THE PROPOSAL –ANTON CHEKHOV
DA TYPE QUESTION:-
01. Sketch the character of Lomov. (Lomov এর চরিত্রটির মূল্যায়ন কর ।)
Ans. In Anton Chekhov’s “The proposal” Lomov is an interesting character. He is simple, neither rounded nor layered. He wants to marry Natalya, Chubukov’s daughter. He refers to his possession of the Oxen Meadows to impress Natalya. When Natalya opposes him, he becomes excited. Then they both starts spoiling each other’s social reputation. However when Chubukov takes sides with Natalya, he finds himself alone and leaves Chubukov’s house. Eventually, he forgets his purpose to come there. Though again he comes, yet starts making arguments. He is an ideal representative of the society. Thus Lomov shows elasticity for personal interest.
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02. Sketch the character of Natalya. (Natalya এর চরিত্রটির মূল্যায়ন/ বর্ণনা কর ।)
Ans. In Anton Chekhov’s “The proposal” Natalya is an interesting character. She has an unexpressed liking for Lomov. So she becomes glad to see him and praises his smart appearance. She wants to get everything she desires. So when Lomov speaks of his possession of the Oxen Meadows, she quarrels with him. However when she finds that Lomov has become unconscious, she starts crying loudly. She becomes cool when she discovers that Lomov is alive. Expectedly she accepts Lomov’s proposal and they become engaged. However very soon she begins to quarrel with Lomov because it is her original self. Thus, Natalya is too hopelessly materialistic and ready to compromise.
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03. Sketch the character of Chubukov. (Chubukov এর চরিত্রটির বর্ণনা কর।)
Ans. In Anton Chekhov’s “The Proposal,” Chubukov is an interesting character. As a father he is business like. So he tries his best to get Natalya married off to Lomov. Naturally he flatters Lomov at the utmost. However when Lomov claims the meadows, he becomes angry and opposes him. Being insulted Lomov leaves his house. However at the pleading of Natalya he has to call Lomov back putting his prestige aside. So quite wisely he decides not to interfere in the conversation of Lomov and Natalya anymore. Then finding that Lomov has become unconciouse, he has to intervene. So, when Lomov regains consciousness, he spares no time to make an engagement between the two. Thus, Chubukov is also an opportunist.
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04. Write the significance of the title “The proposal,” (The Proposal নাটকের শিরনামের গুরুত্ত লেখ।)
Ans. “The Proposal” by Anton Chekhov is a thorough fun. The storyline centres on Lomov’s marriage proposal to Chubukov’s daughter Natalya. However, instead of taking the expected way, the drama takes a turn. The couple soon gets engaged in a quarrel over a land property. The marriage proposal gets into the debate. Hardly the first debate is over another one starts on their dogs. Meanwhile Lomov faints and loses his sense. Natalya behaves then hysterically. But when Lomov recovers his sense, Chubukov quickly ensures his daughter’s engagement to him. “The proposal” is a pure fun. But it is also a commentary on erstwhile Russian society. Thus the title “The proposal “is just and appropriate.
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05. What is the theme of the drama ? (নাটকের বিষয় বস্তু কি?)
Ans. “The Proposal” is a comedy. It tells us the story of a man in his mid thirties who goes to propose Chubukov’s daughter. However, property and dogs become the reason of quarrel (debate) between them. They fight over trifles, but finally get married. The drama is placed in Russian country side in the late 1800. It shows how money could become the most important factor in a marriage. Although the characters talk about love, propose and even kiss, yet they give importance on money over relationship. Behind the veil of laughter Chekhov mocks at marriage which was used as a tool to gaining financial freedom.
