what do you understand about conceot of self discovery in the short stort The Bet by Anton chekhov

Self-discovery through books is a main theme. During his imprisonment, the prisoner uses books as a means of coping without human interaction. He finds solace in knowledge, and, more generally, in learning. The story can thus be read as something of a self-aware work of literature: it contemplates the value and meaning of books, showing that "interacting" with the worlds of books could potentially be a viable substitute for human interaction.