Chapter--9
The Proposal
Anton Chekhov
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MCQ
1. Anton Chekhov was a/an
a) Russian writer ✔
b) German writer
c) English writer
d) French writer
4. The label you can give the comic turn of the play is
a) melodrama
5. Chubukov is a
a) landowner ✔
b) merchant
c) lawyer
d) physician
6. Loom is a
a) merchant
b) landowner ✔
c) pettifogger
d) land-grabber
7. Natalya is in her
a) teens
b) mid-thirties
c) mid-twenties ✔
d) adolescence
8. 'The Proposal' is set in a
9. Chubukov doubts that Loom has come to
10. Chubukov is
a) ready to lend money to Loom
b) not going to lend money to Loom ✔
c) not in a position to lend money to anybody
d) going to borrow money from Loom
11.Loom is dressed in
formal clothes because
12. Chubukov is
delighted with the proposal for the following reason
13.Lomov has two considerations regarding marriage
14.Lomov wanted to talk
to Natalya
15.Lomov does not
directly ask Natalya to marry him because
16. Chubukov is
17. 'The Proposal' is
written by
a) Habib Tanvir
b) J.M. Synge
c) Anton Chekhov ✔
d) Rudyard Kipling
18. The number of
characters in the play is
19. The play 'The
Proposal' was first performed in
a) 1893
b) 1890 ✔
c) 1901
d) 1904
20. "I'm off my
balance..."-The speaker is off his balance because
Long Question Answer
1. Write a synopsis of the play 'The Proposal'.
Ans. Ivan Vassilevitch Lomov has reached a critical age. He thinks, it is impossible for him to delay marriage. Being unable to find any emotional bond with anyone he opt for a sonlabonding with the Chubukov family, he opts enters Chubukov's house with a marriage proposal in his mind. When the large and hearty, but very suspicious landowner Lomov opens his heart to Stepan Stepanovitch Chubukov he feels extremely exulted and readily accepts his proposal and sends his daughter, Natalya Stepanovna to Lomov to settle the matter. Before disclosing his heart to Natalya, Lomov gets entangled in a long and sharp argument with Natalya over Oxen Meadows, a plot of land. Each of them claiming it as his or her possession, the argument reaches a scandalous height when Chubukov enters and supports Natalya. As a result, nervous Lomov goes out of the house. Natalya, now hears from her father about Lomov's proposal and gets mad to get him as husband. Chubukov brings Lomov back and Natalya tries to make up the breach. But they again involve themselves in a furious debate, now over their dogs Guess and Squeezer. When Chubukov enters, the debate turns malicious and Lomov becomes temporarily unconscious. When Lomov gets back his consciousness Chubukov declares marriage of Ivan and Natalya and orders champagne to celebrate this happy occasion.
2. Describe the character of Chubukov as a sensible father.
Or, Is Chubukov a sensible father? Explain your answer
Ans. In Anton Chekhov's one-act play 'The Proposal, Chubukov is the father of a grown-up daughter, Natalya. He is a man of the old school, person with feudal mindset. He looks at marriage as an economical and social settlement, not as an emotional or individual bonding. He considers his daughter a liability and wants her to get married soon. If this attitude in Chubukov's character is analysed, he will not appear a sensible father, rather he can be described as a shrewd businessman. But Chubukov is not totally indifferent to his daughter's feelings. Even after an abusive interaction Chubukov brings back Lomov not to satisfy his business deal but to satisfy his love-sick daughter's frantic demand for a husband. He understands his daughter's willingness to have Lomov as a husband and takes active initiative for their marriage. So it would not be fair to discard Chubukov as an insensible father though he has all the awkward elements of a feudal landowner.
