Dostoyevsky The Gambler
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In Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s The Gambler, we are presented with a novel whose protagonist is what we would call today a problem gambler. The gambling mania of the story’s hero, Alexei Ivanovitch, is a mirror of Dostoyevsky’s own gambling compulsion. The heroine, Polina Alexandrovna, represents a woman Dostoyevsky had as a real lover. Polina is the stepdaughter of the General, who Alexei works for as a servant. The General shows paranoia over gambling from the outset of the story. He censures Alexei with respect to his care of the children, “I suppose you would like to take them to the Casino to play roulette? Well, excuse my speaking so plainly, but I know how addicted you are to gambling. Though I am not your mentor, nor wish to be, at least I have a right to require that you shall not actually compromise me” (Dostoyevsky 1-2). The theme of gambling and its psychological impact on the characters pervades The Gambler. Because of his own gambling addiction and his intimate knowledge of the class-conscious casino society of his era, Dostoyevsky does an excellent job of showing the psychology that compels the problem gambler.Using diary entries as his literary vehicle, Dostoyevsky takes us inside the minds of his characters in a way that makes us voyeurs because of his realistic portrayal and honest disclosure of human emotion and sentiments. The story revolves around Roulettenberg, a German spa town where the rich ga
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focus on gambling in the story should not distract us from realizing that it is overall a story about much more than wagering money on games of chance. The characters of the General, Granny, and the narrator are meant to show how society and its stratification along socio-economic lines can impact the behavior of individuals as surely as a desire for or addiction to gambling. In her excellent review of the work, McKay comments on the social aspects of Dostoyevsky’s work, “Dostoyevsky captures the tragedy of her descent into problem gambling, yet, The Gambler is also a social comedy, a dark but witty lampooning of high society. In The Gambler, Dostoyevsky explores the subjects of class, obsession, chance and morality. Dostoyevsky probes the conflicts and dilemmas that create and perpetuate human suffering” (3). Dostoyevsky certainly struggled with these subjects in his own life.
We also see how gambling is something that appeals to individuals who are prone to addiction, but like other addictive behaviors it eventually takes control of the individual. We see this in the case of Alexei who is constantly downing the General for his reckless and unseemly behavior. Nevertheless, once Alexei wins a decent sum of money he acts
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Approximate Word count = 2979
Approximate Pages = 12 (250 words per page)
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