‘The Proposal’ by Anton Chekhov – Questions and Answers(L.A.Q.), Class 12, WBCHSE

1)Why are you formal in your get up.” – Who is the speaker? Who is being spoken to? What leads the speaker to make this comment? [1+1+4 = 6]     [H.S. = 2019 & 2022 ]

Ans. In Anton Chekhov’s ‘The Proposal’, Chubukov, a landowner is the speaker.

Lomov, a neighbour of Chubukov, is being spoken to.

Chubukov was surprised at Lomov’s attire. He wore a dress jacket, gloves and so on as if he was going to celebrate a party. Lomov was a neighbour of Chubukov. Generally, a neighbour does not visit another neighbour’s house in such gorgeous clothes without any occasion. That was why Chubukok uttered these words with great amazement.

2) “I have been hoping for it for a long time.” – Who is the speaker? What does ‘it’ refer to? How did the speaker come to know about it? What more did the speaker say in this context? [1+1+1+3 = 6]  [H.S. = 2020]

Ans. Chubukov is the speaker in Anton Chekhov’s play ‘The Proposal’.

‘It’ refers to the marriage proposal of Lomov to Natalya Stepanovna, daughter of Chubukov.

The speaker Chubukov came to know about it when Lomov in his formal get up informed that he had come to ask the hand of his daughter in marriage.

Hearing the marriage proposal from Lomov, Chubukov became extremely glad. He told Lomov that he always loved him like his own son. He prayed to God to give his favour and love and prosper them. He was so overjoyed that he behaved in an idiotic way and felt almost imbalance. At last, he went to call his daughter to inform the good news.

3) “She is like a love-sick cat.” – Who said this about whom? Analyse the character of the person, referred to here, under the light of the comment above. [1+1+4 = 6]   [H.S. = 2017]

Ans. Chubukov said this about his daughter, Natalya.

Natalya was very eager to get married to Lomov. His father was right in his comment. After the quarrel, when Natalya came to know that Lomov had come to propose to her in marriage, she felt ill. She fell into an easy chair and started lamenting over the lost chance of marriage. She begged her father to bring him back. This extreme desperation of marriage to Lomov shows her love-sickness.

4)Why did Lomov think about taking a decision about getting married? Whom did he want to marry? Why?  [3+1+2 = 6] [H.S. = 2016]

                                                                 OR.

“And it’s impossible for me not to marry.” – Why is the speaker so interested to marry? Whom does he want to marry and why? [3+1+2 = 6] [H.S. = 2020]

Ans. Lomov thought about making a decision about getting married. There were some reasons. He was already 35 years old. According to him, it was a critical age for marriage. He wanted to lead a quiet and regular life. He had several nervous disorders. So, without wasting any time looking for ideal or real love, he decided to get married.

Lomov wanted to marry Natalya Stepanovna, the daughter of Chubukov.

Natalya Stepanovna was an excellent housekeeper. She was good-looking and well-educated. Lomov was quite satisfied with the qualities in Natalya.

5) Lomov came with a proposal to marry Natalya Stepanovna. What logic does he give for his decision?[6]   [H.S. = 2019]

Ans. As same as the answer to Question No. 4.

6) “Go there is a merchant come for his goods.” – Who said this and to whom? Who is the merchant? What is referred to as goods? In what way does it bring out the attitude of the person and the society at the time?  [2+1+1+2 = 6] [H.S. = 2018]

Ans. Chubukov said this to his daughter, Natalya in Anton Chekhov’s play ‘The Proposal’.

The person referred to here as a merchant is Lomov.

Natalya is referred to here as ‘goods’.

By these words, we can assume a business-like mentality of the speaker and the humiliating attitude of contemporary society towards women. Chubukov considers that marriage is a business deal. Grooms are like the merchants and the brides are treated as their goods. It reflects a male-dominated society where marriageable daughters are considered an economic liability and burden to their fathers.

7) “We have had the land for nearly three hundred years.” – Who is the speaker? Who is spoken to? What is referred to as ‘the land’? What do you know of the land from their conversation? [1+1+1+3 = 6] [H.S. = 2018 & 2022 ]

Ans. The speaker is Natalya Stepanovna in Anton Chekhov’s play ‘The Proposal’.

The person spoken to is Lomov.

The land referred to here is ‘Oxen Meadows’.

