The Gambler

“It seems to me that until now she has regarded me like that empress of antiquity who would undress in front of her slave, since she did not consider him a man.”

Alexey reflects on the nature of his relationship with Polina and why she is so candid in speaking with him. Rather than interpreting her candor as a sign of intimacy or affection on her part, he interprets it masochistically, as a sign of how little she regards him. Such a response is typical of Alexey’s attitude toward Polina and reflects an anxiety about his social and economic status before her.

“[H]e lost 1,200 francs in one go. He walked away with a smile, retaining his composure.”

Alexey describes the actions of the general when playing roulette. Such composure is supposed to embody the ideal of “gentlemanly” gambling, where one plays only for entertainment and does not care about the money. This contrasts with the gambling of the “riff-raff,” who care about their winnings. However, suggests Alexey, such a distinction is merely a way of ideologically justifying gambling for the rich.

“This time the Frenchman wasn’t there and the general was in an expansive mood […] he thought it necessary to remark to me once again that he didn’t wish to see me at the gaming tables.”

The general warns Alexey, for the second time, not to gamble. On the surface, given Alexey’s limited means and his later addiction to gambling, this seems like sound, well-intentioned advice. However, behind this advice is really an anxiety about the ability of roulette to make anyone rich quickly, and thereby for gambling by the poor to potentially upset the established social order.