Updated on 09/06/2026
*Ch.-9. The Proposal (Anton Chekhov)*
*1. Who is the writer of ‘The Proposal’?*
Ans. Anton Chekhov
*2. Who is Lomov?*
Ans. A young landowner
*3. How old was Lomov?*
Ans. Thirty five years old
*4. How old was Natalya?*
Ans. Twenty five years old
*5. Which disease does Lomov suffer from?*
Ans. From palpitations
*6. What is the worth of the Oxen Meadows?*
Ans. Three hundred roubles
*7. Who was Guess?*
Ans. Lomov’s pet dog
*8. Who was Squeezer?*
Ans. Natalya’s pet dog
*9. How much money did Lomov pay for Guess?*
Ans. 125 roubles
*10. How much money did Natalya’s father pay for Squeezer?*
Ans. 85 roubles
*11. Who runs out of the house to fetch Lomov back?*
Ans. Chubukov
*12. Who says, ‘I’m dying! Fetch him!’?*
Ans. Natalya
*13. Who was suffering from heart trouble?*
Ans. Both Lomov and Chubukov
*14. Did Natalya and Lomov get married in the end?*
Ans. Yes
Textual Questions
*1. Why does Lomov go to Chubukov’s house? How is he treated?*
Ans. Lomov comes to Chubukov's house to ask for his daughter, Natalya's hand in marriage. Being surprised at his sudden and unexpected visit, Chubukov pretends to be very polite to him as he thinks Lomov has come to borrow money from him.
*2. Write a note on the title of the play ‘The Proposal’.*
Ans. The title of the play is 'The proposal' and it is a very apt one because the whole play is about Lomov proposing Natalya. Right from the beginning to the end of the play, the story revolves around a marriage proposal. Lomov comes to Natalya's house to propose to her but even before he does it, they both start fighting.
*3. Why does Chubukov suspect Lomov when he comes to his house?*
Ans. At first, Chubukov suspected that Lomov had come to him to borrow money because he was in his evening dress. He was not sincere when he told Lomov that he had always loved him and he was like his own son as he had decided not to give any money to Lomov.
*4. How is the proposal finally made or not made?*
Ans. As Natalya doesn't know that he has come to propose to her, she thinks that he has come to claim oxen meadows as his own, she starts quarrelling. This results in one after another quarrel. Then the proposal is made and accepted. Finally, they get engaged.
*5. Why is Lomov anxious to marry Natalya?*
Ans. He was anxious to get married as he had already reached a critical age. So he decided to propose to a girl in the neighbourhood. Her name was Natalya, a girl of twenty-five years old. Lomov thought that she was a good housekeeper and was not bad looking.
*6. Why is Natalya so anxious to marry Lomov?*
Ans. Natalya was anxious to marry Lomov because she had already passed the age to get married and now no one would marry her so when she got to know that Lomov had come to propose her, she told Chubukov to bring him back.
*7. Describe Lomov’s first meeting/quarrel with Natalya.*
Ans. The first quarrel they were involved in was about who possessed oxen meadows. Both said that they were theirs and Natalya called his father to prove it, and then Lomov said he should show the papers.
*8. What is the cause of the second quarrel between Lomov and Natalya?*
Ans. The second issue of dispute between Natalya and Lomov in 'The Proposal ' is over their dogs. According to Lomov, his dog Guess is superior to Natalya's dog Squeezer. But, Natalya claims that Squeezer is definitely the better of the two.
Long Answer
*1. Give a brief character sketch of Natalya/ Lomov/ Chubukov.*
Ans. Natalaya was a young unmarried girl of twenty five years. She lived in the neighbourhood of Lomov, a young unmarried man. She was an excellent housekeeper and was not bad looking. She was thirsting for love. Her father called her a lovesick cat. Lomov said that she was well educated, but she did not seem to be so. She was very quarrelsome and abusive by nature. She began a bitter quarrel with Lomov over a piece of land that had little value. She said that those meadows were not worth much to her but she could not stand unfairness. But when she learnt that Lomov had come to propose to her, she forgot all fairness and unfairness. She began to wail over the lost chance .She forced her father to call him back. But in no time, she started quarrelling with him again. It was on their dogs. Both claimed their respective dogs to be of a superior breed.
*2. Bring out the humorous elements in the one act play, ‘The Proposal’.*
Ans. The Proposal' written by Anton Chekhov, makes fun of the upper-middle-class society, the custom of courtship and marriage where there is no place for love and trust. In this play, Lomov declares that he must marry without thinking about love because his search for real and ideal love is bound to remain fruitless. ‘The Proposal' is a great comedy. It is because of the characters and subject matter and how they behave. Natalya, Lomov and Chubukov fight over foolish things. All these create a lot of laughter. 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.