3. How does the play make fun of the countless arguments over silly issues?
Ans. In his hilarious one-act farce 'The Proposal Chekhov exposes vulgarity in almost every sphere of life. Lomov comes with an intention to propose to Natalya, but he involves himself in two successive quarrels over Oxen Meadows and the hunting dogs. Lomov, Natalya and Chubukov join in this stupid arguments over silly issues. All forget their purpose and want their ego to be satisfied. Naturally Natalya, Lomov and Chubukov cannot discuss things politely. They become abusive and start taking up family scandals. This shows that the characters are vulgar, mean and selfish. The argument over an unimportant plot of land excites Lomov to walk out, the silly argument over the hunting dogs lead Lomov to faint. The play thus makes fun of bourgeois mentality.
Ans. In Anton Chekhov's one-act play 'The Proposal, every character is devoid of physical and mental fitness. Lomov is a hypochondriac. He suffers from sleep disorder and palpitations. His nervous attitude is prominent throughout the play. He expects sympathy for his illness, but he is not ready to stop quarrel to remain emotionally stable. He becomes ill in the course of the first quarrel and faints in the second one. Chubukov also is worried about his health. He is prone to anger and excitement. He suffers from breathing trouble at the time of extreme excitement. Natalya goes hysterical at the possibility of not getting Lomov as husband. These nervous characters provide basic source of fun from their nervous attitude.
Ans. Natalya, a maid of 25, is desperate to have Lomov as her husband. Lomov also has reached a critical age of 35, and unable to delay his marriage. But there is no harmony in the relationship between egoistic Lomov and adamant Natalya. They twice involve themselves in scandalous quarrels-first time over Oxen Meadows and then over Guess and Squeezer. When they suddenly get married they declare themselves happy. But Natalya still continues claiming that Squeezer is a better dog, while Lomov claims superiority of Guess. Chubukov feels that this type of arguments will be a regular part of their conjugal life. He is temporarily relieved after his daughter's marriage, but the quoted statement shows how worried he is about their future.
6. How does the illness of Lomov help to unite Lomov and Natalya?
Ans. In Anton Chekhov's play 'The Proposal, we discover Lomov as a hypochondriac. Moreover, he cannot bear too much excitement. When Natalya and Lomov engage in the second argument, Lomov shows sign of illness. When Chubukov throws abusive words towards Lomov, he returns some abusive words, but he feels that his heart is not working properly. Suddenly he faints. Natalya fears that he is dead and starts wailing. She goes into hysterics soon. Chubukov cannot bear this unwanted burden for long. On Lomov's recovery he suggest 'hurry up and get married. Lomov readily accepts this proposal and gets married. Without his sudden unconsciousness probably the marriage would not have happened so smoothly. Possibly they would have started another argument.
7. Describe Chubukov.
Ans. In Anton Chekhov's play 'The Proposal' Chubukov is a landowner with feudal mindset. He looks at marriage as an economic settlement rather than a personal desire. Chubukov thinks her daughter a liability and wants her to get married soon. Though he does not welcome Lomov
cordially, his address is full of tender words. He is happy with Lomov's proposal as it will offer him a permanent relief. This attitude can be found in almost every patriarchal family in our time too. Chubukov cannot sacrifice his feudal ego and gets entangled twice in furious arguments with Lomov. However his encouragement helps Lomov and Natalya to get married in spite of their unpreparedness. He remains a firm connector between two unstable characters.
Or, Sketch the character of Natalya.
Ans. In the game of the marriage proposal, Natalya remains unaware about her marriage proposal for less a long time. So, the 'love-sick cat' does not show any favor for Lomov, a bachelor. Instead, she develops a long and furious quarrel over a disputed plot of land called Oxen Meadows. She is lonely and desperate for a husband. It becomes clear only when she goes frantic to get Lomov back after she learns about Lomov's marriage proposal from her father. Natalya cannot deny her ego and again gets involved in an outrageous quarrel, now over the hunting dogs. Even after getting married she carries on her argument. She is prepared to spend her life with her hypochondriac, insomniac, unstable husband probably as 'an excellent housekeeper.
9. How does Chekhov alternate the actual proposal and arguments? Explain your answer.
Or, Has Lomov been able to propose to Natalya at all?
