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The banker, who begins the story wealthy and surrounded by people, ends the story impoverished and isolated because of his greed and capriciousness. Although the banker maintains his physical freedom, the debts he accrues become a kind of spiritual prison. He lives in fear of every movement of the stock market, knowing that further losses can come. Wishing to undo the bet leads him to consider murdering the lawyer. Although the bet made at the party masquerades as a philosophical wager, for the banker it is but one in a string of gambles he makes throughout his youth. These gambles are always in socially acceptable forms, such as trading stocks, instead of more stigmatized casino-style games. A prideful focus on social appearance also seems to drive his actions. He makes the bet in the first place because he doesn’t like that others disagree with him. He offers two million rubles off the bat, such a large sum that it appears to have been offered with the intent of showing that he can offer that amount of money. Furthermore, he finds the thought of living off the lawyer’s charity almost more upsetting than the thought of losing the two million rubles itself. Even though the lawyer’s abdication of the bet leaves the banker chagrined, he still has the presence of mind to hide the lawyer’s letter in his safe, afraid of rumors it might start. The lawyer’s condemnation of wealth and society at the end, therefore, hits directly at how the banker finds meaning in his life.
