The Proposal Extra Questions and

Answers
Very Short Answer Questions
1. Who is Lomov?
Answer: Lomov is a young
landowner.
2. Why did Lomov come to
Chubukov’s house?
Answer: Lomov came to
Chubukov’s house with a marriage
proposal for Natalya.
3. How old were Lomov and
Natalya?
Answer: Lomov was thirty-five
years old and Natalya was twenty-
five years old.
4. Why is Lomov so eager to
marry?
Answer: Lomov is so eager to many
because he is already over thirty-
five.
5. What disease does Lomov
suffer from?
Answer: Lomov suffers from
palpitations.
6. What does Lomov quarrel over
with Natalya for the first time?
Answer: Lomov quarrels over
ownership the right of Oxen
Meadows.
7. What documents does Lomov
offer to show Natalya?
Answer: He wants to show her the
documents relating to the Oxen
Meadows.
8. Who has been using Oxen
Meadows?
Answer: Peasants have been using
Oxen Meadows.
9. What do they quarrel over for
the second time?
Answer: For the second time, they
quarrel over the quality of their
dogs.
10. Who was Guess?
Answer: Guess was Lomov’s pet
dog.
11. Who appears to be dead to
Chubukov?
Answer: To Chubukov, Lomov
appears to be dead.
12. Did Lomov and Natalya get
married ultimately?
Answer: Yes, they got married
ultimately.
13. How does Natalya react
when she learns that Lomov had
come to propose to her?
Answer: She weeps and yells and
asks her father to fetch his hack.
Short Answer Type Questions
1. What do you think would have
been Chubukov’s reaction on
hearing the reason for which
Lomov had come to his house?
Answer: When Chubukov came to
know that the reason of Lomov’s
coming to their house is to marry
Natalya, he was overwhelmed with
joy. He embraced and kissed Lomov
and told him that he was hoping for
it for a long time. He told Lomov that
he had always loved him as if he
were his own son.
2. What justification did Lomov
give to Natalya and Chubukov to
prove that he is the rightful
owner of Meadows?
Answer: Lomov told Natalya and
Chubukov that his aunt’s
grandmother gave the Meadows for
the temporary and free use of
Chubukov’s grandfather’s peasants.
So he is the rightful owner of the
open meadows.
3. Lomov was a quarrelsome
person. Justify.
Answer: Lomov was a quarrelsome
person. He came to Chubukov’s
house to propose Natalya. But he
started arguing about the meadows
and insisted that those meadows
belonged to him. Later he kept on
proving that his dog Squeezer is
better than ‘Guess’ – the dog of
Chubukov’s. He did not care for his
health or his proposal but kept on
fighting for one or the other reason.
It proves that he was a quarrelsome
person.
4. There is a certain way in
which the characters speak in
the play “The Proposal”. What
does it tell us about the Russian
men?
Answer: As the story belongs to the
Russian character. So through the
dialogues of the characters, we
come to know a lot about Russian
man. According to the story the
Russians are very particular about
their dress and have particular
dresses for special occasions.
Secondly, they are hypocrites. They
show off to be sweet but the very
next moment, they started fighting.
They pretend to be good neighbours
but within their heart, they have so
many grudges. They love to have
dogs as pets and consider their pet
better than the other one. All of
them are stubborn, short-tempered,
quarrelsome and rigid.
5. Describe, in brief, the
character of Natalya as sketched
in the chapter the proposal.
Answer: Natalya was 25 years old,
daughter of Chubukov. She was a
good housekeeper, not bad looking
and well educated. She secretly
loved Lomov. She was greedy and
short-sighted. She was short-
tempered as well.
6. Lomov went to Chubukov’s
house and was seeking
permission so that he could
trouble him with a request. What
is the trouble that he is talking
about
Answer: Lomov went to Chubukov’s
house to ask him to marry his
daughter, Natalya. He asked
Chubukov for Natalya’s hand. This is
the trouble he was talking about.
7. Natalya was not Lomov’s real
love. But still, he wanted to
marry her. Give two reasons for
his decision.
Answer: Though Lomov was not in
love with Natalya, he wanted to
marry her because he was suffering
due to a weak heart and sleep-
sickness. He wanted a companion
who could look after him.
8. Lomov calls himself a ‘land
grabber’. Justify the statement
in about 20-25 words.
Answer: Lomov and Natalya argue
over the ownership of Oxen
Meadows. Natalya calls him a ‘land
grabber’ as he claims his ownership
over it. Lomov says that he is not a
‘land grabber’ as he has never done
so and would never let anyone do so.
9. How and why did Lomov come
to meet the Chubukov family?
Answer: Lomov came in a formal
evening dress — wearing a jacket
and white gloves. He had come to
meet the Chubukov family to put his
proposal for Natalya. He wanted to
marry her.
10. How can you say that
Natalya was not convinced that
Oxen Meadows was owned by
Lomov?
Answer: Natalya was not convinced
as she said that they owned Oxen
Meadows for nearly 300 years. It was
surprising and ridiculous if someone
else claimed it to be his own.
Chubukov also joined the quarrel.
11. What did Natalya say about
Guess?
Answer: Natalya said that Squeezer
was superior to Guess —Lomov’s
dog. Lomov said that his dog Guess
was better than Squeezer. Natalya
believed that Guess had become old
and ought to be shot. She also
claimed that Squeezer was a
hundred times better than a Guess.
12. What does Chubukov at first
suspect that Lomov has come
for?
Or
Why was Stephan Chubukov not
happy to welcome Lomov in his
house
Answer: Lomov arrives in a formal
evening dress. On seeing him,
Chubukov thinks that he has come to
borrow money. He decides not to
lend it to him but talks to him quite
politely.
13. What is the ailment that
Lomov is suffering from?
Answer: Lomov is 35 years old. It is
high time that he should settle for a
quiet and regular life. He is suffering
due to a weak heart and sleep-
sickness. In need of a companion
who may look after him, he wants to
get married.
14. What request did Lomov
make to Chubukov?
Answer: Lomov went to Chubukov
in a formal dress in order to propose
marriage to his daughter, Natalya.
Hesitatingly he told Chubukov that
he needed his help and had come to
trouble him with a request. He told
him that he wanted to marry
Natalya.