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06. Evaluate “The Proposal” as a comedy. (হাস্যরসমুলক নাটক হিসেবে The Proposal)
Ans. A comedy is the form of drama that evokes laughter. The laughter comes from the way the characters behave and form the plot. The story is following a series of funny incidents of two neighbours get engaged into quarrelling. Lomov’s nervousness, Natalya’s stubbornness and Chubuhov’s hypocrisy all contribute to fun and laughter. On the other hand, Natalya and Lomov quarrel over dogs at the time they should be discussing marriage. Again Lomov passes out at the slightest excitement. All these cause roaring laughter. Overall, it is a drama of fun with a satire it in it.
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07. What picture of social life do you find in the play ? (সমাজের কী ছবি তুমি এই নাটকে দেখতে পাও।)
Ans. “The Proposal” is a comedy. But it is also a commentary on the society in Chekhov’s time. In Chekhov’s Russia marriages were often connected to money and property. This becomes the key point in the comedy. It is interesting that characters know much about each other’s family. However, they can become scandalous too. They do not hesitate to insult one another’s fore-fathers. We find Natalya talking about shelling peas and stalking hay. As girls in those days were directly involved in harvest and of her jobs associated with farming. We also know about the hunting nature of the society. Thus we find an interesting picture of contemporary social life of Chekhov.
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08. How does Lomov and Natalya finally get married ?(কী ভাবে শেষ পর্যন্ত্য Lomov এবং Natalya বিয়ে করে।)
Ans. Lomov has a problem of palpitations. So, it does not take him long to pass out after the heated debate between him and Chubukov’s family. Then he fainted and loses his sense when he comes round, Chubukov does not want to lose the opportunity. So, he puts Lomov’s hand into his daughter’s and blesses them. Lomov does not fully understand what is happening. After prolonged quarrel, Natalya takes a surprisingly short time to agree to the proposal of marriage. Without having understood fully, Lomov kisses his bride. Chubukov thinks a weight is off his shoulders. After a pause, again the couple starts quarrelling.
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09. Is Chubukov a sensible father? How do you know? (Chubukov কী সংবেদনশীল পিতা? তুমি কী ভাবে জানলে ?)
Ans. Yes, Chubukov is a sensible father but in a different way. Chubukov’s daughter Natalya is past her age of marriage. He has not been able to find any suitable groom for her daughter. She is a burden/ weight on him. When Lomov proposes marrying to his daughter, he agrees at once. He takes then a reasonable and sound judgement. Chubukov does not waste any time in making sure that the couple get engaged. So, as a father Chubukov is a sensible man.
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10. Why does Lomov think Natalya will be an acceptable wife? Explain your answer. (Lomov কেন Natalya কে গ্রহনযোগ্য স্ত্রী মনে করেছিল ? তোমার উত্তরের স্বপক্ষে ব্যাখ্যা কর)
Ans. Lomov is well past his age of marriage in the play “The Proposal”. He is somewhat desperate to get married. He says that Natalya is an excellent housekeeper. She is not bad-looking and she is well educated too. Natalya does not show much of her education in her quarrel with Lomov. Though, Lomov does not think over ideal love. He is 35 years old. He needs to get married. He wants to lead a regular and quite life. So, Lomov talks about qualities which make Natalya an acceptable wife. Thus Lomov is ready to get married with her.
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11. How does Chekhov alternate the actual proposal and the arguments? Explain your answer. ( Chubukov কী ভাবে প্রকৃত প্রস্তাব এবং বির্ত কের পরিবতীর্ত করে ।)
Ans. In the play “The Proposal” marriage proposal alternates with arguments. When Natalya comes, Lomov does not propose her directly. Instead, he talks about ‘his’ property. Oxen Meadows becomes the centre of the quarrel. The entire focus shifts from marriage to property. The long arguments ends only when Lomov is shown the door by Chubukov. Later, Natalya comes to know, Lomov was there to propose her of marriage. So, she brings back Lomov. Now, Natalya is very eager to get the proposal, but again quarrelling starts over the supremacy of dogs. It ends when Lomov loses his consciousness. Finally Lomov and Natalya unite and get married.
