Key Points of the Story
- The play takes place in Stepan Chubukov’s drawing-room.
- Main characters include Stepan Chubukov, his daughter Natalya Stepanovna, and their neighbour Ivan Vassilevitch Lomov.
- Ivan Lomov comes to Chubukov’s home to ask for Natalya’s hand in marriage.
- Chubukov is shocked and very happy, showing his excitement in an exaggerated way.
- Both families are wealthy landowners, which plays a role in the marriage proposal.
- Natalya, unaware of the proposal, talks about land with Lomov.
- They argue about who owns Oxen Meadows, each claiming it belongs to them.
- They also argue over which dog is superior, Squeezer or Guess.
- All three characters are argumentative, bickering over trivial matters.
- The argument escalates, causing Lomov to feel palpitations.
- Chubukov happily confirms Lomov’s proposal to Natalya, who seems unaware amidst the dispute.
- Even after the proposal, the arguments persist, highlighting their pettiness.
Try yourself:
What do Natalya and Lomov argue about?
- A.Oxen Meadows
- B.Money
- C.Weather
- D.Food
View Solution
Detailed Summary
The chapter, The Proposal, is a comedy-drama that is based on the tendency of two wealthy families who seek ties with each other to increase their estates by encouraging marriage that would improve their wealth. The play began with Ivan Lomov, who visited Stephan Chubukov, a wealthy neighbour of Lomov. Lomov was a wealthy person himself who was dressed neatly and had come to seek Chubukov’s twenty-five-year-old daughter, Natalya Stepanovna’s hand in marriage. Initially, Chubukov was curious about Lomov’s sudden visit and assumed that the young man had come to ask for money which he might not return.
Lomov was a thirty-five-year-old gentleman who suffered from severe heart-throbbing and became upset easily. He thought that Natalya was an excellent housekeeper, a well-educated and average-looking woman who would be an ideal partner to marry. However, when Chubukov heard about the proposal, he was glad and embraced Lomov. He immediately rushed inside to call his daughter, Natalya.
When Natalya arrived, Lomov began the conversation about how both families share a cordial relationship. As he spoke about his land Oxen Meadows, which was a disputed property, Natalya objected that the land belonged to her family. Lomov yelled back, stating that the land belonged to him. Both of them had a heated argument on this topic until Lomov had a sudden palpitation attack with numbness in his feet. In no time, Natalya’s father, Chubukov, arrived, and the father-daughter duo started abusing Lomov. Feeling insulted, Lomov rushed out of the house. As Chubukov continued to defame the young man, he accidentally mentioned Natalya about Lomov’s marriage proposal. Hearing this, Natalya immediately regretted insulting Lomov and asked her father to bring him back.
Chubukov rushed out of the house immediately to call Lomov. When the young man returned, Natalya started a conversation about their dogs. In no time, a second round of debate ensued between her and Lomov, where she mentioned that her dog Squeezer was better than Lomov’s Guess. Soon, Chubukov entered the scene, and the argument worsened. All three people began quarrelling, and soon Lomov fainted with another attack of palpitation.
Seeing this, Natalya asked her father to wake up Lomov as she expressed her desire that she like him too. Suddenly when Lomov made a movement, they offered him some water to drink, and Chubukov put Natalya’s hand over his hand. They agreed to marry, but the quarrel persisted as Natalya said that Squeezer was better than Guess. However, Lomov was adamant and refused to accept that his dog, Guess, was worse than Squeezer, Natalya’s dog. The curtain went down as the verbal fight continued among the characters.
Try yourself:
What is the main reason for the argument between Lomov and Natalya in the play “The Proposal”?
- A.The ownership of Oxen Meadows.
- B.The color of their dogs.
- C.The weather on that day.
- D.The price of the neighboring land.
View Solution
Theme
The play highlights how anger and argument can spoil a relationship. It also shows the fate of such marriages which are done with the purpose of cheating the spouse. The kind of matrimonial alliances entered into by the wealthy people whose main purpose is to amass riches has been depicted.
Message
The proposal goes through despite the arguments, showing that economic sense often prevails over personal disputes. The continuous quarrels even after the proposal suggest that human nature is prone to foolishness and petty conflicts.
Glossary
- Farce: A comic dramatic work using buffoonery and horseplay.
- Quarrelsome: Inclined to argue or disagree.
- Perpetuity: The state of lasting forever.
- Haberdashery: A store selling men’s clothing and accessories.
- Salutation: A gesture or utterance made as a greeting.
- Palpitations: Rapid, strong, or irregular heartbeat.
- Neglige: Casual or informal clothing.
- Dessiatins: An old Russian unit of land measurement.
- Impudent: Not showing due respect for another person.
- Pettifogger: A lawyer who deals with petty cases or employs dubious practices.
- Embezzlement: Theft or misappropriation of funds.
- Lunacy: Insanity or madness.
- Guzzling: Eating or drinking greedily.
- Intriguer: A person who schemes or plots.
- Malicious: Intending to do harm.