When reading the short narrative. “A Lottery Ticket. ” by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov. drastic and fast alterations in attitude can be seen in the chief character. Ivan Dmitich. These alterations are a clear window through which 1 may understand and detect Ivan’s character and values as a individual. The writer of the narrative makes these alterations. sing Ivan’s partner and life style. easy to see by the authorship techniques he employs in order to construct suspense as to where the narrative is traveling. and wonder in the destiny of Ivan and his married woman. We can see how the construct of exposure in Ivan is besides shown clearly by his attitudes towards the terminal of the narrative.
The narrative does non get down with any intimation of exposure in Ivan’s personality. He is rather content with his middle-class life style. The writer proves this by composing. “Ivan Dmitrich. a middle-class adult male who lived with his household on the income of 12 hundred a twelvemonth and was really good satisfied with his batch. sat down on the couch after supper and…” ( Chekhov 476 ) . The first little alteration in his seemingly laid back. relaxed demeanour was after his married woman asked him to state her the winning Numberss of the lottery that hebdomad.
He turns somewhat cold and disbelieving towards his married woman for even acquiring a ticket. but since he had nil to make. he checked the Numberss for her. All of these content feelings instantly disappeared when Ivan realized that they had the same series figure as the winning ticket.
At this point in the narrative. the tone rapidly alterations from relaxed and content to paced. fast. and excited. He tells his married woman in speedy. fast words that they have the winning series. but tells her to “wait a small. as we have plentifulness of clip to be disappointed. ” ( Checkhov 476 ) From here he goes on a wild train of idea conceive ofing the many alien and exciting things he would make if they had really won that ticket.
However. his conversation. speaking about purchasing an estate. paying debts. and traveling travelling is rather nonreversible. Finally Ivan’s married woman does fall in in. to back up his disbursement thoughts. until she begins to see the alteration in her hubby from a one time relaxed. satisfied adult male to a adult male easy allowing the power of money return clasp of him. money that was non even his. The money was hers. The felicity they one time had with one another began to easy melt away as bitterness and defeat towards one another moved in to replace it. Ivan’s attitude here begins to alter rather dramatically.
The dramatic attitude alteration begins with these words. “She would merely be in my manner. she would envy me every farthing…She knows nil about money. and so she is ungenerous. If she won it she would give me a 100 rubles and put the remainder off under lock and key…” ( Chekhov. 477. 478 ) These are the ideas of Ivan as he begins to experience acrimonious towards his married woman sing the money. non even won yet. She starts to recognize his feelings towards her.
Ivan begins to look at her relations as “oily. hypocritical mendicants. wretched. abhorrent people” ( Chekhov. 477 ) who would come creeping to them every bit shortly as they won the money. It can be easy seen how Ivan’s true character and attitude comes out at the idea of sudden wealths. His feeling of exposure is besides expressed here.
Ivan begins to experience vulnerable towards his married woman. To him. money equaled power. “That’s non money. but power. capital! ” ( Checkhov. 476 ) He starts to recognize. after his dreams. that the ticket was. in fact. his wife’s. Therefore. in his head. his married woman had power over him. She had the money. and could maintain it. give it to whom she wanted. and make what she wanted with it. Ivan did non like this feeling of exposure. and this is what sparks the bitterness towards his married woman. He started to recognize that “she had grown elderly and field. and that she was saturated through and through with the odor of cooking. while he was still immature. and healthy. and might good hold got married once more. ” ( Checkhov 478 ) Ivan’s existent personality emerged wholly by this point and so comes the flood tide of the narrative.
The flood tide occurs when Ivan’s hatred and feelings of exposure come to an vertex. and he wants to dart his wife’s dreams to the land. He pulls out the paper and “read out triumphantly” ( Checkhov 479 ) that they did non hold the right ticket. The writer instantly changes the tense. angry tone of the narrative to one of depression and desperation. Ivan’s hatred and hope disappears and he begins to recognize the world of his life. The writer sets this tone by depicting the dark. low pitched suites. the supper they had Ate was non making them good. and the eventides were long and boring. At this point Ivan loses his composure wholly and ejaculates a declaration of desperation. “Damnation take my psyche wholly! I shall travel and hang myself on the first aspen tree! ” ( Checkhov 479 )
Through Ivan’s feeling of desperation. hatred. and exposure to his wife’s “power” over him. although nil had changed in his life financially. he had successfully damaged his relationship with his married woman. and she had seen his true character. Ivan’s exposure and attitude was his major ruin in the terminal of the narrative. The author’s usage of diction and secret plan gait enforces the reader’s perceptual experience of Ivan’s attitude alteration and eventual ruin. In drumhead. one can easy follow the assorted altering attitudes of Ivan. and his overall exposure.
