BHARATH VIDYA MANDIR SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL (CBSE)

CLASS X - ENGLISH – FIRST FLIGHT 11.

THE PROPOSAL - NOTES

I. Answer the following questions in 30-40 words:

1. What do you think would have been Chubukov’s reaction on hearing
the reason for which Lomov had come to his house?
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 was his own son.
2. What justification did Lomov give to Natalya and Chubukov to prove
that he is the rightful owner of Meadows?
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 meadows.
3. Lomov was a quarrelsome person. Justify.
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 Chubukovs. 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?
The story belongs to the Russian characters. So, through the dialogues of the
characters, we come to know a lot about Russian men. According to the story the
Russians are very particular about their dress and have particular dresses for a
special occasion. Secondly, they are hypocrites. They show off to be sweet but the
very next moment, they start fighting. They pretend to be good neighbours but
within their heart, they have so many grudges. They love to have dogs as a pet
and consider their pet better than the other one. All of them are stubborn, short-
tempered, quarrelsome and rigid.
5. Describe Lomov’s first meeting with Natalya.
Lomov goes to his neighbour Chubukov’s house to ask for the hand of his daughter
Natalya. He is in a fix how to make the marriage proposal. He talks in a round-
about manner. He makes a mention of his meadows which touch their birchwoods.
At this, a quarrel ensues between them over the ownership rights the meadows.
6. What kind of a man is Lomov?
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 the fits of
epilepsy.
7. Why does the proposal remain unmade during Lomov’s first visit?
The proposal remains unmade during Lomov’s first visit because Lomov is very
much nervous and excitable. He beats about the bush. When Natalya comes
Lomov begins to quarrel with her about a piece of land. He gets very much excited
and leaves the room, cursing and threatening the old man and his daughter,
Natalya. He forgets all about the proposal.
8. How does Chubukov join the quarrel between Natalya and Lomov?
Chubukov comes in and finds Natalya and Lomov quarrelling. When he finds that
they are quarrelling 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.
9. What is the cause of the second quarrel between Natalya and Lomov?
Lomov starts praising the qualities of the dog Guess. But Natalya says that her dog
Squeezer 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.
10. What is Chubukov’s guess about the purpose of Lomov’s visit?
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.
11. Why is Lomov anxious to marry Natalya?
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.
12. Why was Lomov brought back by Chubukov?
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.
II. Answer the following questions in about 120-150 words:
1. Neighbours must have a cordial relationship which Lomov and Natalya
do not have. Describe the fight between them.
Neighbours must have a cordial relationship which Lomov and Natalya do not
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 birchwoods. Natalya told Lomov that Oxen Meadows belonged to her
but Lomov claimed that the Oxen meadows are his. He tried to 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 Chubukovs misunderstood that the meadows belonged
to them. While
Chubukov insisted that yelling could not prove anything because everyone knows
that meadows belong to Chubukovs 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?
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 things to argue about
while marriage is going to take place. There should not be any ego in between
them. 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 then 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…)
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. Write a brief character sketch of Lomov.
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, he was desperate to have a life partner. 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 Lomov’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.
5. Describe how Chubukov got Natalya married with Lomov.
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 daughter 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.
6. Describe the incidents of humour in the play, ‘The Proposal’?
‘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 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 Lomov’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.
7. Draw a brief character-sketch of Natalya.
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 propose 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. Natalya becomes very happy. But she again starts quarrelling with him.
Thus, Natalya is an interesting character.

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