Question

Why does the banker in the Anton Chekov's "The Bet" feel contempt or despise himself at the end of the story?

Answer 1

Answer:

The banker despises himself for his greed and for his willingness to kill the lawyer.

Explanation:

In Anton Chekhov's "The Bet", a banker and a young lawyer, along with other clever men, are discussing the capital punishment. The banker defends the idea that the death penalty is more merciful than keeping someone imprisoned for life. The lawyer thinks both, the death penalty and life in prison, are equally terrible. Still, he would choose the second one since, according to him, it is better to live in horrible conditions than to not live at all. The banker then bets 2 million that the lawyer wouldn't be able to live 5 years confined in a solitary. The lawyer accepts the bet and chooses to spend 15 years in captivity instead of 5.

Over the course of those 15 years, a lot changes for both men. The banker is no longer as rich as he used to be, and he begins to fear the loss of the 2 million he promised. The lawyer, on the other hand, has spent those years studying all possible fields of knowledge, and has learned to despise money and the human nature. The banker, having decided to kill the lawyer, enters his room only to find a letter in which he explains that he won't take the 2 million. The lawyer writes about how he learned and lived everything through books, how he came to realize that men are despicable for choosing Earth over Heaven, for treasuring what should be of no value.

After reading the letter, the banker realizes he is one of those little men. He had been willing to commit a crime just so he wouldn't give his money away. He goes back to his house, thinking very lowly of himself and his pettiness.