15. Describe Lomov’s first
meeting with Natalya.
Answer: Lomov goes to his
neighbour Chubukov’s house to ask
for the hand of his daughter Natalya.
He is in a fix on how to make a
marriage proposal. He talks in a
roundabout manner. He makes
mention of his meadows which touch
their birchwoods. At this, a quarrel
ensues between them over the
ownership rights the meadows.
16. What kind of a man is
Lomov?
Answer: Lomov is a man of thirty-
five years old. He is really a very
funny and comical character. He
comes to make a proposal to
Natalya. But he is so nervous and
excitable that he continues
quarrelling with the girl over trifles,
and fails to make the proposal. He
has no confidence and no self-
control. He suffers from fits of
epilepsy.
17. Who is the heroine of the
play?
Answer: Natalya is the heroine of
the play The Proposal’. She is
twenty-five years old. She is still
unmarried. It causes great worry to
her father. Natalya wishes that
somebody should love her and
proposes to her. Her father calls her
‘a love-sick cat’.
18. Why does the proposal
remain unmade during Lomov’s
first visit?
Answer: The proposal remains
unmade during Lomov’s fast visit
because Lomov is very nervous and
excitable. He beat about the bush.
When Natalya comes Lomov begins
to quarrel with her about a piece of
land. He gets very excited and
leaves the room, cursing and
threatening the old man and his
daughter, Natalya. He forgets all
about the proposal.
19. Why is Natalya is so anxious
to marry Lomov?
Answer: Natalya is an ugly, middle-
aged woman. She knows that only a
fool like Lomov can marry her. So,
the moment she comes to know that
Lomov had come to propose for her
hand, she cries and shouts and
forces her father to bring Lomov
back.
20. How does Chubukov join the
quarrel between Natalya and
Lomov?
Answer: Chubukov comes in and
finds Natalya and Lomov quarrelling.
When he finds that they are
`luanvIling about the ownership of
the Oxen Meadows. he also becomes
angry. Instead of calming them
down. he also starts quarrelling. He
claims to be the owner of the
Meadows. He insults not only Lomov
but also his ancestors.
21. What is the cause of the
second quarrel between Natalya
and Lomov?
Answer: Lomov starts praising the
qualities of the dog Guess. But
Natalya says that her dog sq which
she purchased for 85 roubles is
much better than Lomov’s dog
Guess. Both of them praise the
qualities of their dogs. Now they
start quarrelling on this topic. They
again start shouting at each other.
22. What is Chubukov guess
about the purpose of Lomov’s
visit?
Answer: Lomov calms himself down
and begins to tell him the purpose of
his visit. He tells him that he came to
him many times in the past also for
his help but he did not help him.
Chubukov thinks that perhaps he has
come to ask for a loan. He makes up
his mind not to help him in any way.
23. Why is Lomov anxious to
marry Natalya?
Answer: Lomov wants to settle the
question of his marriage at once. He
thinks that now he should not delay.
He thinks about Natalya. She is a
skilled house-keeper. She is
educated and is not bad to look at.
At this age, he should not expect a
better girl than her. He is suffering
from some serious diseases. Because
of these reasons. He is anxious to
marry Natalya.
24. Why was Lomov brought
hack by Chubukov?
Answer: Chubukov wondered how
Lomov dared to make a proposal of
marriage. Natalya was startled to
hear it. She forced her father to
bring Lomov back. Chubukov rushed
out most unwillingly to request
Lomov to come back. Lomov agreed
to come back.
25. How does Lomov behave
when he is excited?
Answer: When Lomov is excited his
heart starts palpitating. His right
eyebrow starts twitching. His foot
goes to sleep. In the play, he
becomes so excited that he falls
unconscious.
26. How does Natalya lay claim
to a piece of land called the
‘Oxen Meadows’?
Answer: Natalya says that the land
belonged to her family for the last
three hundred years. Now suddenly
Lomov lays his claim to that land.
She says that the land is not worth
much in terms of money. But as a
principle, she won’t let Lomov claim
it.
27. Who are Lomov and
Chubukov and how are they
related to each other?
Answer: Lomov and Chubukov are
landlords. They are neighbours too.
According to Lomov, he has been
coming to Chubukov for help.
Chubukov has helped him even
earlier. There seems to be a dispute
over the ownership of Oxen
Meadows. Each one claims that the
land belongs to him. Lomov is
interested in marrying Chubukov’s
daughters, Natalya and considers
her a suitable match for her.
28. Why does Lomov come to
Chubukov? How does Chubukov
react to his visit?
Answer: Lomov, a landlord, pays a
visit to Chubukov. The purpose of his
visit is quite clear. He has come with
a proposal of marriage. He is
interested in marrying Natalya who
he considers a good housekeeper
and not bad looking. Chubukov
misunderstands the purpose of
Lomov’s visit. He thinks that he has
come to borrow money from him.
However, when he comes to know
that he has come with a marriage
proposal, he is overjoyed and
excited.
29. Why is Chubukov surprised
at Lomov’s wearing of a formal
dress when he conies to meet
him?
Answer: Ivan Lomov is well dressed.
He comes to visit Chubukov.
Chubukov notices his dress. He is
surprised to see Lomov wearing a
dress-jacket and white gloves. He is
in a formal evening dress. It appears
as if he were paying a New Year’s
Eve visit. Only later on, Chubukov
comes to know that Lomov has come
in that formal dress only with a
proposal for marriage.
30. How does Chubukov react
when he comes to know that
Lomov has come with a proposal
of marrying his daughter
Natalya?
Answer: Soon the misunderstanding
is cleared. Chubukov comes to know
that Lomov has not come to borrow
money instead he has come with a
proposal of marrying his daughter
Natalya. He is extremely happy to
hear it. This is exactly what he
wants. He embraces and kisses
Lomov. He calls him “darling” and
“angel”. He tells Lomov that he has
been hoping it for a long time. He is
ready to bless them.
31. Why does Lomov think that
he should not be alone but
marry a suitable woman like
Natalya?
