Crime and Punishment & Other Great Novels of Dostoevsky
by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Contents
The Gambler — Chapter X
Overview
The Grandmother seizes control: she scrutinizes her lavish suite, berates the General for dismissing Alexis, and insists on visiting the Casino. There, she rapidly learns roulette, fixates on zero, and wins heavily—then twice backs red for further gains. Her sudden success heightens tensions and upends the family’s financial calculus.
Summary
The Grandmother arrives to an opulent hotel suite and immediately interrogates the landlord about trivialities, asserting dominance and mocking his ignorance. Learning Alexis has been dismissed for a quarrel with the Baron, she denounces the General as a blockhead and pointedly questions why a duel was forbidden.
Ignoring pleas to rest, the Grandmother orders an excursion to the Casino, insisting on bringing servants despite protocol. The entire party—General, Polina, De Griers, Mlle. Blanche, Alexis, Potapitch, Martha, and Mr. Astley—escorts her, all anxious about public embarrassment and the stakes of her capricious spending.
Inside the roulette salon, the Grandmother studies players and demands a crash course in the rules. Fascinated by zero, she defies Alexis’s cautions and stakes repeatedly. After two quick losses, she insists on continuing and triumphs when zero hits, then hits zero again within a few rounds, collecting a large payout of about 4200 gulden.
Emboldened, the Grandmother orders the table maximum—4000 florins—on red, wins, and immediately repeats the bet, winning again. With roughly 12,000 florins amassed in notes and gold, she abruptly ends play and commands her chair to be wheeled home, leaving the family stunned by her luck and newfound leverage.
Who Appears
- The GrandmotherImperious matriarch; inspects her suite, scolds the General, rushes to the Casino, learns roulette, wins big on zero and red.
- Alexis IvanovitchNarrator and escort; explains roulette, places the Grandmother’s bets, shares the gambler’s thrill.
- The GeneralAnxious and obsequious; rebuked for dismissing Alexis and for timidity; fears public scandal and financial fallout.
- De GriersAdviser scheming to manage the Grandmother; urges the whole party to accompany her, watches her play closely.
- PolinaReserved and obliging; answers the Grandmother’s questions and joins the Casino outing.
- Mlle. BlancheCharming opportunist; flatters the Grandmother en route and observes the play.
- PotapitchOld family servant; attends the Grandmother, summoned for errands at the tables.
- MarthaThe Grandmother’s maid; included in the excursion despite objections, witnesses the gambling.
- Hotel LandlordDeferential host; over-allocates a lavish suite and endures the Grandmother’s sharp questioning.
- Mr. AstleyQuiet observer; predicts significant events as they head to the Casino.
- Chief CroupierRuns the roulette table; announces zero and red wins, pays out the Grandmother’s winnings.
- Young high-stakes gamblerWinning heavily at first; the Grandmother frets he will lose it all.