Question

When the banker peeped into the prisoner's room, he saw a ........................ burning dimly.

• A. fire
• B. candle
• C. lamp
• D. lantern

Hint:

Authors often use specific objects as symbols. The single, dim candle can symbolize the prisoner's solitary life of study and contemplation, as well as the flickering flame of his existence.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
This question refers to a specific scene in Anton Chekhov's short story, 'The Bet'. The story revolves around a bet between a banker and a lawyer about whether the death penalty is more humane than life imprisonment.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Towards the end of the fifteen-year imprisonment period, the banker, who is now on the verge of bankruptcy, decides to kill the prisoner to avoid paying the bet.
He secretly enters the prisoner's lodging. The story describes the scene: "When the banker peeped into the prisoner's room, he saw a candle burning dimly on the table."
The prisoner himself was asleep at the table, with a letter he had written beside him. The dim candle adds to the tense and somber atmosphere of the scene.

Step 3: Final Answer:
The banker saw a candle burning dimly in the prisoner's room.