Answer: Lomov is a middle-aged
man of thirty-five years. He thinks
that it is a critical age. He should
now think of leading a peaceful and
regular married life. Natalya, the
daughter of a rich landlord and
neighbour Chubukov, can be a
suitable life-partner for him. Lomov
thinks that Natalya is an excellent
housekeeper. Moreover, she is
educated and not bad looking. All
these qualities qualify Natalya is an
ideal life-partner for him.
32. How does Lomov speak
warmly of Chubukov’s family in
the beginning? Why does he
change his stand?
Answer: In the beginning, Lomov
speaks quite warmly about
Chubukov’s family. He reminds
Natalya that he knows the
Chubukovs since his childhood. His
aunt and uncle had great respect for
her family. Both the families have
been most friendly and close
neighbours. Lomov changes his
opinion about the Chubukovs when
he picks up a quarrel with Natalya
and Chubukov over the ownership of
Oxen Meadows.
33. Describe Oxen Meadows.
How were they a bone of
contention between Lornov’s
and Natalya’s family?
Answer: Lomov and his rich
landlord Chubukov are neighbours. A
piece of land known as Oxen
Meadows becomes a bone of
contention between the two families.
Both of them claim their ownership
over the Meadows. Lomov says that
Oxen Meadows was given to
Chubukov’s peasants for free use.
They were to make bricks for the
Lomovs. The Chubokovs contest this
claim of Lomov.
34. Why do both the families of
Lomovs and Chubukovs claim
the ownership of Oxen
Meadows?
Answer: Oxen Meadows become a
bone of contention between the two
families. Lomov thinks that Oxen
Meadows that touch the birch forest
of Chubukov belong to him. His
aunt’s grandmother gave the free
use of the Meadows to the peasants
of Natalya’s father’s grandfather. In
return, they were to make bricks for
them. Natalya opposes it by saying
that their land extends to Burnt
Marsh. It means that Oxen Meadows
belongs to them.
35. Why does Natalya think that
Lomov’s behaviour is strange
and he is simply joking and
making fun of her?
Answer: Natalya thinks that
Lomov’s behaviour is quite strange.
He is only joking and making fun of
her. She claims that they have Oxen
Meadows for nearly 300 years. She is
suddenly told that it is not theirs. It is
strange that Lomov is making a
present of the Meadows to them
which are not owned by him. It is
unlike a good neighbour and a
friend.
36. Why does Lomov say that
Chubukov is not a good
neighbour but a land-grabber?
Answer: Lomov has his reasons to
think that Chubukov is not a good
neighbour but a land-grabber. His
aunt’s grandmother gave the
Meadows for ‘temporary’ and free
use of Chubukov’s grandfather’s
peasants. He doesn’t intend to give
up his claim over the Meadows. Good
neighbours don’t behave like that.
Only land grabbers behave in this
fashion.
37. How does Natalya react
when she comes to know that
Lomov has come to make a
marriage proposal to her?
Answer: Chubukov and Natalya
indulge in all sorts of abuses and
insults for Lomov. However,
Chubukov discloses the real purpose
of Lomov’s visit. She comes to know
that Lomov has come there with a
proposal of marrying her. She grows
hysterical. She blames her father for
not telling it before. She tries to
bring him back. She threatens to die
if Lomov is not brought back.
38. Besides Oxen Meadows what
is the other important cause of
quarrel between Lomov and
Natalya?
Answer: Natalya and Lomov have
already quarrelled over the
ownership of Oxen Meadows. Now
crops up a fresh cause of their
quarrel. It is over their dogs,
Squeezer and Guess. Natalya thinks
that their Squeezer is a
thoroughbred animal. He is far better
than his dog Guess. Natalya calls
Guess an old and a worthless dog.
The quarrel continues even after
they are married.
39. Describe the physical
condition and health of Lomov.
Answer: Lomov is thirty-five years
old. He doesn’t enjoy good health.
He is easily excited. He suffers from
palpitations. His feet are benumbed.
He can’t express himself like a calm
and composed man. He can’t bear
too much tension and excitement.
He throws himself down in an
armchair and becomes unconscious
soon. Only when water is sprinkled
over his face, he comes to senses.
40. What happens when Lomov
is thought to be almost dead?
Answer: Lomov has come with a
proposal of marrying Natalya. When
he falls down unconscious in an
armchair, both Natalya and
Chubukov are unnerved and worried.
She starts crying thinking him dead.
Chubukov calls for a doctor. He
threatens to shoot himself or cut his
throat. When Lomov comes to
senses, Chubukov grabs the
opportunity and blesses them for a
happy married life.
41. How does Chubukov react
when Lomov comes to senses?
Answer: Lomov’s unconsciousness
unnerves both Chubukov and his
daughter Natalya. He is thought to
be dead. Chubukov thinks that a
golden opportunity has been lost.
He thinks of shooting himself or
cutting his throat. When Lomov
comes to senses Chubukov doesn’t
lose the opportunity, He cries, “Hurry
up and get married!” He at once
blesses both of them.
42. Give in brief the character-
sketch of Lomov.
Answer: Lomov is a middle-aged
man of thirty-five. He suffers from
palpitations, cramps and numbness
of limbs. He is nervous and can’t
speak and act like a calm and
composed man. He comes to
Natalya’s house with a proposal of
marriage but soon forgets the real
purpose of his visit. He picks up
unnecessary quarrels over Oxen
Meadows and on their respective
dogs.
43. What opinion of Chubukov do
you form after reading ‘The
Proposal’?
Answer: Chubukov is a rich landlord
and a neighbour of Lomov. He is
short-tempered and rash in
behaviour. He wants Lomov to be
married to Natalya. But he forgets
the main issue and joins the quarrels
between Lomov and Natalya. He
adds only fuel to the fire. He can be
abusive and insulting. However, he
grabs the opportunity and blesses
Natalya and Lomov in the end.
44. What opinion do you form of
Natalya after reading the play,
‘The Proposal’?
Answer: Natalya is a woman of
twenty-five years. Lomov considers
her a good housekeeper and not bad
looking. She likes to get married with
Lomov. However, she indulges in
unnecessary quarrels over Oxen
Meadows and dogs. She even insults
Lomov with harsh words. However,
good sense prevails upon her and
she doesn’t lose the opportunity of
marrying Lomov.
