The Gambler discussion

Hi Stephan,
Yes i agree that Alexi was spurred on by his passion for Polina and risked all to win her back her inheritance. But I'm not sure that he defeated the casino. I got the impression that in the final analysis, the lure of gambling finally overrode all else and held Alexi in the grip of addiction.

Great comments. Your pointing out of the symbolism of the zero makes a lot of sense. I agree with most of what you say- except I'm not sure that Alexi finds
balance between reason and madness. I was left with the impression, at the end, that he had gone beyond the point of no return with his gambling . There was no sense of choice left, only compulsion.