The Bet
Interpretive Questions: Answer all questions in complete sentences, using quotes as support.
1.) At the end of the story, why does the banker lock the lawyer’s letter up in the fireproof safe?
1.) The banker locks the letter up in the safe because he wants to hide his shame of what he did to the lawyer, he hides it to avoid talking about what happened with the bet and lawyer. “To avoid arousing unnecessary talk, he took from the table the writing in which millions were renounced, and when he got home locked it up in the fire proof safe.” (p 116)
2.) According to the story, is the banker correct in thinking that the bet “was all nonsensical and meaningless”? (p. 109)
2.) The banker is not correct in thinking the bet was nonsensical and meaningless because he ruined a mans life by doing this bet and then deciding since he didn't think it would affect it that it was nothing. He thinks it wont prove anything about prison or the death penalty. “Can it prove that the death penalty is better or worse than imprisonment for life.” (p 109)
3.) Why does the banker think that “the one means of being saved from bankruptcy and disgrace is the death of that man [the lawyer]!”? (p. 112)
3.) The banker thinks killing the lawyer is the only solution because he would rather have the blood of another person on his hand than loose his money because he is greedy “the one means of being saved from bankruptcy and disgrace is the death of that man!” (p 212) He believes money is all he needs and he will kill for it.
4.) After reading the letter, why does the banker kiss the lawyer on the head and go “out of the lodge, weeping”? (p. 115)
4.) The Banker does this because the lawyer felt bad for the banker and let him keep his money and the banker is happy to keep his money and stay wealthy. “When the banker had read this he laid the page on the table, kissed the strange man on the head, and went out of the lodge weeping.” (p 115) The banker is happy that the lawyer didn't make him go bankrupt so he let him live.
5.) After leaving the sleeping lawyer, why does the banker feel “so great a contempt for himself”? (p. 115)
5.) The banker feels a great contempt for himself because he leaves the lawyer he knows that he can keep his money all to himself. He has to live with the fact he ruined someones life and than tried to kill them and because of this his life is getting affected. “His tears and emotions kept him for hours from sleeping.” (p 115) He cant live with himself.
6.) Why does the lawyer say in his letter, “I despise all that you live by”? (p. 115)
6.) The lawyer says “I despise all that you live by” (p 115) about the banker because the banker lives by greed and money and the lawyer is a honorable person who doesn't care about money. He despises people that only care about money.
7.) Why does the lawyer, during his four-year period of learning different languages, write, “Oh , if you only knew what unearthly happiness my soul feels now from being able to understand them!”? (p.111)
7.) The lawyer says “Oh , if you only knew what unearthly happiness my soul feels now from being able to understand them!” (p 111) because he wants to know if his time is being put to good use.
8.) Why does the lawyer say, “Your books have given me wisdom” and then say, “I despise your books, I despise wisdom”? (p. 115)
8.) The lawyer says this because he has been given wisdom but it has been wasted since he has been isolated so long and he hates that all he has is books. He says that wisdom and books are “all worthless, fleeting, illusory, and deceptive.” (p 115)
9.) How is renouncing the two million proof that the lawyer despises all that the banker lives by?
9.) Renouncing the two million is proof because the lawyer is proving that he is a better person than the banker by not taking the money and ruining the bankers life. “To prove to you in action how I despise all that you live by, I renounce the two million of which I once dream as of paradise and that now I despise.” (p 115)
10.) Why does the lawyer put in all fifteen years before renouncing the bet?
10.) The lawyer puts in all fifteen years to prove the banker wrong but renounces because he does not want the money. “To deprive myself to the rights of the money I shall go out from here five hours before the time fixed, and so break the compact….” (p 115)
Vocabulary in Context:
1.) Frivolous (p. 108)
Quote: "The banker, spoiled and frivolous, with millions beyond his reckoning, was delighted at the bet."
Definition: The definition of frivolous is not a serious purpose
Synonym: jokingly
Sentence: The man was frivolous when he agreed to the bet.
2.) Compulsory (p. 109)
Quote: "Don't forget either, you unhappy man, that voluntary confinement is a great deal harder to beat than compulsory."
Definition: The definition of compulsory is obligatory
Synonym: Mandatory
Sentence: He was compulsory to go through with the bet.