From their conversation, we came to know that Oxen Meadows had been a subject of dispute between the Lomovs and the Chobukovs for years. The Oxen Meadows were wedged between birch woods and Burnt March. They were five dissenting in size and worthed 300 roubles. Both Natalya and Lomov claimed their ownership of the land. According to Lomov, he inherited the land from his late aunt and her husband. But Natalya claimed that her grandfather and great-grandfather had extended the land up to Burnt March.

8) “If you like, I’ll make you a present of them.” – Who is the speaker? Who is the person spoken to? What would the speaker make a present of? Why did the speaker say so? [1+1+1+3 = 6] [H.S. = 2017]

Ans. The speaker is Vassilevitch Lomov in Anton Chekhov’s play ‘The Proposal’.

The person spoken to here is Natalya Stepanovna.

The speaker Lomov would make a present of the land Oxen Meadows

During the time of argument regarding the possession over the land Oxen Meadows, Lomov made this comment. Natalya told Lomov that she did not want anything from him and she did not want to give up anything of her. In response to Natalya’s remark, Lomov said that he would act on principle. The value of the property meant nothing to him. That was why he offered her the land as a present.

9) “Bring him back! Back! Ah! Bring him here.” – Who says this and to whom? When is this said? What impression of the speaker can be formed from this comment? [1+1+2+2 = 6] [H.S. = 2020]

Ans. Natalya Stepanovna says this to his father, Chubukov in the play ‘The Proposal’.

When Lomov was expelled from the house after the heated argument, Chubukov informed Natalya that Lomov had come to propose to her in marriage. On this occasion, Natalya says these words.

By this remark, we can form an impression that Natalya is desperate to accept the marriage proposal of Lomov. She is 25 now and still unmarried. She was very much disappointed with the missing chance of marriage. This expression also shows her passion for Lomov.

10)Forgive us, Ivan Vassilevitch, we were all a little heated.” – Who is the Speaker? Who are referred to by us? Why were the persons referred to ‘a little heated’? Why does the speaker ask for forgiveness? [1+1+2+2 = 6] [H.S. =2016]

Ans. Natalya Stapanovna is the speaker in Anton Chekhov’s play ‘The Proposal’.

Natalya and her father Chubukov are referred to here by us.

They were in ‘a little heated’ because when Lomov had come to propose Natalya, they had a wild argument with Lomov over the disputed land Oxen Meadows.

When Natalya came to know from her father that Lomov had actually come to propose to her in marriage, she regretted her rude behaviour and asked him for forgiveness.

11) “I am the most unhappy of men.” – Who said this? Why did he say so? How did the speaker get rid of his unhappiness? [1+3+2 = 6] [H.S. = 2019 & 2022 ]

Ans. Chubukov said this in Anton Chekhov’s play ‘The Proposal’.

For the second time, Natalya entangled herself in the argument over the pet dogs with Lomov.  Lomov felt highly physical and mental infirmity and fainted. Natalya thought that he was dead. She imposed the liability on her father Chubukov as he also took part in the quarrel and continually abused Lomov. That was why infuriated with the situation, the poor father made this remark.

When Lomov got his sense back, Chubukov instantly put Lomov’s hand into his daughter’s hand and asked them to get married. In this way, he got rid of his unhappiness.

12) Give a brief sketch of the character of Lomov in the play ‘The Proposal’. [6] [H.S. = 2018 & 2022 ]

Ans. Ivan Vassilevitch Lomov is an unmarried landowner and a neighbour of Chubukov. He had a number of nervous disorders and he was always depressed with the illnesses. He is already 35 – a critical age. He managed his mind to get married to Natalya as he considered that she was an excellent housekeeper, not bad looking and well educated. He had a practical observation of life. He came with the marriage proposal but did not express it to Natalya and occasionally involved himself in the quarrels. We see an argumentative and abusive nature of Lomov during the quarrels. However, unable to control his mental agitation, he fainted. Finally, he agreed to get married by the intervention of Chubukov.

13)Describe the character of Chubukov as a sensible father. [6] [H.S. = 2016]

Ans. Stepan Stepanovitch Chubukov is a sensible father. He is a neighbour of Lomov. He knows everything about Lomov’s property and social status. When he came to know that Lomov had come to propose to her daughter, he was extremely elated. As a sensible father, he addressed his son-in-law with the words like ‘my precious and ‘my angel’ and so on. Sometimes it seems that he acted in an apparently insensible way when he was involved in quarrels with Lomov. But on the other hand, he supported his daughter as a sensible father. When Lomov was expelled, he controlled his mental agitation and fetched Lomov to secure his daughter’s future. At the end, when Lomov got his sense back, Chubukov could not wait any longer and put Lomov’s hand into her daughter’s.

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