The Lottery Ticket

"The Lottery Ticket" by Anton Chekhov
Pg 198 in "Echoes" Textbook

Question 1
Explain why, in your opinion, Ivan Dmitritch's musings over winning the lottery do or do not reveal his true character and feelings towards others.
In my opinion, Ivan's musings over the lottery tickets do not reveal his true character because he was in the heat of the moment, dreaming of how his life would be with all this money, and taking for granted the important things he has in his everyday life. He would look at his wife with hatred and resentment but when money wasn't involved he saw her for the women he first fell in love with.

Question 2. a)
Chekhov's story can be considered as a satire. What is this story satirizing? Support your interpretations.
The story is satirizing irony and exaggeration to tell the story. The author creates in-depth looks at both Ivan and Mesha's thoughts. His thoughts satire shows what effects money does have on people, if they don't maintain grounded like they always have. An example in the story is when Ivan and Mesha first discover they have the correct series number, but not yet the ticket number. They thought for sure they were going to win the lottery and let money take over their thoughts. They dreamt about what they would do with their winnings and took for granted their everyday life. They did not stay grounded.
Question 2. b)
Explain the irony of the ending.
The irony in the ending of the story was how the once loving family was now resentful towards each other. At the beginning of the story, the family was happy with their life and the income they brought in. They had everything going for them. But once the husband was convinced they had won the lottery both of their thoughts changed. They were not the happy couple they use to be. They day-dreamed of all the possibilities life would bring them with extra cash flow. The more they over thought their wishes they began to turn on each other, and look at each other with hatred. At first their thoughts of wealth was joyful, but rather than share their dreams and communicate their wishes they recede into their own worlds.

Question 4
Near the end of the story, Chekhov switches the perspective from Ivan to that of his wife. Explain why you think this technique is or is not effective.
 I think it was effective for changing the perspectives at the end because you get to see both views of the characters and their thoughts towards the situation. The reader saw that both characters had resentment thoughts towards each other, so it was not just one characters views. It was not just one sided.

Stream- Of- Consciousness Question
The writer might choose to write in the style of stream-of-consciousness because it portrays an individuals point of view by giving the written equivalent of the character's thought process. It also gets into your character's heads, and writers use it show when something is wrong.

Debtor's Prison Question
In 1867, Chekhov's father was declared bankrupt after over-extending his finance building a new house and to avoid the Debtor's Prison field to Moscow. The Debtor's Prison could have influenced Chekhov to write the story "The Lottery Ticket" because its something as a child his family could have only dreamed of winning to save them from going bankrupt and having the possibility to go to Debtor's Prison. It would have saved his mother going into an emotional breakdown and kept his family together. Winning the lottery would have been ideal to Chekhov which is why his characters daydreamed a lot in the story.

Subtextual Meaning Question
The subtextual meaning of the story could be not taking things for granted and enjoy what you have in life. Do not be greedy for more.