Money changes everything; Anton Chekhov demonstrates that the mere thought
             of money can severely impact a personal relationship in his short story,
             "The Lottery Ticket." An older couple with a family holds what could be a
             winning lottery ticket, but resists checking the numbers while they
             daydream about what they might do with the money. At first, their reaction
             to the possibility of wealth is joyful; but rather than share their dreams
             and communicate their wishes, Ivan Dmitritch and his wife Masha recede into
             their own worlds. Because Ivan is the protagonist, the reader is more privy
             to his thoughts; however, both of them plan for an influx of money. After
             only a brief and cold discussion about perhaps buying a villa, investing,
             or traveling, they immediately slip into paranoia and resentment. Ivan
             perceives his wife suddenly as being very old, as "stingy," and as one who
             would thwart his happiness. However, the first line of the story shows that
             Ivan was "very well satisfied with his lot." The couple has obviously been
             married long enough to have fallen into their respective routines: she
             clears the table while he reads the paper on the sofa after supper.
             However, Ivan and Masha appear intimate and loving while they initially
             discuss the possibility of winning: "The husband and wife began laughing
             and staring at one another in silence." However, suppressed resentments
             toward one another soon come to the fore, even before they know whether or
             not they have won for sure. Their feelings toward each other at the end of
             the tale, while they differ slightly from those evident toward the
             beginning of the story, are obviously feelings that have been lurking
             beneath the surface of their marriage for years.
             Ivan Dmitritch, who is described as "middle class man who lived with
             his family," had not previously believed in playing the lottery. Therefore,
             it was Masha who purchased the tick...