In "The Bet," materialism is a central theme that explores the futility of earthly pursuits and the emptiness of wealth. The story contrasts the lives of two main characters: the lawyer, who seeks enlightenment through solitary confinement, and the banker, who is consumed by his attachment to wealth. Through their experiences, Chekhov illustrates the moral that true freedom and fulfillment come from transcending material desires.

The lawyer initially agrees to the bet, driven by the promise of two million rubles. However, during his fifteen years of confinement, he immerses himself in books and gains profound wisdom. This knowledge leads him to view human life as "worthless, fleeting, illusory, and deceptive." He comes to despise the material pleasures he once sought, realizing their inherent emptiness. By the end of his confinement, the lawyer renounces the money, choosing to forfeit the bet by leaving his cell early. This act symbolizes his rejection of materialism and his embrace of spiritual enlightenment.

In stark contrast, the banker represents the destructive nature of materialism. Over the years, his obsession with wealth leads to moral decay. As his fortune dwindles, he becomes desperate and considers murdering the lawyer to avoid paying the bet. His thoughts reveal his deep entanglement with material wealth and his moral decline. The banker reflects on his situation, lamenting that his life is consumed by financial anxiety and envy, despite his initial wealth and freedom.

Desperate gambling on the Stock Exchange, wild speculation and the excitability which he could not get over even in advancing years, had by degrees led to the decline of his fortune and the proud, fearless, self-confident millionaire had become a banker of middling rank, trembling at every rise and fall in his investments.

The lawyer's letter, which the banker finds, serves as a powerful indictment of materialism. The lawyer writes, "You have lost your reason and taken the wrong path. You have taken lies for truth, and hideousness for beauty." This statement highlights the lawyer's realization that the pursuit of wealth is misguided and ultimately unfulfilling. The lawyer's decision to renounce the money is a testament to his spiritual growth and rejection of materialistic values.

"To prove to you in action how I despise all that you live by, I renounce the two million of which I once dreamed as of paradise and which I now despise."

The story also touches on the broader implications of materialism in society. The lawyer's transformation suggests that true happiness and enlightenment are found not in material possessions but in spiritual and emotional fulfillment. The narrative challenges the reader to reconsider the value of wealth and the moral consequences of a life devoted to material pursuits.