45. Justify the title of the play.
‘The Proposal’ Or What is the
theme or the message of ‘The
Proposal’?
Answer: Anton Chekov has aptly
titled the play, ‘The Proposal’. The
title justifies the main theme—the
marriage of Natalya and Lomov. No
doubt, both Lomov and Natalya want
to be life partners. However,
unnecessary quarrels over Oxen
Meadows and their dogs Squeezer
and Guess temporarily spoil their
game. The message is very clear.
The main issue must not be clouded
and lost sight of by indulging in
unnecessary and avoidable quarrels.
Long Answer Type Questions
1. Neighbours must have a
cordial relationship which Lomov
and Natalya do not have.
Describe the first between them.
Answer: Neighbours must have a
cordial relationship which Lomov and
have. Although he had come there to
propose Natalya he started fighting
with her over a small piece of land.
This land adjoined her land and his
oxen meadows touched her birch
woods. Natalya told Lomov that
Lomov tried meadows belonged to
her but Lomov claimed that m the
oxen meadows are his. Convince
Natalya by telling her that his aunt’s
grandmother gave the meadows for
the temporary and free use to
Chubukov’s grandfather’s peasants.
They did not demand money for it
for a long time so the Chubukov’s
misunderstood that the meadows
belonged to them. While Chubukov’s
insisted that yelling could not prove
anything because everyone knows
that meadows belong to Chubukov’s
since last three hundred years. Both
threatened each other.
2. The proposal was forgotten
amidst argumentation. Which
right approach should have been
followed by both parties?
Answer: Lomov came to Chubukovs
to propose Natalya. Both are
neighbours and at the right age to
marry. But instead of forwarding the
proposal both of them started
fighting over truffles. Firstly they
fought over a small piece of land
called oxen meadows both of them
claimed that the land belonged to
them and not the other one.
Somehow the argument came to an
end and they started fighting over
dogs and claimed each of their dog
better than the other ones. The
proposal was forgotten amidst all
these arguments.
The situation might be different if
both the parties had followed the
right approach. Oxen meadows
would belong to both of them if they
got married. Similarly, dogs are the
very petty thing to argue about while
marriage is going to take place.
There should not be any ego in
between of them both. They should
be polite and patient to each other.
They should not be rigid and
stubborn. Their priority should be
their marriage and not meadows or
dogs. Only the proposal could be
carried on.
3. “The way Chubukov, Natalya
and Lomov fought over petty
issues is against the behaviour
and mannerisms of good
neighbours.” Comment. What
would you have done to resolve
the issue? (if you were in the
place of Chubukov)
Answer: Lomov and Chubukovs
were neighbours. Lomov came to
Chubukovs to propose Natalya. But
instead of proposing they started
fighting over petty issues like oxen
meadows and quality of dogs. This is
not the quality of good neighbours.
Neighbours should live like friends.
There should be a positive
relationship between the two
neighbours.
There should be understanding and
patience among neighbours. The
fight between Looms and Chubukovs
could have been avoided if handled
carefully. The issue of meadows
could be resolved calmly and quietly
by a good conversation. There must
have been some documents showing
the ownership of the meadows or
both the parties could be convinced
by making them understand that if
they got married, the meadows will
belong to both of them.
Similarly, the issues of dog could be
solved instead of counting the
negative points of each other’s dogs.
They can discuss the positive
features of the dogs. Thus the issues
could be resolved.
4. Why does Lomov think of
marrying he should settle into a
quiet and regular Natalya
Stepanovna
Answer: Lomov was 35 years old. It
was high time that life IV moreover,
he was suffering d In order to put his
proposal to Natalya, due to a weak
heart and sleeplessness. He wanted
company and file one to look after
him, so he wanted to get married he
visited Chubukov. However, Lomov
was not in love with Natalya. Besides
his ill health, he understood quite
well that she was an excellent
housekeeper, not bad looking, and
well-educated. Thus, he thought of
marrying her because of all these
practical reasons.
5. Write a brief character sketch
of Lomov.
Answer: Lomov is a man who is of
marriageable age. He also suffers
from a weak heart and
sleeplessness. So, he is desperate to
settle down in life and lead a quiet
and regular life. Despite his ailments,
Lomov was a rich and prosperous
farmer. This makes Chubukov
secretly wish him to marry his
daughter Natalya. As for Lomov, he
did not love her, though he was
desperate to have a life partner, and
so marry Natalya. Lomov was
however hesitant to ask for her hand
from Chubukov. That made him beat
around the bush, argue with Natalya
and leave without proposing. Thus
we can find that Loom’s conditions
overpower the other traits he has.
He is an eligible, assertive, rich,
bachelor, who will be liked by any
girl. However, we also know that he
is nervous, lacks confidence and is
prone to talk in a long-winded
manner.
6. Describe how Chubukov got
Natalya married with Lomov.
Answer: Chubukov was thinking
that Lomov had come to borrow
money from him but when he told
him that he had come to propose to
his daughter he was overjoyed and
even shed a tear. He kissed and
embraced Lomov. He told Lomov
that he was hoping it for a long time.
He also told Lomov that he loved him
as his own son.
In fact, Chubukov, secretly wished
Lomov to marry his dither as he
knew that Lomov was a rich and
prosperous farmer and his only
daughter could lead a comfortable
life with him. No wonder, he was
overjoyed to know that Lomov was
there to propose to his daughter.
7. Describe the incidents of
humour in the play, ‘The
Proposal’?
Answer: ‘The Proposal’ is certainly a
humorous play. The very entry of
Lomov in a formal dress and the way
Chubukov greets calling him
‘darling’, ‘my treasure’ or ‘my
beauty’ make one laugh. Marriage
proposal, supposed to be romantic
turns to be humorous as the way
Natalya and Lomov indulge in
arguments over petty issues like
ownership of Oxen Meadows and
superiority of dogs makes the play
humorous. The critical terms that the
characters I use for each other like a
scarecrow, turnip ghost, blind hen,
stuffed sausage, etc., force one to
laugh. The hysterical fit of Natalya
when she comes to know about the
proposal and the wailing of father
and daughter when they think
Lomov is dead create immense
humour. Finally, the way Natalya
puts her hand in Loom’s under
continuous arguments indicating
acceptance of the proposal is really
humorous. Thus we see that the
whole play is replete with humour,
making it a humorous play.
