The Proposal

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Okay, here is a summary of the chapter “The Proposal” based on the sources, followed by answers to the questions about it found in those sources, explained with ease and emojis! 😊

Summary of “The Proposal” 🎭

“The Proposal” is a short, one-act play by Anton Chekhov. It’s described as a farce. The story is about a marriage proposal between Ivan Lomov and Natalya Stepanovna.

The play focuses on wealthy families trying to connect with other wealthy families through marriage for economic reasons, to increase their property. Ivan Lomov, a rich neighbour, comes to the house of Stepan Chubukov, also wealthy. Lomov wants to ask for the hand of Chubukov’s daughter, Natalya, who is twenty-five years old.

Lomov is dressed formally for the occasion. Chubukov is extremely happy when Lomov finally manages to say he’s come to propose, as Chubukov had wanted this marriage for a long time.

However, the main problem is that Lomov, Natalya, and Chubukov are all very quarrelsome people. Almost immediately, they start arguing over small things. The first argument is about who owns a piece of land called Oxen Meadows, which neighbours both families’ properties. This argument gets very heated, with shouting and Lomov suffering from palpitations. Lomov is so upset he is driven out of the house, and Chubukov and Natalya call him many insults like “rascal,” “monster,” and “stuffed sausage”.

When Natalya finds out that Lomov had actually come to propose marriage, she becomes very upset and immediately wants him brought back. When Lomov returns, they quickly get into another argument, this time about which family’s dog is better – Lomov’s Guess or Natalya’s Squeezer.

Despite all the quarrelling, Chubukov pushes for the marriage to happen. He puts Lomov’s hand into Natalya’s, gives his blessing, and they kiss. Even right after getting engaged, they immediately start arguing about the dogs again. The play ends with them still quarrelling, showing that their difficult personalities will likely continue to clash.

The play uses the conflict between the characters’ quick tempers and the economic reasons behind the proposed marriage for comedic effect.

Answering Questions from the Sources 🤔❓

The questions you specifically listed in your query relate to the chapter “The Sermon at Benares,” which we discussed previously. The sources provided for this turn contain questions that are directly related to “The Proposal.” I will answer those questions below, drawing only from the provided text.

Here are the questions about “The Proposal” found in the sources and their answers:

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.
- Chubukov at first does not know why Lomov is formally dressed and visiting. When Lomov is having trouble getting to the point, Chubukov urges him to “Spit it out!”, suggesting he’s unsure of the purpose. The text doesn’t explicitly state Chubukov’s initial suspicion, but his strong reaction of joy and relief upon hearing it’s a proposal implies he might have feared it was a request for money or something unwelcome.
- Based on the text, it is difficult to say Chubukov is entirely sincere when he says “And I’ve always loved you, my angel, as if you were my own son”. While he expresses overwhelming joy at the prospect of the marriage, calling it his “continual desire” and something he’s “been hoping for… for a long time”, this happiness seems largely tied to the economic advantages of joining the wealthy families. When Lomov leaves after the first quarrel, Chubukov is extremely angry and uses very harsh insults against him, calling him a “rascal,” “villain,” “scarecrow,” “monster,” “stuffed sausage,” and “wizen-faced frump”. This sudden shift from loving terms to bitter insults suggests his earlier affection was perhaps superficial and driven by the desired outcome of the proposal, rather than genuine personal fondness for Lomov.
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.
- Based on the provided text, it is difficult to agree that Natalya is “in love” like a “lovesick cat” as Chubukov claims. When she learns Lomov came to propose, she is indeed distressed and immediately demands that he be brought back. However, upon his return, she quickly resumes arguing fiercely with him, first about the land and then about their dogs. Her focus is consistently on winning these petty arguments rather than expressing affection or reconciliation. The play emphasises the economic motivations behind the marriage, and Natalya’s behaviour suggests her desire for the proposal (perhaps due to her age or societal expectations) is stronger than any deep romantic feeling for Lomov.
(i) Find all the words and expressions in the play that the characters use to speak about each other, and the accusations and insults they hurl at each other.
- Here are some examples from the provided text:
  - Chubukov calling Lomov: “My dear fellow”, “my darling”, “angel”, “my own son”, “rascal”, “villain”, “scarecrow”, “monster”, “blind hen”, “turnip-ghost”, “confounded cheek”, “stuffed sausage”, “wizen-faced frump”, “unhappy man that I am!” (referring to himself because of her hysteria, but tied to Lomov), “pettifogger”.
  - Natalya calling Lomov: “gentleman”, “rascal”, “monster”, “silly Guess”, “demon of contradiction”.
  - Lomov calling Natalya: “honoured Natalya Stepanovna”. (ii) Then think of five adjectives or adjectival expressions of your own to describe each character in the play.
- My instructions prevent me from providing information or interpretations that are not directly from the provided sources. Therefore, I cannot suggest adjectives of my own to describe the characters. (iii) Can you now imagine what these characters will quarrel about next?
- This question asks for speculation beyond the text. Based on their tendency to argue over possessions and status (land, dogs) and their quarrelsome natures, they might quarrel about almost anything in their future married life, such as household expenses, servants, furniture, visiting relatives, or even trivial matters like the weather or what to eat. However, this is not stated in the sources.