Proposal

                                    The Proposal

Short Answer Type Questions [2 Marks each]

Question 1.
Which qualities are common in all three characters of the play ‘The Proposal’?
Answer:
All the characters in the play are argumentative, full of pride and possessiveness. They are always ready to argue for petty things.

Question 2.
How does Lomov come to Chubukov’s house? What for does he come? How is he received?[ CBSE 2012]
Answer:
Lomov came to Chubukov’s house in the evening dress with gloves on. He cames to propose to his daughter Natalya. He is received with all the respect by Chubukov.

Question 3.
How does Chubukov react when Lomov says that he has come to ask for the hand of his daughter?
Answer:
When Lomov says that he has come to ask for the hand of his daughter, Chubukov gets off balanced with joy. He embraces and kisses Lomov, sheds a tear of joy and calls for God’s blessing for Lomov and Natalya.

Question 4.
Why did Lomov want to get married?
Answer:
Lomov wanted to gel. married as he was already 35 years old. Moreover, he was suffering due to a weak heart and sleep- sickness and wanted company of someone to look after him.

Question 5.
What happens to Lomov when he is in an excited state?
Answer:
When Lomov is in an excited state his heart beat increases, lips tremble and there is a twitch in his right eyebrow. When he goes to sleep in such a state something pulls him from his left side and he jumps like a lunatic

Question 6.
How does Natalya excite Lomov to the point of verbal fighting?
Answer:
Natalya repeatedly insisted that Oxen Meadows are theirs and told Lomov that upto now she considered Lomov as a good neighbour and friend. This excited Lomov to the point of verbal fighting.

Question 7.
How does Lomov react when Chubukov says that he is not used to misbehaviour by a young man like Lomov?
Answer:
Lomov reacts by saying that Chubukov thinks that he is a fool. He says that he cannot talk to him calmly and politely as he is making a false claim to his property. He further accuses Chubukov of being a grabber.

Question 8.
Why does Natalya ask her father Chubukov to fetch Lomov in at once? Why does she accuse her father?
Answer:
Natalya asked her father to fetch Lomov at once as she
had come to know that Lomov had come to propose her. She accused Chubukov of driving Lomov out of their home.

Question 9.
How does Natalya react when she comes to know that Lomov had come to propose? CBSE2014
Answer:
When Natalya cames to know that Lomov had come there to propose her she was shocked. She wails, changes her stance and asks her father to fetch Lomov.

Long Answer (Value Based) Type Questions [8 Marks each]

Question 1.
The principle ‘forgive and forget’, helps a lot in maintaining cordial relations with our neighbors. Do you think Anton Chekov conveys this message in the play ‘The Proposal’ ?
Answer:
Anton Chekov does convey the message that the principle of ‘forgive and forget’ helps a lot in -maintaining cordial relationship with one’s neighbours. Initially, the neighbours in the play, Lomov, Natalya and Chubukov were fighting over petty issues. They were putting important issues behind them and wasting their time by arguing over small things. These arguments slowly developed into fights and they started hurling abuses at one another. This damaged their relationship with each other.
It was when Natalya came to know that Lomov had come to propose her that she left the topic of argument (Oxen Meadows) behind. She also asked for forgiveness from Lomov and requested him to come to the point. Hence it is mandatory to ‘forgive and forget’ if one wants to have cordial relationship with others.

Question 2.
The characters Natalya and Lomov lose their temper on trivial issues. It shows their poor skills at anger management. Suggest some ways that help you in maintaining cordial relationship with people around you.
Answer:
The way in which Lomov and Natalya lost their temper shows that how anger can easily effect a relationship. Thus, it becomes very important to have good anger management skills. Following are a few anger management skills that can be followed in one’s life. These would also help in building healthy relationships.

1. Always follow the principle of ‘forgive and forget.’
2. Try to understand the person to whom you are talking.
3. Be helpful rather than being self-centric.
4. Always have empathy towards others.
5. irst listen and then speak.
6. Be as courteous as possible to everyone.
7. Don’t have the habit of always complaining about others.

Question 3.
Based on your understanding of the Play ‘The Proposal’ how do you think good relationships can be maintained? Why in today’s time we see so many people going away from each other?
Answer:
The play ‘The Proposal’ teaches us how anger and
arguments can easily ruin a relationship. Thus to maintain a good relationship, it is important to have a control over your anger. Having arguments over unimportant or small issues is extremely harmful and a waste of time. If someone commits a mistake, one should be ready to forgive and forget rather than being angry and arguing with the person endlessly. In today’s time people try to find only the positives in others and do not easily accept their negatives. Hence is becoming extremely difficult to maintain a good and cordial relationship with others.

Question 4.
It is a common observance that more attention is paid to unimportant issues at the cost of important ones. The play ‘The Proposal’ beautifully portrays this fact. Suggest some steps how we can avoid this unhealthy practice.
Answer:
It is true to an extent that people usually give more importance to the unimportant issues forgetting their priorities. Just like how Lomov came to propose Natalya but due to their argument that matter was left unaddressed. Thus, it becomes very important to set your priorities in life. One must ignore the unimportant issues. It is a waste of time to have discussions over them. One ’ should not pay too much attention on the trivialities. This energy can be saved on spending it over some useful and important issues that gives a fruitful result.

Question 5.
Neighbours must have a cordial relationship which Lomov and Natalya do not have. Describe the first fight between them.    [CBSE 2015]
Answer:
Lomov and Natalya meet and rather than proposing her he gets off the point. He tells her how he inherited his land and how he respects her father. He also tells Natalya that his Oxen meadows touch Natalya’s Birchwood. On hearing this, Natalya says that Oxen Meadows are theirs. They start arguing about it. Lomov clarifies that he is talking about the Oxen Meadows that are between her Birchwoods and Burnt marsh. Natalya again insists that they are theirs.
Lomov refuses it. He tells her that his aunt’s grandmother gave those meadows to her father’s grand father. The peasants used the land for forty years and started regarding it as their own. Natalya’s father comes and also starts quarreling with Lomov. They get into a heated argument and resort to name-calling. After some time, Lomov leaves their house.