Explore the 60-Second Visual Storyline Roadmap, character dynamics, and 12-Year CBSE Solved Question Bank (2015–2026).
Download free, complete, and authentic NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 9: The Proposal by Anton Chekhov. Below are thorough answers for every exercise in the drama, alongside authentic CBSE Board Examination questions and marking rubrics from 2015 to 2026.
1. The Proposal — Anton Chekhov (Textbook Solutions)
Thinking about the Play
Q1. What does Chubukov at first suspect Lomov has come for? Is he sincere when he hugs and kisses him?
Answer:
When Lomov enters dressed in formal evening clothes, Chubukov immediately suspects that he has come to borrow money (“He’s come to borrow money! Shan’t give him any!”). His lavish hugs, kisses, and theatrical endearments (“my angel”, “my precious”, “my beauty”) once Lomov announces his proposal reveal blatant social insincerity. Chubukov cares primarily about concluding a prestigious landed alliance between neighbouring estates, shifting smoothly from suspicious hostility to fawning affection.
Q2. Why does Lomov decide that he must marry? Why does he select Natalya Stepanovna?
Answer:
Lomov decides to marry for practical, calculated reasons rather than romantic passion:
- He is already thirty-five years old, which he describes as a “critical age” to settle down.
- He suffers from severe hypochondria, heart palpitations, insomnia, and nervous twitches, craving a regular, quiet domestic life.
- Natalya is an educated homemaker of respectable landed pedigree, not bad looking, and her property directly borders his, consolidating their estates.
Q3. Describe the two absurd quarrels between Lomov, Natalya, and Chubukov.
Answer:
Chekhov masterfully builds the farce upon two trivial disputes:
- The Oxen Meadows Quarrel: Before Lomov can propose, the conversation turns to land. Lomov claims the Oxen Meadows wedged between his birchwoods and the Burnt Marsh belong to him, having been leased temporarily by his aunt’s grandmother to Chubukov’s peasants. Natalya stubbornly insists they belong to the Chubukovs. The argument degenerates into furious screaming, legal threats, and mutual insults before Lomov is thrown out.
- The Hunting Dogs Quarrel: When Lomov is dragged back after Natalya discovers the marriage proposal, they immediately restart arguing over their hunting hounds. Lomov praises his dog Guess (bought for 125 roubles), while Natalya swears her dog Squeezer (bought for 85 roubles) is far superior. The quarrel escalates until Lomov collapses unconscious from nervous exhaustion.
2. CBSE Solved Board Questions (2015–2026)
Q. How does Anton Chekhov expose the mercenary nature of marriage among Russian landed aristocrats?
Answer: Chekhov portrays marriage not as an emotional union of hearts, but as an economic transaction aimed at merging adjacent estates. Lomov seeks a quiet domestic caretaker to manage his hypochondria, while Natalya and her father prioritize property boundaries, ending in an absurd truce toast even as their mutual screaming persists.
Q. “Pride and pettiness can destroy the most important moments of human life.” Elaborate this statement with reference to the characters in ‘The Proposal’.
Answer: In The Proposal, every character is so puffed up with petty vanity, stubborn pride, and territorial greed that they completely derail a life-altering proposal twice. Lomov arrives in formal evening attire to propose, yet at the mention of the worthless Oxen Meadows, his proprietary pride overtakes reason. Natalya, equally obstinate, screams hysterically rather than conceding a few acres. Chubukov, instead of arbitrating as a mature father, joins the fracas hurling venomous insults. When Lomov faints and revives, Chubukov hastily shoves their hands together to force the engagement through, only for the couple to instantly resume arguing over dogs. Chekhov brilliantly satirizes how petty ego blinds humans to their own best interests.