8. Give a brief character sketch
of Natalya.
Answer: Natalya was 25 years old
and the daughter of Chubukov. She
was a good housekeeper, not bad to
look at and educated; that was why
Lomov wanted to marry her. She
could be a good wife to him.
She secretly loved Lomov. She
became hysterical when she came to
know that Lomov had come to
propose to her. She asked her father
to call him back. To please Lomov
she asked him to forgive her and
agreed to his ownership of the Oxen
Meadows.
She was greedy and short-sighted.
She got the whole field of hay cut.
She was also very inquisitive and
wanted to know why Lomov was
dressed up formally.
She was touchy and short-tempered
and fell into contradiction and
argument on two occasions—once
over the ownership of Oxen
Meadows and the second time over
the superiority of her dog Squeezer.
She is as rigid as Lomov. She is not
ready to give up even after getting
ready to marry him.
9. Bring out the humorous
element in the one-act play ‘The
Proposal’.
Answer: The one-act play ‘The
Proposal’ is full of the humorous
element. The characters in the play
behave ridiculously. Lomov comes to
propose to Natalya. But he cannot
talk in a straightforward manner. He
beat about the bush. He starts
quarrelling with her over a piece of
land. When he comes back, he
quarrels about the superiority of his
dog. Chubukov is also a humorous
character. He knows that Lomov has
come to ask for his daughter’s hand
in marriage. Even when he quarrels
with him. We laugh at the words
used by them and their behaviour.
The sudden marriage of Lomov and
Natalya creates laughter. Chubukov
puts his daughter’s hand in Lomov’s
in a foolish manner. Lomov is a
comic character. His complaints
about his poor health provoke
laughter. Thus the play gives us a lot
of laughter.
10. Draw a brief character-
sketch of Natalya.
Answer: Natalya is the heroine of
the play ‘The Proposal’. She is
twenty-five years old. She is still
unmarried. It causes great worry to
her father. Natalya wishes that
somebody should love her and
proposes to her. Her father calls her
‘a love-sick cat.’
She is very quarrelsome. She
quarrels with others over trifles.
Lomov comes to propose to her, but
she starts quarrelling with him over
the ownership of a piece of land.
Lomov leaves her house in a fit of
anger. When she comes to know that
he had come to propose to her, she
starts weeping. She asks her father
to bring him back. When Lomov
comes back, she tries to please him.
But after some time, she starts
quarrelling with him on the question
of dogs. Lomov faints and she again
begins to wail lest she should lose
the opportunity for marriage. After
some time, Lomov regains
consciousness. Her father does not
want to lose this opportunity. He at
once puts Natalya’s hand in the
hands of Lomov. He announces that
they are engaged with each other.
Natalya. become very happy. But
she again starts quarrelling with him.
Thus Natalya is an interesting
character.
11. Describe the first meeting of
Lomov and Natalya.
Answer: Lomov goes to his
neighbour Chuhukov’s house to ask
for the hand of his daughter Natalya.
When he talks to Natalya, he
becomes nervous. He is in a fix on
how to make a marriage proposal.
He talks in a round-about manner.
He beat about the bush. He makes
mention of his meadows which touch
their birchwoods. At this, a quarrel
ensues between them over the
ownership of the meadows. Both of
them claim the ownership and start
rebuking each other. In the
meantime, Chubukov comes there.
Instead of pacifying them, he also
joins the quarrel. He abuses Lomov
which worsens the situation. Lomov
is deeply upset. He leaves
Chubukov’s house and forgets about
the marriage proposal.
12. Give a short character sketch
of Lomov.
Answer: Lomov is the hero of the
One Act Play ‘The Proposal’. He is a
land-owner. He is a funny character
He is a young man of thirty-five
years. He becomes nervous very
soon. He loses his temper whenever
he is upset. He looks very funny
when he complains about his ill-
health. He is short-tempered. He
quarrels with Natalya over the
ownership of a piece of land. He also
quarrels with her over the superiority
of his dog. He loses temper and
starts abusing Chubukov. He loses
control over himself and faints in a
fit of anger. Lomov is a funny and
foolish character. We laugh at his
dress, manners and behaviour.
Lomov is a bachelor even at the age
of thirty-five. He wants to marry
Natalya not out of love but because
he is already a grown-up man. He
has no sense of beauty. He wants to
marry Natalya only because she is a
good house-keeper.
13. What is the theme of the
play ‘The Proposal’?
Answer: The One Act play ‘The
Proposal’ throws light on the lifestyle
of the landlords of Russia in the 19th
century. The farm labourers worked
on their farms. So these landlords
led a life of ease and comfort. In fact.
they led an idle life. They were full of
vanity and pride. They quarrelled
over petty things. In the play, we see
that Lomov and Natalya have a
dispute over a piece of land. They
quarrel again over the qualities of
their dogs. Chubukov, Natalya’s
father, instead of pacifying them,
joins them. He and Lomov abuse
each other. All of them behave in a
very funny way. The play also brings
to light the social life of the
landowners of the 19th century. An
unmarried grown-up daughter was
considered a great burden by the
parents. Chubukov curses himself for
being the father of Natalya. An aged
bachelor was also looked down upon
in society. This theme has been
presented nicely through the
characters of Lomov and Natalya.
14. How and why does Lomov go
to Chubukov’s house? How does
Chubukov react to his visit?
Answer: Lomov is a Russian
landlord of thirty-five years old. He is
a neighbour of another rich landlord
Chubukov. He is at a critical age
when he thinks he should get
married. He wants to lead a peaceful
and regular married life. He sees in
Chubukov’s daughter Natalya an
ideal life-companion. He thinks she is
a good housekeeper, educated and
not bad looking. He comes to
Chubukov’s house with a proposal of
marriage. Naturally, he is formally
dressed in a fashionable jacket and
white gloves. In the beginning,
Chubukov seems to be rather cold to
his visit. He thinks that Lomov has
come to borrow money from him.
However, his indifference soon
changes into warm enthusiasm.
