Russian realistic literature flourished in the second half of the 19th century under the political and social problems that darkened the country. At the beginning of the 19th century, the tsars had unconditional power and paid no attention to the needs of the people, especially the serfs who were defined and treated as slaves. Revolts began to spread, however, and the serfs were finally emancipated in 1861. This reform gave the serfs equal rights and opportunities as free citizens, including the right to marry and own property. With the exception of domestic serfs, everyone else received a small plot of land from the government. Most were unable to pay the unfair taxes they were subject to and ended up renting land from landlords who had once contacted serfs. This issue and many others at the time sparked the arrival of literary works that chronicled the times and emphasized new ideas regarding the meaning of life and happiness. Anton Chekhov, grandson of a serf, and Leo Tolstoy, descendant of aristocrats, came from completely opposite backgrounds in Russian society, but expressed similar beliefs in their literary works. “The Gamble” and “How Much Land Does a Man Need?” » both use character, irony, and symbolism to demonstrate the overall theme of human stupidity. The lawyer and Pahom are the main characters of two different stories. They share the common goal of becoming rich men and through the reading we learn that they will do anything to achieve their goals. “The Gamble” gives little information about the lawyer in the story so it is difficult to analyze who he really was. Money is undoubtedly his biggest motivation, but his willingness to take on this challenge also raises some questions. Anyone accept a bet that will complete... middle of paper ... what a man really needs? and the lawyer and the banker in “The Bet” were very similar characters. Looking at the character, irony, and symbolism between the two stories, it is evident that the only meaning of the characters' lives was to serve themselves and that in the end, this simply brought them loneliness , failure, regret and even death. What is the point of living a lifetime of unhappiness and sacrifice if all a person has to show for their life is a large sum of money and possessions? No goal. No inheritance. So why was Pahom less happy than a peasant? This is because his lust for wealth has completely consumed his life, destroyed his relationship with his community, and left him constantly frustrated and unfulfilled. It is the force of envy and greed that controls our lives, corrupts our values ​​and has the ultimate ability to end our lives..