Getting Important Knowledge in Loneliness

Analysis of short story

The Bet by Anton Chekhov The Bets tells about a young lawyer (main character) and a wealthy banker.
They were debating about capital punishment and life imprisonment. The banker said that capital
punishment was the best. However, a young lawyer said that life imprisonment was more humane than
capital punishment. His argument made the banker emotional then the banker challenged the lawyer to
do a life imprisonment for fifteen years. If the lawyer could did it, the banker would pay him two millions
and the bet happened.

According to Egoism theory by Rachels, 1968. The Egoism theory introduces two concepts relating to
egoism: Psychological Egoism and Etic Egoism. To analyze this short story, I use Etic Egoism because it
relates to the story.

Etic Egoism

Etic egoism is an action motivated by self-interest. This self-interest is signed by neglecting or ignoring
other people’s importance. The difference of self-importance and self-interest is that self-importance is
not always ignoring the others’ importance. In the short story told that the banker was a wealthy man
who had much money. He thought that he was the greatest person and his argument was the best. He
against the lawyer’s argument and staked the lawyer two millions for doing life imprisonment.
Meanwhile, the lawyer also stated with his argument and he accepted the banker’s challenge. It showed
that two persons tend to hold their argument. They thought that their selves argument were the best.
Their actions were motivated by their self-importance and the egoism hold their mind and included to
Etic egoism.

After accepting the bet, the lawyer did the life imprisonment for fifteen years. He was not allowed to
contact or speak with other people. He only allowed to read the book, had wine, and playing or hearing
music (piano). He always alone, and cried. He regretted his decision of accepting the banker’s challenge.
To decrease his and loneliness and regretness, he read many books of science, theology, also the bible.
He finally found the meaning of life in the imprisonment by reading hundreds of book. In other side, the
banker also regretted because he could not paid the lawyer two millions. His money was lost because
his business was bankrupt.

According to Regret theory by Graham Loomes and Robert Sugden, the regretness is the difference of
the result based on the decision of the choice at that time. Someone feel regret whenever the result
that they received is not appropriate with they are expected. In “The Bet”, the lawyer regretted of his
decision by accepting the banker’s bet which made him imprisoned and he could not communicate with
others people. The lawyer’s regretness also showed when he finally realized the meaning of life by
reading many books. He thought that material, such as money is not all that can made him happy. So, he
wrote a letter that he would not ask the banker’s money and he would escaped from jail which it broke
his agreement with the banker. It means that the lawyer lost his two millions. In other side, the banker
planned to kill the lawyer because he could not paid the lawyer two millions. When he reached the jail,
he found the lawyer’s letter. The banker read it and he was crying after read it.