Lomov tells him the real purpose of
his visit. Chubukov is extremely
happy to hear it. He tells Lomov that
he has been thinking for a long time
for this marriage. He calls Lomov a
good neighbour and an ‘angel’. He is
ready to give his consent to their
marriage.
15. Describe how does Natalya
react before and after knowing
the real purpose of Lomov’s
visit. Does she act sensibly in
this regard?
Answer: Natalya is a woman of
twenty-five years. She is of
marriageable age and wants to get
married at all cost. Chubukov calls
her a love-sick cat. Lomov visits her
house and has come with a proposal
of marriage. She doesn’t know of it
and comes to know of it only after
Lomov goes out in disgust. Before
that Natalya and Lomov have a long
quarrel over the ownership of Oxen
Meadows.
Lomov claims the owner and is ready
to show the necessary documents to
prove his claim. Natalya calls Lomov
a strange man who wants to grab
their land. His act is unfriendly not
like that of a good neighbour. Lomov
feels excited and insulted and goes
out in disgust. We find a different
Natalya when she comes to know the
real purpose of Lomov’s visit. She
cries loudly to bring Lomov back.
She threatens to die if he is not
brought back. Lomov returns. But old
habits die hard. Both Lomov and
Natalya forget the real issue of their
marriage. The quarrel over the
Meadows is settled.
Now they start fighting over their
dogs Squeezer and Guess. Natalya
calls Lomov’s dog Guess and old and
good for nothing. On the other hand,
Lomov calls her dog Squeezer far
inferior to his dog Guess. This
quarrel continues till Lomov
becomes unconscious. In the end,
Chubukov loses no opportunity and
says “Be quick and get married.”
Natalya embraces and blesses
Lomov and they are blessed by
Chubukov. They start their married
life by picking up a fresh quarrel over
Squeezer and Guess.
16. Give a brief pen-portrait
highlighting his strength and
weakness of his character. Why
can’t he express himself like a
calm and composed man?
Answer: Lomov is a Russian
landlord of thirty-five years. He is a
neighbour of another rich landlord
Chubukov. Lomov is highly
impulsive, irritating and
quarrelsome. Physically, he is a
wrack. He enjoys very poor health.
He suffers from palpitations, hyper-
tensions and heart problems. He is
easily excited and irritated. Lomov
realises that he has reached an age
when he needs a peaceful and
regular life. In Chubukov’s daughter
Natalya he sees an ideal life-partner.
She is a good house-keeper,
educated and not bad looking. So, he
visits Chubukov’s house with a
proposal of marriage.
Lomov is confused. He can’t talk like
a calm and composed man. He
forgets the main issue and the
purpose of his visit. He indulges in
unnecessary details and quarrels
over the ownership of Oxen
Meadows. He does not know how to
solve and deal with controversies. He
picks up a new quarrel over the
dogs. He unsuccessfully tries to
prove that his dog Guess is far
superior to Natalya’s dog Squeezer.
Lomov appears in a formal dress. He
seems to be fashionable, well-
dressed and presentable. He is a
gentleman and acknowledges the
help received from his neighbour
Chubukov. He is self-respecting and
is ready to give Oxen Meadows to
Natalya as a present. Last but not
least, his desire for many Natalya is
practical and genuine.
17. In spite of being a good
housekeeper educated and not
bad looking, Natalya is
quarrelsome, vain and highly
impulsive. Justify your answer in
120 words.
Answer: Natalya is the daughter of
a rich Russian landlord Chubukov.
She is twenty-five years old. She
knows that she must marry and not
lose a suitable match for her. She
doesn’t want to miss any opportunity
to many of her neighbour and
landlord Lomov. Natalya is a good
housekeeper, educated and not bad
looking. Even Lomov acknowledges
her skills and suitability as his life-
partner. He himself comes to her
house with a proposal of marriage.
In spite of having many good
qualities which helps her to be an
ideal wife, Natalya has certain
weaknesses in her character. She is
quarrelsome like her father. She
doesn’t seem to be practical and
prudent. She is ‘a love-sick cat’. She
is dying too many Lomov. However,
she forgets the main issue but
indulges in unnecessary quarrels
over the ownership of Oxen
Meadows. She irritates Lomov by
proving the superiority of her dog
Squeezer over his dog Guess.
However, she grabs the opportunity
in the end. As directed by Chubukov,
she embraces, blesses and gets
married to Lomov at once. But old
habits die hard. She starts her
married life with a fresh quarrel.
18. Chubukov has all the
attributes of a quarrelsome rich
Russian landlord. Instead of
solving the problems, he only
adds fuel to the fire in their
quarrel over Oxen Meadows and
the dogs. Justify the statement.
Answer: Chubukov represents a
typical rich landlord of 19th century
Russia. He seems to be fairly rich
and resourceful. Even his neighbour
Lornov acknowledges the frequent
help rendered to him by Chubukov.
He lands his threshing machine to
Lomov. On account of this help, he
has to put off their own threshing till
November. Chubukov is quite
practical. He knows that Lomov can
be a good match for his daughter
Natalya. So, he at once gives his
assent to Lomov’s proposal of
marrying her. Actually, he has been
waiting for such a proposal for a long
time. Chubukov is a landlord and
can’t resist his hunger for land. He
opposes the claim of Lomov over the
ownership of Oxen Meadows. He
even threatens to send his mowers
out to the Meadows.
Chubukov can be quite quarrelsome,
abusing and insulting. He always
sides with his daughter. He picks up
a quarrel on Oxen Meadows. He calls
Lomov “a land grabber” and
“villain”. He abuses his grandfather
of being a “drunkard” and his father
a ‘gambler’. He jumps into the
quarrel and adds only fuel to the fire.
However, Chubukov is a great
opportunity. He grabs the
opportunity the moment Lomov
comes into the senses. He makes
Natalya kiss and embrace Lomov
and gets them married.
19. Justify the title of the lesson,
‘The Proposal’.
Answer: Anton Chekov has aptly
and logically titled his one-act-play
‘The Proposal’. The title justifies the
theme and the subject of the play.
The whole story revolves around
Lomov’s marriage proposal to
Chubukov’s daughter Natalya. The
play ends with Chubukov asking
Natalya to hurry up and get married
immediately. Natalya seals the
proposal by kissing and embracing
Lomov. Chubukov willingly and
happily blesses the couple.
