The Lottery Ticket is a short story written by Anton Chekhov. I have read a few of Chekhov’s stories in the past like- The Witch. So, picking another of his stories is a no-brainer. I enjoy the writing style and the way the narration flows in his works. The Lottery Ticket focuses on a couple, Ivan and Masha Dmitritch, who have purchased a lottery ticket and start building dreams and hopes surrounding the prospects of maybe winning.
Ivan and Masha seem to live a normal life in Russia. While checking the paper, Ivan comes across the lottery numbers. They have a ticket, but he simply checks one number before going to his wife to inform her. Both of them, start thinking about where and how they will spend the money if they win. Ivan has his own ideas, and Masha has hers. Just the imagination of winning that amount of money and spending it makes them look at each other suspiciously.
In the beginning, Ivan and Masha find ways in which they could possibly spend their winning together. It seems like the story is about their hopes and aspirations, wanting to do more in their lives than the ordinary. This positive spin doesn’t last long. Soon the greed sets in, and they start thinking of ways in which they could spend the money individually. They start imagining what and how this money will benefit them as individuals, and this greed and selfishness sets them against each other.
The saying ‘More money, more problems’, makes complete sense to the theme of the story. Ivan and Masha seem to be a happy and understanding couple. But just the idea of winning the lottery turns them suspicious of each other’s intentions. They don’t even check all the numbers and start imagining their richer future. The idea of just the potential of maybe winning the lottery corrupts their heart. Selfishness and greed start taking root, damaging their relationship with each other.
The way the story is written by Anton Chekhov made me think that it was going to be a hopeful tale of a couple, but it subverted my expectations. It hits the mark with its themes of greed and the selfish nature of humans, especially when money is considered. The flow of the narrative keeps you engaged, and the point of the story sneaks up on you very subtly. The loving couple turns to two individuals who are suspicious of their spouse.
The Lottery Ticket by Anton Chekhov is a wonderful short story. It is crisp, and deep and keeps you hooked through its narrative. It didn’t turn the way I probably expected, but it was better than what I could have imagined it to be. It is a nice story; I enjoyed it.
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