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WRITER –ANTON CHEKOV, • Anton Pavlovich Chekhov was a Russian playwright and short-story writer who, is considered to be among the greatest writers of short fiction in history. His, career as a playwright produced four classics, and his best short stories are, held in high esteem by writers and critics., • Chekhov wrote about ordinary events and the relationships of people in small, towns and villages. He employed a variety of techniques, including pacing and, word choices that paint imagery, create his characters and reveal their, changing moods., • Greatest Works of Anton Chekhov: The Steppe, Ward No. 6, Uncle, Vanya, The Cherry Orchard, Three Sisters, On Trial, The Darling, The Bet,, Vanka, After the Theatre and many more (Unabridged): Plays, Short Stories,, Novel and A Biography.
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RUSSIANS CUSTOMS OF WEDDING CEREMONIES SIMILAR, AND DIFFERENT T0 INDIAN ONES, Similar, , Different, , Groom coming to bride’s house to fetch her, , No fights involving this, , Wedding procession, , No making posters, writings speeches, , Reception, , No registration in India, No city tour, , Ring ceremony, , No toasting ceremony, , Serving food, , No climbing over the stairs, , Fun elements, , No stealing of bride, , Honeymoon, , No organising contests
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• ‘The Proposal’ (originally titled ‘A Marriage Proposal’) is a one-act play, a farce, by, , the Russian short story writer and dramatist Anton Chekhov. It was written in, 1888–89. The play is about the tendency of wealthy families to seek ties with other, wealthy families, to increase their estates by encouraging marriages that make, good economic sense. Ivan Lomov, a long time wealthy neighbour of Stepan, Chubukov, also wealthy, comes to seek the hand of Chubukov’s twenty-five-yearold daughter, Natalya. All three are quarrelsome people, and they quarrel over, petty issues. The proposal is in danger of being forgotten amidst all this, quarrelling. But economic good sense ensures that the proposal is made, after all, — although the quarrelling perhaps continues!
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OVER VIEW OF THE PLAY, •, , The Proposal Introduction, • The Proposal is a one-act play that begins with a young man, Lomov presenting a, marriage proposal to his neighbour’s daughter. Before he could actually convey it to the, girl, they enter into an argument about Oxen Meadows. Chubukov, the lady’s father also, joins the heated discussion. After they end this, they enter into another argument about, their dogs and which one is better than the other. In the midst of all this, proposal gets, forgotten until Lomov falls off due to his palpitations and Chubukov instantly puts her, daughter’s hands in Lomov’s. Unfortunately, the quarrelling still continues., •
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• There are three characters in this play, they are; Ivan Vassilevitch Lomov, a, large and hearty, 35 year-old man, who is a neighbour of Chubukov and also, a very suspicious landowner. And then, Stepan Stepanovitch Chubukov, a 70, year-old man, who is a landowner, too. And the last is Natalya Stepanovna, a, 25 year-old woman, who is a daughter of Chubukov. Chekov tried to satire, the Russian social life through this play. This play seems to satire the, marriage inside the courtship that get married because of their property, possesion and superiority rather than for love. However, Chekhov had, displayed it successfully in a ridiculous romantic scene.
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FLOW OF THE PLAY
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• The curtain rises with Lomov entering his neighbour Chubukov’s house, fully dressed up in his evening attire. Chubukov is surprised to see him, well-dressed and asks him the occasion. Lomov reveals that he had, come to make a request. Chubukov anticipates that he must have come, to ask for money which he doesn’t intend on giving. On being revealed, that Lomov had come to ask for Chubulov’s daughter, Natalya’s hand in, marriage, Chubukov gets filled with excitement and leaves to call, Natalya.
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• Lomov is a 35 year- old gentleman who suffers from palpitations, gets, upset very easily and doesn’t sleep well. He thinks it is the best age for, him to get married and he is happy that he has his mind made-up about, Natalya. According to him, Natalya is average-looking and a good, housekeeper. When Natalya arrives, Lomov begins the conversation, about how grateful and glad he is that both their families are on good, terms since the very beginning. While continuing to talk about his land,, he somehow mentions about Oxen Meadows which earlier was a, disputed property but is now his. Natalya couldn’t believe a word he was, saying because she believes that Oxen Meadows belong to her family.