The play begins with the visit of
Lomov to Chubukov’s house. The
moment Chubukov comes to know
that Lomov has come with a
proposal of marriage, he becomes
extremely happy. Lomov is
genuinely interested in marrying
Natalya. He thinks that she is a good
housekeeper, educated and not bad
looking. He sees in Natalya an ideal
wife who can help him in leading a
peaceful and regular life. Natalya
herself being a love-sick cat sees in
Lomov a suitable life-partner for her.
The Moment she comes to know that
Lomov has come with a marriage
proposal, she blames her father for
not telling it before. She threatens to
die if Lomov is not brought back
immediately.
No doubt, there are quarrels and
disputes over the ownership of Oxen
Meadows and on the superiority of
their dogs. I Abuses and insults are
freely traded. But this farce can’t
hide the real intention of the main
characters. The play ends with
Natalya kissing and embracing
Lomov and Chbukov blessing the
newly married couple.
20. What are the main points of
controversy over the ownership
of Oxen Meadows between
Chubukov and Lomov? How and
why does Natalya jump into the
quarrel?
Answer: The ownership of Oxen
Meadows is claimed by both the
families, the Lomov and the
Chubukovs. It becomes a bone of
contention between them. Lomov
claims that his Oxen Meadows touch
the Birdwood of Chubukov. Natalya
contests the claim. She claims that
they belong to them. Lomov explains
that his aunt’s grandmother gave
the free use of the Meadows to the
peasants of the Chubukovs. In
return, they were to make bricks for
the Lomovs. Natalya claims that
their land expands to Burnt Marsh.
Hence, Oxen Meadows belong to
them. They have had the land for
300 years.
Lomov is ready to present the
necessary documents to prove his
ownership over the Meadows.
Natalya threatens to send her
mowers to the Meadows. Chubukov
comes in and jumps into the quarrel.
He sides with his daughter. Lomov
threatens to go to court. There is a
free exchange of abuses and insults.
Chubukov calls Lomov’s grandfather
a drunkard. Lomov calls Chubukov’s
mother hump-backed. Natalya calls
Chubukov’s mother hump-backed.
Natalya calls Lomov dishonest,
rascal and mean. Chubukov calls
Lomov a villain and a scarecrow. The
dispute ends, when Natalya comes
to know about the marriage
proposal. She surrenders her claim
and accepts that the Meadows
belong to Lomov.
21. Doesn’t it look ridiculous and
childish to see mature persons
like Natalya, Lomov and
Chubukov quarrelling over their
dogs, Squeezer and Guess? Give
the reasons answer.
Answer: Natalya and Lomov are
mature persons who can be childish
and ridiculous on occasions. They
easily forget the main issue—the
proposal of marriage. No doubt,
Natalya is a love-sick cat and is
dying to marry Lomov. Even Lomov
considers Natalya a good
housekeeper. Such a good looking
and educated woman can be an
ideal wife for him.
But both of them fail to come to the
main issue. After the dispute over
the ownership of Oxen Meadows is
resolved, they pick up a fresh quarrel
over their dogs. Their behaviour is
childish and unwanted considering
their mature age. Their dogs
Squeezer and Guess become the
symbols of their vanity and false
pride. Natalya calls her Squeezer a
thoroughbred animal of a noble
breed. Chubukov jumps into the
quarrel. He calls Squeezer the best
dog in the district. He calls Lomov’s
dog Guess old and short in the
muzzle. It is free for all. Abuses and
insults are exchanged. Lomov calls
Chubukov an “intriguer”, “old rat”
and “Jesuit”. Chubukov calls Lomov
“Boy! Pup!” and “milksop! Fool!”.
The quarrel ends only when Lomov
lies down unconscious in an
armchair.
22. How do Natalya and
Chubukov react when Lomov
falls down in an armchair and
considered to be dead? How
does Chubukov manage to get
Natalya married with Lomov?
Answer: Anton Chekov’s play The
Proposal’ presents a farcical
situation when Lomov falls down
unconscious in an armchair. Before
that, there has been a free for all.
Insults and abuses were freely
hurled. The dispute over Oxen
Meadows was settled but the quarrel
over the dogs took an unpleasant
turn. Lomov is called “Boy! Pup!”,
Milksop” and “Fool”. He heat and
excitement and falls down
unconscious: He is thought to be
almost dead.
Both Natalya and Chubukov feel that
things are going out of their hands.
They feel helpless. Chubukov feels
like shooting himself or cutting his
own throat. Natalya is dying for
marriage. The moment Lomov
comes to senses, everyone feels
relieved. Chubukov can’t afford to
miss the opportunity. He tells
Natalya to “hurry up and get
married!” She too acts at once. She
embraces and kisses Lomov and
gives her willing to marry him. Only
one thing is left for Chubukov. He
blesses the newly married couple
and opens a bottle of champagne.
They say old habits die hard. The
new couple starts their married life
with a fresh quarrel. It is over their
dogs Squeezer and Guesses again.
Extract Based Questions
Read the following extracts
carefully and answer the
questions that follow:
Question 1: It’s cold… I’m
trembling all over, just as if I’d got
an examination before me. The great
thing is, I must have my mind made
up. 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.
a. Who is saying, “I’m trembling all
over as if I had got an examination
before me”?
b. What is the great thing that the
speaker is talking about?
c. What state of Lomov’s mind does
the passage reflect?
d. Why did Lomov not want to wait
for real love?
Answer:
a. Ivan Vassilevitch Lomov is saying
this line.
b. The speaker is talking about real
love and marriage.
c. His mind reflects that this way he
would never get married because it
is difficult to get an ideal or real love.
d. Lomov did not want to wait for
real love because he was anxious to
get married.
Question 2: He is old, but I wouldn’t
take five Squeezers for him. Why,
how can you? Guess is a dog; as for
Squeezer, well, it’s too funny to
argue. Anybody you like has a dog
as good as Squeezer you may find
them under every bush almost.
Twenty-five roubles would be a
handsome price to pay for him.
a. Who does ‘he’ refer to?
b. Whom does Squeezer belong to?
c. Who is the speaker of these lines?
d. What would be a handsome price
to pay for Squeezer?