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12. Why does Lomov decide to end his bachelor life ? (Lomov কেন তার কৌমার্যের আবসান ঘতাতে চায়?)
Ans. In the play “The Proposal” Lomov appears as an interesting character of thirty-five. He is so busy that he finds no time of marriage. Now he wants to lead a quiet and regular life. Because, he suffers from a high level of nervousness for which he gets awfully upset. His lips tremble and right eyebrow twitches. During sleeping he feels a pull in his left side, shoulder and head more than twenty times at right. All these happen, according to him, due to the delay of marriage. Now he finds an ideal wife in Natalya whom he expects as an excellent and well- educated housekeeper. That is why Lomov does not want to waste time and decides to marry Natalya.
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13. “Well, that’s a way to start your family”.
Who says this? Why does he say this? In what context does he say this?
(“ ঠিক আছে,ওটাই তোমাদের পরিবারিক জিবন শুরু করার পথ ।” –কে একথা বলেছে? কেন সে একথা বলেছে /কী পরিপ্রেক্ষিতে সে একথা বলেছে?)
Ans. Here the above line is uttered by Chubukov in the play “The Proposal”.
Lomov, Chubukov and Natalya have common desire. It is of course the marriage proposal. Chubukov wants to get married of his daughter.
When Chubukov hears the proposal. His happiness knows no bound. But Lomov lacks the confidence to propose to Natalya with whom he gets into a conflict. It results in Chubukov to be terribly anxious about getting his daughter’s married. Situation is going beyond control due to the argumentative nature of Lomov and Natalya. At this situation Chubukov waits for an opportunity for the marriage proposal. During contradictions, when Lomov falls into a faint, Chubukov looks distressed in fear of missing the marriage proposal. But as Lomov revives, Chubukov makes no further delay. He says, “Hurry up and get married.” After that they kiss each other. In no time they start arguments again. To console himself Chubukov says the above following line.
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14. What arguments does Lomov give to prove that the Oxen meadows was theirs ? (Oxen Meadows তাদের নিজেদের বলে প্রমান করতে Lomov কী যুক্তি দিয়েছিল। )
Ans. Lomov enters Chubukov’s house with intention to propose to Natalya. There he involves himself into contradictions over the ownership of the Oxen Meadows. Oxen Meadows is a land of dispute between the two families. In support of his claim Lomov informs that the Oxen Meadows was temporarily given to the peasants of Natalya’s father’s grandfather by Lomov’s aunt’s grandmother. In return the peasants had taken oath to make bricks for her and they did so. They used the Meadows for forty years and got the habit of thinking the Meadows as their own. Lomov also claims that he has enough documents in support of claims. Needless to say, Chubukov and Natalya pay no heed to the words of Lomov.
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15. How do Chubukov and his daughter try to prove the Oxen Meadows as theirs ? (Chubukov তার মেয়ে কীভাবে প্রমান করতে চেস্টা করে যে Oxen Meadows তাদের সম্পত্তি?)
Ans. The Oxen Meadows have been the apple of discord for a long period between the Lomovs and the Chubukovs. Lomov claims it as theirs before Natalya who promptly rejects Lomov’s claim. She is of the opinion that her great-grandfather owned the Meadows for nearly three hundred years. Dispute regarding the land occurred many times. But they were able to establish that the Meadows belonged to them. It was also proved that the Chubukov’s land extended to Burnt Marsh including Oxen Meadows. Chubukov also rejects Lomov’s demand by saying that the peasants did not pay tax to the Lomovs. Rather, they were obedient to the Chubukovs. But all the efforts of the father and the daughter could not appease Lomov.
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16. What, according to Lomov, defects of Squeezer to be a hunter dog? Or how does Lomov try to prove that his Guess is better than Squeezer ? (Lomov এর মতে শিকারি কুকুর হিসেবে স্কুইজার-এর কী কী ত্রুটি আছে ? (অথবা) কীভাবে Lomov প্রমান করতে চেষ্টা করে যে স্কুইজার-এর চেয়েতার গেস ভালো?)