3.) Indiscriminately (p. 111)
Quote: "In the last two years of his confinement the prisoner read an immense quantity of books quite indiscriminately."
Definition: The definition of indiscriminately is to be done randomly
Synonym: unorganized
Sentence: He indiscriminately read parts of the story.
4.) Emaciated (p. 113)
Quote: "His hair was already streaked with silver, and seeing his emaciated, aged-looking face, no one would have believed that he was only forty.”
Definition: The definition of emaciated is weak
Synonym: thin
Sentence: The wooden panel on the floor was emaciated and could break when stepped on.
5.) Illusory (p. 115)
Quote: “I despise your books, I despise wisdom and the blessings of this world. It is all worthless, fleeting, illusory, and deceptive, like a mirage."
Definition: The definition of illusory is a illusion
Synonym: delusion
Sentence: He was illusory while he was in the desert.
6.) Posterity (p. 115)
Quote: “You may be proud, wise, and fine, but death will wipe you off the face of the earth as though you were no more than mice burrowing under the floor, and your posterity, your history, your immortal geniuses will burn or freeze together with the earthly globe.”
Definition: The definition of posterity is future generations
Synonym: future
Sentence: The man went to a fortune teller and found out about his posterity.
Thinking Map:
Use textual evidence to show examples of when a character shows weakness or a character shows strength. Include 5 examples and support with page numbers and opinion for each column.
Shows Weakness
The banker shows weakness when he tries to kill the lawyer (p 115)
The banker shows weakness when he fears loosing two million dollars (p 111)
The lawyer shows weakness when he backs out of the bet (p 115)
The lawyer shows weakness when he complains about loneliness in the confinement (p 110)
The banker shows weakness for hiding the lawyers letter in a safe and not sharing the truth (p 116)
Shows Strength
The lawyer shows strength when he backs out of the bet and is the bigger person (p 115)
The banker shows strength when he stops trying to kill the lawyer (p 114)
The lawyer shows strength when he stays for fifteen years in confinement (p 115)
The lawyer shows strength when he agrees to the bet (p 109)
The banker shows strength when he realizes the mistakes he made and what he did to the lawyer (p 115-116)
1.) At the end of the story, why does the banker lock the lawyer’s letter up in the fireproof safe?
1.) The banker locks the letter up in the safe because he wants to hide his shame of what he did to the lawyer, he hides it to avoid talking about what happened with the bet and lawyer. “To avoid arousing unnecessary talk, he took from the table the writing in which millions were renounced, and when he got home locked it up in the fire proof safe.” (p 116)
2.) According to the story, is the banker correct in thinking that the bet “was all nonsensical and meaningless”? (p. 109)
2.) The banker is not correct in thinking the bet was nonsensical and meaningless because he ruined a mans life by doing this bet and then deciding since he didn't think it would affect it that it was nothing. He thinks it wont prove anything about prison or the death penalty. “Can it prove that the death penalty is better or worse than imprisonment for life.” (p 109)
3.) Why does the banker think that “the one means of being saved from bankruptcy and disgrace is the death of that man [the lawyer]!”? (p. 112)
3.) The banker thinks killing the lawyer is the only solution because he would rather have the blood of another person on his hand than loose his money because he is greedy “the one means of being saved from bankruptcy and disgrace is the death of that man!” (p 212) He believes money is all he needs and he will kill for it.
4.) After reading the letter, why does the banker kiss the lawyer on the head and go “out of the lodge, weeping”? (p. 115)
4.) The Banker does this because the lawyer felt bad for the banker and let him keep his money and the banker is happy to keep his money and stay wealthy. “When the banker had read this he laid the page on the table, kissed the strange man on the head, and went out of the lodge weeping.” (p 115) The banker is happy that the lawyer didn't make him go bankrupt so he let him live.
5.) After leaving the sleeping lawyer, why does the banker feel “so great a contempt for himself”? (p. 115)
5.) The banker feels a great contempt for himself because he leaves the lawyer he knows that he can keep his money all to himself. He has to live with the fact he ruined someones life and than tried to kill them and because of this his life is getting affected. “His tears and emotions kept him for hours from sleeping.” (p 115) He cant live with himself.