Answer:
a. He refers to ‘Guess’, the dog.
b. Squeezer belongs to Chubukov.
c. Lomov is the speaker of these
lines.
d. The handsome price to pay for
Squeezer would be twenty-five
roubles.
Question 3: She’s willing and all
that. I give you my blessing and so
on. Only leave me in peace!
a. To whom is the speaker giving his
blessing?
b. Why is he giving his blessing?
c. Who is giving his blessing?
d. What is she willing for?
Answer:
a. The speaker is giving his blessing
to Lomov and Natalya.
b. He is giving his blessings because
both are willing to marry each other
and Chubukov agrees to it.
c. Chubukov is giving his blessing.
d. She is willing for her marriage with
Lomov.
Question 4: Last year we lent you
our threshing-machine, although on
that account we had to put off our
own threshing till November, but you
behave to us as if we were gypsies.
Giving me my own land indeed! No,
really, that’s not at all neighbourly!
In my opinion, it’s even impudent, if
you want to know.
a. What did the speaker do last year?
b. What happened after that?
c. How did Natalya try to prove that
they were at least good neighbours?
d. Why Chubukov had to delay their
threshing till November?
Answer:
a. Last year, the speaker lent their
threshing-machine.
b. After that, they had to put off their
own threshing till November.
c. They lent their threshing-machine
to Lomov the previous year that
delayed their own threshing till
November.
d. This was because they had lent it
to Lomov, their neighbour.
Question 5: No, you’re simply
joking, or making fun of me. What a
surprise! We’ve had the land for
nearly three hundred years, and
then we’re suddenly told that it isn’t
ours! Ivan Vassilevitch, I can hardly
believe my own ears. These
Meadows aren’t worth much to me.
They only come to five dessiatins,
and are worth perhaps 300 roubles,
but I can’t stand unfairness.
a. Who is making fun of whom?
b. For how long did they have the
land?
c. Who is the speaker of these lines?
d. What has been unfair with the
speaker?
Answer:
a. Lomov is making fun of Natalya.
b. They had the land for nearly three
hundred years.
c. Natalya is the speaker of these
lines.
d. The land that the speaker has had
for nearly 300 years have been told
that it isn’t theirs.
Question 6: Then you make out
that I’m a landgrabber? Madam,
never in my life have I grabbed
anybody else’s land and I shan’t
allow anybody to accuse me of
having done so. Oxen Meadows are
mine!
a. Who is ‘madam’ in the above
lines?
b. In which situation does Lomov call
himself a ‘landgrabber’?
c. What had happened to the
speaker?
d. What will he not allow?
Answer: a. Natalya is the ‘madam’
in the above lines.
b. Natalya accuses Lomov of
grabbing Oxen Meadows. So Lomov
says that he is not a landgrabber.
c. The speaker got infuriated with
Natalya for having called him a
landgrabber.
d. He will not allow anybody to
accuse him of having grabbed
anyone’s land.
Question 7: Oxen meadows, its
true, was once the subject of
dispute, but now everybody knows
that they are mine. There’s nothing
to argue about. You see my aunt’s
grandmother gave the free use of
these Meadows in perpetuity to the
peasants of your father’s
grandfather, in return for which they
were to make bricks for her.
a. Who is the speaker of these lines?
b. Who is he speaking to?
c. What was the ‘subject of dispute’?
d. What did the peasants do for
them?
Answer:
a. Lomov is the speaker of these
lines.
b. He is speaking to Natalya.
c. The ownership of Oxen Meadows
was the subject of dispute.
d. The peasants worked for forty
years for them, making bricks.
Question 8: I can make you a
present of them myself, because
they are mine! Your behaviour, Ivan
Vassilevitch, is strange, to say the
least! Up to this we have always
thought of you as a good neighbour,
a friend; last year we lent you our
threshing-machine, although on that
account we had to put off our own
threshing till November, but you
behave to us as if we were gypsies.
Giving me my own land, indeed! No,
really, that’s not at all neighbourly.
In my opinion, it is even impudent if
you want to know.
a. Who is speaking to whom?
b. How had she helped her
neighbour?
c. What did the speaker do last year?
d. What happened after that?
Answer:
a. Natalya is speaking to Lomov.
b. She had helped her neighbour by
lending the threshing-machine.
c. She lent her threshing-machine to
her neighbour, Lomov.
d. They had to put off their own
threshing till November.
Question 9: Well, there! It’s you,
and papa said, “Go, there’s a
merchant come for his goods.”
a. Who is the speaker of the above
lines?
b. Why does the speaker’s father
mention the vision as ‘a merchant
come for his goods’?
c. Whom is the speaker talking to?
d. What did Natalya’s father say to
her?
Answer:
a. Natalya is the speaker of the
above lines.
b. Lomov had come to marry
Natalya. Chubukov considered
‘Lomov’ as ‘Merchant’ and ‘Natalya’
as ‘his goods’.
c. The speaker is talking to Lomov.
d. Natalya’s father said that there
was a merchant for his goods.
Question 10: You see my aunt’s
grandmother gave the free use of
these Meadows in perpetuity, to the
peasants of your father’s
grandfather, in return for which they
were to make bricks for her.
a. Who is the speaker of these lines?
b. What type of relationship has
been described in these lines?
c. Who is the speaker speaking to?
d. What did the peasants do?
Answer:
a. Lomov is the speaker of these
lines.
b. They had a cordial relationship as
they were neighbours.
c. The speaker is speaking to
Natalya.
d. The peasants made bricks for the
grandmother of Lomov’s aunt.
Self- Assessment Test
Short Answer Questions
1. Why was Stephen Chubukov not
happy to welcome Lomov in his
house?
2. What request did Lomov make to
Chubukov?
3. Why is Lomov anxious to marry
Natalya?
4. What was Lomov’s opinion about
Squeezer?
5. Justify the title of the play, ‘The
Proposal’.
Long Answer Questions
1. How does Lomov go to
Chubukov’s house? How does he
react when he tells him the real
purpose of his visit?
2. Give a character sketch of
Stephan Stepanovitch Chubukov.
3. Describe the controversy between
Lomov and Natalya about the Oxen
Meadows and their dogs.