I have a bet to see who will can read more books between his trips home. It would appear he‘s not pleased that I‘m now three books ahead.

kidamy Hahahahahahahahah! 6y
sprainedbrain 🤣🤣🤣 6y
15 likes2 comments
quote
GoneFishing
The Bet: Short Story | Anton Chekhov

If I were asked to chose between execution and life in prison I would, of course, chose the latter. It‘s better to live somehow than not at all.

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LadyRuthven
The Bet: Short Story | Anton Chekhov
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Pickpick

Finished a quick #serialreader story. I liked this one alot. It was thought provoking. It raised the question of which was less humane: death penalty or life imprisonment. Very interesting.

#classics

87 likes2 stack adds
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Ash.on.the.line
The Bet: Short Story | Anton Chekhov
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Pickpick

I hope to not flood feeds with these but another SR finished. This was intriguing and I enjoyed overall though I wanted more by the ending. The writing is just lovely!

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bibliobliss
The Bet: Short Story | Anton Chekhov
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Mehso-so

• still not sure ? whether I liked this one ☝️ or not but I'll give it "so-so" because it was •

#classics #classicliterature #SerialReaderapp #recentlyread #shortstories #read

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GoneFishing
The Bet: Short Story | Anton Chekhov

Which executioner is the more humane, he who kills you in a few minutes or he who drags the life out of you in the course of many years

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Qemorio
The Bet: Short Story | Anton Chekhov
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Pickpick

I really liked this little story even though is was very open ended. I read this for the Set 5,000 Miles from Your Location requirement of the @bookriot Read Harder Challenge. #readharder

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ChasingOm
The Bet: Short Story | Anton Chekhov
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Pickpick

I downloaded the Serial Reader app a few days ago and, in order to give it a test drive, chose a super short story that came in two installments. I finished today and, while I'm not sure it's worth rating the story itself, I enjoyed the app and will be choosing a longer classic as my next read. 📖 #serialreader

11 likes1 stack add
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Cinfhen
The Bet: Short Story | Anton Chekhov
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Pickpick

Thanks to #serialreader I was able to sneak in twenty minutes of reading and finish the short story The Bet. Lots to digest and consider in this quick read. A young banker and a young lawyer argue which is more inhumane ~ life in prison or capital punishment? In order to prove that any life is worth living, even one of confinement and solidarity, the lawyer chooses to be imprisoned for 15 years for a sum of 2 million dollars.

Zelma That sounds quite intense! 7y
Cinfhen @Zelma & @Merethebookgal Had zero expectations, just wanted a short read and this was great! I've been thinking about it all day. If you have the app, I suggest you give it a try🤓 7y
See All 9 Comments
tpixie Wow 7y
CoffeeAndABook Whoaaa that sounds fascinating! I use Serial Reader, too, I'll put that on my list. **** Hey only a short time left & your home & time will be all yours again!!! 🎉 Hold out, be strong 💪 7y
Cinfhen @CoffeeAndABook Thank you❣️This morning, I told my guests I had an eye doctor appointment but I REALLY went to the gym 😂😂😂I just needed a little me time😉 7y
CoffeeAndABook @Cinfhen 😂😂😂 Oh man, whatever it takes!!! That sounds like something I might have done, too!!! 😁😁 I AM SO GLAD YOU'RE BEING TREATED TO A RELAXED Thxgvg dinner today!! I'm sure your guest is SO glad to get a chance to really do something for you, after all you've done for him/her. I have overseas family, too, and am the houseguest, too, once in a while, and I know how much I always want to return some of the fabulous hospitality!! 7y
CoffeeAndABook @Cinfhen ... and anyway, there was no wine to be had - what else could you do?? Your hands were tied!! It was basically written in the stars!⭐️😉🍷🍷.***Happy Thanksgiving to you*** 7y
Cinfhen @CoffeeAndABook 😂, they really have been delightful guests but yes, running out of wine was the final straw....they have totally saved the day!!! 7y
47 likes2 stack adds9 comments
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DreesReads
The Bet: Short Story | Anton Chekhov
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Mehso-so

Finished this short story of Serial Reader today. Chekhov is my favorite Russian author, but this story ends a bit too abruptly for my taste. Because what do people think of the bet when it's over?!