The Proposal by Anton Chekhov in Class 10 English Chapter 9, is a one-act drama consisting of humour and satire. This chapter describes a young man, Lomov, who visits the girl he wants to propose to for a marriage proposal. Remarkably, he finds himself arguing with the girl and her father about trivial things. It demonstrates how silly people can be and how much they care about land, property, and pride even when it involves serious situations like marriage proposals.
This chapter is taken from NCERT Class 10 English First Flight book and follows the latest NCERT syllabus. The chapter helps students better understand drama, character conversation, and themes such as society and human behaviour. Our NCERT solutions also have easy and simple answers that will help you improve revision, and write clear and exact answers.
The Proposal is an amusing and entertaining play that demonstrates how quarrelling can spoil special occasions. The NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Chapter 9 The Proposal (Play), provide an easy way to learn and revise. To download the free PDF of the solutions, click on the link below:
The play illustrates key lessons about life, utilizing humor and simple exchanges. Here are the main points:
Thinking About the Play
1. 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.
Ans. Chubukov at first suspects that Lomov has come for borrowing money from him. He was not sincere when he told Lomov that he had always loved him as his own son. He treats Lomov rudely, even harshly on small matters such as ownership of worthless Oxen Meadows or superiority of the dogs. He abused him, cursed him, called him doublefaced intriguer, villain, scarecrow, blind hen, turnip ghost and so on. He had decided that he would not give money to Lomov. If he truly meant what he said, then he would not have thought of not giving money to him.
2. 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.
Ans. I would agree that she is in love. She is a love-sick cat. The following reasons from the play support it. She is happy to see and receive Lomov. When Lomov goes away and Natalya learns that he came here to propose her, she asks her father to bring him back. When Lomov is unconscious, she hysterically repeats, “A doctor! A doctor! He’s dead.” This reflects her love for Lomov. OR Chubukov through that Lomov was a good marriage prospect for his daughter. He had been waiting for this proposal. When Lomov expressed his doubt regarding Natalya’s consent, Chubukov immediately told him that she was in love with him. However, this was not true. Natalya did not seem to be in love with him at any point in the play. It seemed like she was more attached to her land, meadows and dogs than to Lomov. In fact, the way they kept getting into arguments about trivial matters suggests that neither of them were in love with each other.
3.
(a) Find all the words and expressions in the play that the characters use to speak about each other, and the accusations and insults they hurt at each other. (For example, Lomov in the end calls Chubukov an intriguer; but earlier. Chubukov has himself called Lomov a “malicious, double-faced intriguer.” Again, Lomov begins by describing Natalya as “an excellent housekeeper, not bad looking, well-educated.”)
Ans.
(1) Lomov for Natalya – an excellent housekeeper, not bad-looking, well-educated.
(2) Natalya to Lomov – Impudent (giving as gift her own land), a rascal, Monster (first takes our land then has the impudence to abuse us), what sort of a hunter are you? You ought to go and lie on the kitchen oven and catch black beetles and not go after foxes; those hunters argue the most who know the least etc.
(3) Lomov to Chubukov-not a neighbour but a grabber, old rat, intriguer.
(4) Chubukov to Lomov-pettifogger, villain, scarecrow, blind hen, turnip ghost, stuffed sausage, malicious, double-faced intriguer, fool, sick, you’re under the slipper of your housekeeper etc.
(b) Then think of five adjectives or adjectival expressions of your own to describe each character in the play.
Ans.
(1) Lomov – Weak-hearted bachelor, nervous, short-tempered, quarrelsome, rigid.
(2) Natalya – Excellent housekeeper, good looking, well-educated, sharp tongued, short tempered, rigid, touchy and sensitive.
(3) Chubukov – Old, quarrelsome, uses funny abusive language (turnip ghost, stuffed sausage), concerned father.
(c) Can you now imagine what these characters will quarrel about next?
Ans. Now I can try to imagine that these characters will quarrel next about the quality of champagne.
(Session 2025 - 26)