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VOCABULARY – WORDS AND MEANINGS, Privilege, , Right, , Awfully, , Greatly, , Deserve, , To be worthy to have, , Interrupting, , Disturbing, , Embraces, , Hugs, , Consent, , Agreement, , Lovesick, , Sick with love, , Palpitation, , Beating of heart, , Twitch, , Pull with a jerk, , Lunatic, , Mad
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VOCABULARY – WORDS AND MEANINGS, Apron, , Outer clothes, , Negligee, , Loose clothes, , Splendid, , Excellent, , Stacked, , Stored, , Hay, , Stray, , Ball, , Dance party, , Inherited, , Received property as heir, , Wedged, , Sandwiched, , In-perpetuity, , In continuity, , Peasant, , Farmers
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VOCABULARY-WORDS AND MEANINGS, Dispute, , Clash, , Reckoned, , Thought, understood, , Dessiatins, , Currency, , Implore, , Request, , Make head and tail, , To understand, , Threshing-machine, , Machine separating grain and chaff, , Gypsies, , One who wanders from one place to, another, , Impudent, , Rude, disrespectful, , Carafe, , Water container, , Mowers, , Crop cutters
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CONTROVERSY OVER – OXEN MEADOWS WEDGED, BETWEEN BIRCH WOODS AND BURNT MARSH
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• Both of them enter into a heated discussion and act childishly when, Chubukov enters just to get the conversation more heated. They shout, and scream while Lomov suffers from extreme pounding of the heart, a, side pull and a numb foot. They throw Lomov out of the house and, continue cursing him. While speaking ill of him, Chubukov, unintentionally reveals that he had come with a marriage proposal for, Natalya which surprises Natalya and she immediately regrets sending, him out. She tells her father to bring him back immediately and, Chubukov curses himself on being a father of a grown-up daughter., When Lomov returns, Natalya tries to deviate to another topic and, starts talking about shooting.
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CLASH OVER DOGS
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VOCABULARY – WORDS AND MEANINGS, Restrain, , Resist, control, , Accustomed, , Habitual of, , Excruciating, , Painful, , Yelling, , Shouting, , Pettifogger, , Clever, crafty person, , Embezzlement, , Fraud, , Lunacy, , Madness, , Intriguer, , Planner, , Malicious, , Wicked, , Numb, , Senseless
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VOCABULARY-WORDS AND MEANINGS, Scarecrow, , Figure to resemble a man dressesd, in man’s cloth, , Impudence, , Arrogance, rude, , Blind hen, turnip-ghost, , An abuse, , Confounded cheek, , A confused state of mind, , Stuffed sausage, wizen face frump, , An abuse, , Wails, , Weeps, , Hysterics, , Tired, , Pedigree, , Race, descent, , Overshot, , Timid, run away, , Worn-out cab horse, , Weak carriage horse
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VOCABULARY-WORDS AND MEANINGS, Demon of contradiction, , Disagreement, , Intriguer, , The activity of plotting, , Whip, , cane with string, , Pup, , Small dog, , Partridge, , A derogatory word, , Mist, , Haze, , Champagne, , Costly liquor, , Bliss, , Happiness, , Guess (Lomov’s pet dog), , A breed of dog, , Squeezer (Natalya’s pet dog), , A breed of dog
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• Somehow they enter into an argument involving their dogs. Natalya feels that her, Squeezer is better than Lomov’s Guess. They continue arguing when Chubukov, enters the scene only to make the situation worse, once again. Everyone gets hyper, and Lomov finally falls due to his palpitations. Even then, the cursing continues when, suddenly Natalya notices that he is unconscious. They try to get water down his, throat but end up getting unsuccessful and declare him dead. It is only when Lomov, moves a little bit, they feed him some water and Chubukov forcefully hands over, Natalya’s hands to him, gives his blessings and asks them to kiss. Lomov, still not, fully conscious doesn’t understand what is going on. When he finally comes to his, senses, he expresses his excitement and kisses Natalya’s hands. Natalya, being, childish as she is, manipulates him into accepting that Squeezer is better than Guess, but Lomov, being adamant as he is, refuses to accept it. Thus, once again, the, quarrelling continues.
