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Paired Texts > The Bet

by Anton Chekhov

1889

We've identified these texts as great options for text pairings based on similar themes, literary devices, topic, or writing style. Supplement your lesson with one or more of these options and challenge students to compare and contrast the texts. To assign a paired text, click on the text to go to its page and click the "Assign Text" button there.

11th Grade Short Story 1340L
The Lady or the Tiger
  • Frank R. Stockton
  • 1884

In “The Lady or the Tiger,” a king delivers justice through chance, which proves to be a no-win situation for his daughter and her condemned love interest.

Pair “The Lady or the Tiger” with “The Bet” and ask students to consider how the characters in the two texts make their decisions. How do the decisions made by the main characters in the stories differ? Ask students to think about what decision the princess made in “The Lady or the Tiger” and to explain why they think this was her choice. If they could choose the ending for the story, which ending would they choose?
9th Grade Poem
Burning a Book
  • William Stafford
  • 1986

William Stafford’s poem “Burning a Book” considers the act of book burning in a new light, emphasizing the greater importance of combating ignorance and sharing ideas.

Pair “Burning a Book” with “The Bet” and ask students to compare the connections each text makes between books and knowledge. What is the goal of education? How do books advance this goal? How does education shape human conscience?
9th Grade Short Story 1030L
The Devil
  • Guy de Maupassant
  • 1903

In Guy de Maupassant’s “The Devil”, Honore Bontemps bargains with a nurse to take care of his dying mother.

Pair “The Devil” with “The Bet” and ask students to discuss the agreements that the characters come to in the two stories. What do the characters’ hope to gain in their bargains and bets? How do both texts explore how people are corrupted by greed? What do the characters lose in the pursuit of their gain? Is this loss worth what they hoped to gain? Why or why not?

10th Grade Informational Text 1060L
Scientists Reveal Three Keys to Happiness
  • ABC News
  • October 2, 2003

The informational text “Scientists Reveal Three Keys to Happiness” discusses Stephen and Rachel Kaplan’s findings on how to achieve happiness.

Pair “Scientists Reveal Three Keys to Happiness” with “The Bet” and ask students to compare what the two texts say about happiness. In the context of both texts, can money buy happiness? Why or why not?

11th Grade Informational Text 1480L
The Science of Solitary Confinement
  • Joseph Stromberg
  • 2014

The informational text “The Science of Solitary Confinement” explores the various ways in which inmates are impacted by solitary confinement. 

Pair “The Bet” with “The Science of Solitary Confinement” and ask students to compare the facts they learned about solitary confinement with the lawyer’s reaction to his experience in isolation. How did the information “The Science of Solitary Confinement” support or contradict the resolution of the story?
11th Grade News 1190L
The Selective Laziness of Human Reasoning
  • Tania Lombrozo for NPR
  • 2016

In the informational text “The Selective Laziness Of Human Reasoning,” Tania Lombrozo discusses why humans are biased towards their own opinions. 

Pair “The Bet” with “The Selective Laziness Of Human Reasoning” and ask students to discuss the decisions made by the main characters. How could being open-minded have impacted the resolution of the story?