Ans. Anton Chekhov alternates the actual proposal with which Lomov comes to Chubukov and the arguments that followed thereafter in 'The Proposal: Chubukov readily accepts Lomov's proposal and sends Natalya to him to settle the matter. But Natalya misses Lomov's proposal as she and Lomov start a long and furious argument over a plot of land called Oxen Meadows. When outrageous Lomov leaves the house, Natalya learns from his father about the marriage proposal. She immediately wants Lomov to return with the proposal. But inspite of every care Natalya again engages herself in another argument, now over their hunting dogs. Thus the proposal gets delayed. On his recovery from the temporary unconsciousness, he gets married to Natalya on Chubukov's proposal 'hurry up and get married. In fact Lomov cannot convey his proposal to Natalya.
Ans. A one-act play is a short dramatic work consisting of only one act. It generally concentrates on a single episode or situation and characters are limited in such plays. A one- act play may be described as the dramatic equivalent of a short story. Anton Chekhov's 'The Proposal' is a successful one-act play as it concentrates on a single issue of the marriage proposal of Lomov to marry Chubukov's daughter, Natalya. There are only three characters-Lomov, Natalya and Chubukov. The play advances rapidly and ends abruptly. The way Chekhov
alternates the marriage proposal and the arguments, it becomes entertaining for the audience. In short, Chekhov had been able to write an interesting one-act play though he was not happy himself with his creation.
11. "If I give myself time to think, to hesitate, to talk a lot, to look for an ideal, or for real love, then I'll never get married. "-Who thinks so? When does the speaker think so? Why does the speaker think it?
Ans. Loom thinks so in Chekhov's 'The Proposal.
• Looms has come to Chubukov house with a proposal to marry Chubukov daughter, Natalya. After going round and round Looms ultimately expresses his desire to Chubukov. He gladly accepts his proposal and goes to call Natalya. Meanwhile Looms starts thinking about his condition.
• Looms thinks that it is high time to make up his mind. In the first place, he is already 35, a critical age; in the second place, he ought to lead a quiet and regular life. He suffers from palpitations. So he needs an immediate marriage to maintain a regular life. He also finds social compulsion to marry to maintain his social status.
12. "Go; there's a merchant come for his goods." -Who is the 'merchant'? What 'goods' is meant here? State the mentality of the original speaker from this comment?
Or, Who is the merchant? What 'goods' is meant here? Comment on the attitude to marriage in the light of the above remark.
Ans. Here the 'merchant' is Loom in Chekhov's 'The Proposal: • By 'goods' here the speaker, Chubukov, means his daughter, Natalya.
• Chubukov informs Natalya about Loom's arrival with the proposal with fun. Natalya has been shelling peas for drying. She probably has been expecting a real merchant, but finds her neighbor, Lomov instead.
Natalya can understand nothing. She is surprised. But the way Chubukov terms his daughter as 'goods' shows how she is a liability to him and he is ready to sell her as a commodity. Chubukov has probably said that casually, but his patriarchal mentality has easily been exposed at that point.
13. "I shall try to be brief. "-Who is the speaker? Is the speaker successful in his/her purpose? Bring out the fun and irony of the situation.
Or, "The Lomovs and the Chubukovs have always had the most friendly, and I might almost say the most affectionate regard for each other"-Who says this? When does the speaker say-so? Bring out the irony of the situation.
Ans. In Chekhov's 'The Proposal' Lomov is the speaker here. • Lomov has come with a proposal to marry Chubukov's daughter, Natalya. He tries to propose to Natalya. He is too much tense. He wants to finish briefly. But he starts with a long introduction about the family relations of the Lomovs and the Chubukovs. Thus he is diverted from his purpose.
• Firstly, Lomov's tension and incoherent speech can be enjoyed with fun. Secondly, he declares to express his proposal in brief and starts a long introduction. This becomes funny. The irony lies latent in the situation. While Lomov starts saying about friendly relationship, ironically his 'brief' speech initiates a long spiteful quarrel.
EDITING BY--Liza Mahanta