6.) Why does the lawyer say in his letter, “I despise all that you live by”? (p. 115)
6.) The lawyer says “I despise all that you live by” (p 115) about the banker because the banker lives by greed and money and the lawyer is a honorable person who doesn't care about money. He despises people that only care about money.
7.) Why does the lawyer, during his four-year period of learning different languages, write, “Oh , if you only knew what unearthly happiness my soul feels now from being able to understand them!”? (p.111)
7.) The lawyer says “Oh , if you only knew what unearthly happiness my soul feels now from being able to understand them!” (p 111) because he wants to know if his time is being put to good use.
8.) Why does the lawyer say, “Your books have given me wisdom” and then say, “I despise your books, I despise wisdom”? (p. 115)
8.) The lawyer says this because he has been given wisdom but it has been wasted since he has been isolated so long and he hates that all he has is books. He says that wisdom and books are “all worthless, fleeting, illusory, and deceptive.” (p 115)
9.) How is renouncing the two million proof that the lawyer despises all that the banker lives by?
9.) Renouncing the two million is proof because the lawyer is proving that he is a better person than the banker by not taking the money and ruining the bankers life. “To prove to you in action how I despise all that you live by, I renounce the two million of which I once dream as of paradise and that now I despise.” (p 115)
10.) Why does the lawyer put in all fifteen years before renouncing the bet?
10.) The lawyer puts in all fifteen years to prove the banker wrong but renounces because he does not want the money. “To deprive myself to the rights of the money I shall go out from here five hours before the time fixed, and so break the compact….” (p 115)
Vocabulary in Context:
1.) Frivolous (p. 108)
Quote: "The banker, spoiled and frivolous, with millions beyond his reckoning, was delighted at the bet."
Definition: The definition of frivolous is not a serious purpose
Synonym: jokingly
Sentence: The man was frivolous when he agreed to the bet.
2.) Compulsory (p. 109)
Quote: "Don't forget either, you unhappy man, that voluntary confinement is a great deal harder to beat than compulsory."
Definition: The definition of compulsory is obligatory
Synonym: Mandatory
Sentence: He was compulsory to go through with the bet.
3.) Indiscriminately (p. 111)
Quote: "In the last two years of his confinement the prisoner read an immense quantity of books quite indiscriminately."
Definition: The definition of indiscriminately is to be done randomly
Synonym: unorganized
Sentence: He indiscriminately read parts of the story.
4.) Emaciated (p. 113)
Quote: "His hair was already streaked with silver, and seeing his emaciated, aged-looking face, no one would have believed that he was only forty.”
Definition: The definition of emaciated is weak
Synonym: thin
Sentence: The wooden panel on the floor was emaciated and could break when stepped on.
5.) Illusory (p. 115)
Quote: “I despise your books, I despise wisdom and the blessings of this world. It is all worthless, fleeting, illusory, and deceptive, like a mirage."
Definition: The definition of illusory is a illusion
Synonym: delusion
Sentence: He was illusory while he was in the desert.
6.) Posterity (p. 115)
Quote: “You may be proud, wise, and fine, but death will wipe you off the face of the earth as though you were no more than mice burrowing under the floor, and your posterity, your history, your immortal geniuses will burn or freeze together with the earthly globe.”
Definition: The definition of posterity is future generations
Synonym: future
Sentence: The man went to a fortune teller and found out about his posterity.
Thinking Map:
Use textual evidence to show examples of when a character shows weakness or a character shows strength. Include 5 examples and support with page numbers and opinion for each column.
Shows Weakness
The banker shows weakness when he tries to kill the lawyer (p 115)
The banker shows weakness when he fears loosing two million dollars (p 111)
The lawyer shows weakness when he backs out of the bet (p 115)
The lawyer shows weakness when he complains about loneliness in the confinement (p 110)
The banker shows weakness for hiding the lawyers letter in a safe and not sharing the truth (p 116)
Shows Strength
The lawyer shows strength when he backs out of the bet and is the bigger person (p 115)
The banker shows strength when he stops trying to kill the lawyer (p 114)
The lawyer shows strength when he stays for fifteen years in confinement (p 115)
The lawyer shows strength when he agrees to the bet (p 109)
The banker shows strength when he realizes the mistakes he made and what he did to the lawyer (p 115-116)