The Proposal

Question 1: What does Chubukov at first suspect that Lomov has come for? Is he sincere when he later says “And I’ve always loved you, my angel, as if you were my own son”? Find reasons for your answer from the play.
Answer: At first, Chubukov suspected that Lomov had come to borrow money. He was not sincere when he told Lomov that he had always loved him and that he was like his own son. He had decided that he would not give Lomov any money if he tried borrowing from him. If he truly meant what he had said, then he would not have thought of not giving him money. He said so only because Lomov had come with the proposal to marry his daughter.

Question 2: Chubukov says of Natalya: “… as if she won’t consent! She’s in love; egad, she’s like a lovesick cat…” Would you agree? Find reasons for your answer.
Answer: Chubukov thought that Lomov was a good marriage prospect for his daughter. He had been waiting for this proposal. When Lomov expressed his doubt regarding Natalya’s consent to the proposal, Chubukov immediately told him that she was in love with him. However, this was not true. Natalya did not seem to be in love with Lomov at any point in the play. It seemed like she was more attached to her land, meadows and dogs than to Lomov. In fact, the way they kept getting into arguments about trivial matters suggests that neither Lomov nor Natalya was in love with the other.

Short Answer Type Questions [2 Marks each]

Question 1.
Which qualities are common in all three characters of the play ‘The Proposal’?
Answer:
All the characters in the play are argumentative, full of pride and possessiveness. They are always ready to argue for petty things.

Question 2.
How does Lomov come to Chubukov’s house? What for does he come? How is he received?[ CBSE 2012]
Answer:
Lomov came to Chubukov’s house in the evening dress with gloves on. He came to propose to his daughter Natalya. He is received with all the respect by Chubukov.

Question 3.
How does Chubukov react when Lomov says that he has come to ask for the hand of his daughter?
Answer:
When Lomov says that he has come to ask for the hand of his daughter, Chubukov gets off balanced with joy. He embraces and kisses Lomov, sheds a tear of joy and calls for God’s blessing for Lomov and Natalya.

Question 4.
Why did Lomov want to get married?
Answer:
Lomov wanted to get married as he was already 35 years old. Moreover, he was suffering due to a weak heart and sleep- sickness and wanted company of someone to look after him.

Question 5.
What happens to Lomov when he is in an excited state?
Answer:
When Lomov is in an excited state his heart beat increases, lips tremble and there is a twitch in his right eyebrow. When he goes to sleep in such a state something pulls him from his left side and he jumps like a lunatic

Question 6.
How does Natalya excite Lomov to the point of verbal fighting?
Answer:
Natalya repeatedly insisted that Oxen Meadows are theirs and told Lomov that until now she considered Lomov as a good neighbour and friend. This excited Lomov to the point of verbal fighting.

Question 7.
How does Lomov react when Chubukov says that he is not used to misbehaviour by a young man like Lomov?
Answer:
Lomov reacts by saying that Chubukov thinks that he is a fool. He says that he cannot talk to him calmly and politely as he is making a false claim to his property. He further accuses Chubukov of being a grabber.

Question 8.
Why does Natalya ask her father Chubukov to fetch Lomov in at once? Why does she accuse her father?
Answer:
Natalya asked her father to fetch Lomov at once as she had come to know that Lomov had come to propose her. She accused Chubukov of driving Lomov out of their home.

Question 9.
How does Natalya react when she comes to know that Lomov had come to propose? CBSE2014
Answer:
When Natalya cames to know that Lomov had come there to propose her she was shocked. She wails, changes her stance and asks her father to fetch Lomov.

Long Answer (Value Based) Type Questions [8 Marks each]

Question 1.
The principle ‘forgive and forget’, helps a lot in maintaining cordial relations with our neighbors. Do you think Anton Chekov conveys this message in the play ‘The Proposal’ ?
Answer:
Anton Chekov does convey the message that the principle of ‘forgive and forget’ helps a lot in -maintaining cordial relationship with one’s neighbours. Initially, the neighbours in the play, Lomov, Natalya and Chubukov were fighting over petty issues. They were putting important issues behind them and wasting their time by arguing over small things. These arguments slowly developed into fights and they started hurling abuses at one another. This damaged their relationship with each other.
It was when Natalya came to know that Lomov had come to propose her that she left the topic of argument (Oxen Meadows) behind. She also asked for forgiveness from Lomov and requested him to come to the point. Hence it is mandatory to ‘forgive and forget’ if one wants to have cordial relationship with others.

Question 2.
Neighbours must have a cordial relationship which Lomov and Natalya do not have. Describe the first fight between them.    [CBSE 2015]
Answer:
Lomov and Natalya meet and rather than proposing her he gets off the point. He tells her how he inherited his land and how he respects her father. He also tells Natalya that his Oxen meadows touch Natalya’s Birchwood. On hearing this, Natalya says that Oxen Meadows are theirs. They start arguing about it. Lomov clarifies that he is talking about the Oxen Meadows that are between her Birchwoods and Burnt marsh. Natalya again insists that they are theirs.
Lomov refuses it. He tells her that his aunt’s grandmother gave those meadows to her father’s grand father. The peasants used the land for forty years and started regarding it as their own. Natalya’s father comes and also starts quarreling with Lomov. They get into a heated argument and resort to name-calling. After some time, Lomov leaves their house.