Theme

Theme: a subject or topic of discourse.
What is the overall theme in the short story "The Lottery Ticket" by Anton Chekhov?
The theme of the story "The Lottery Ticket" is that your outlook on life, is based on the possibilities that arise to you. Those possibilities come from your employment, schooling, friends, financial situations etc. Once you have adjusted yourself so you are comftorable with your life, you find contentment in all situations. But however, if a better possibility comes up, you begin thinking of newer things that might be available to you. This is good to have high expectations, however if the possibility does not come about you are left unsatisfied with what you have and loose all your contentment. In the story, the main character Ivan was satisfied with his life and his income of tweleve hundred a year. But, when he was convinced he won the lottery he began daydreaming about everything he could do with the money and all the new possibilities. He became selfish and did not want to share the money with his wife. The thought of all the money brought out the worst in him. In the end Ivan and his wife did not win the lottery, and he was no longer content with what he had.