Ans. According to Lomov, Guess is far better than Squeezer. Squeezer has a defective sign. His upper jaw projects beyond the lower jaw. It indicates that he must be a bad hunter. Again, squeezer is so disobedient that on the Marunosky hunt he was well-behind Guess. As he was busy worrying a sheep. On the other hand Guess is a costly and first rate dog. He has a pedigree of pure breed. On the Marunosky hunt he ran neck to neck with the Count’s dog. Lomov is so proud of Guess that he will not accept five Squeezers in exchange of his guess.
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17. Describe the social background or the attitude of the writer in the one-act play ‘The Proposal’. (একাঙ্ক নাটক The Proposal এর সামাজিক পটভূমি বা লেখকের দৃস্টিভঙ্গি র্বননা করো।)
Ans. ‘The proposal’ is a one-act comic farce by Anton Chekhov. Here he skillfully depicts the-then society of Russia. ‘In his time marriage was a medium of gaining economic status among the upper class. In this play Chekhov satirized this idea of marriage by showing the real attitude of the people. To Lomov and Natalya true love is less important than wealth and ego. Instead of making romantic conversation, thev get involved into proving the solidity of their respective claims about their property and their dogs. Chubukov also joins and kindles the contradiction. Even after the marriage proposal is given, Lomov and Natalya cannot get rid of the silly arguments. Here Chekhov satirically shows that such married life is nothing but a continual disagreement.
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18. What message is left for the audience in the one-act play ‘The Proposal’ ? (একাঙ্ক নাটক The Proposal এর র্দশকের কাছে কী র্বাতা বাহিত হয়?)
Ans. Chekhov is a master at producing a satirical comedy in a realistic way. No doubt he has experienced the characteristics of married life of his time in Russia. Any couple intending to marry should read ’The Proposal’ and think twice before marrying. The irony and comedy arise from the fact that this marriage will not be a happy one. But then again, how many marriages end in ‘happiness ever after’? Actually, fighting over small things is an inevitable part of a married life. The climax occurs when Lomov and Natalya stop arguing to kiss each other and promptly return to arguing again. Truly this couple is destined to marry and argue. In a word, they were born for each other and made for each other.
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19. Discuss the reasons why the marriage proposal is important to all the characters. (নাটকের সমস্ত চরিত্রগুলির কাছে বিবাহ প্রস্তাব গুরুত্বর্পুন হওয়া কারন আলচনা করো।)
Ans. In this play ‘The proposal’ Chubukov is the father of a grown-up daughter Natalya. He is restless to find a suitable groom for his daughter. Lomov appears to him as an ideal groom because he is well- established with the inherited property of his late uncle and aunt. So, marriage proposal seems to be the prime target of Chubukov. Natalya feels the same about Lomov . She is already 25 and finds no reason to look for an ideal groom other than Lomov. On the other hand, Lomov, a 35-year-old bachelor, is now ready to propose to Natalya to end his bachelor-life. He suffers a high level of nervousness for which he passes many sleepless nights. Now he wants to lead a quiet and regular life. Hence, Lomov waits for a chance to propose to Natalya.
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20. What is the effect of alternating the actual marriage proposal and the arguments? Explain your answer. (প্রকৃত বিবাহ প্রস্তাবের প্রির্বতে বিবাদবির্তক সৃস্টির ফলাল কী হয়? ব্যাখা করে বুঝিয়ে দাও।)
Ans. The only target of all the three characters is the marriage proposal. So, apparently, nothing is complicated in the plot. But Chekhov, the master of satire and humour, has a different plan. He alternates the proposal and presents argument before the marriage proposal in a skillful manner. When Lomov attempts to propose to Natalya, unfortunately he gets involved into arguments. At first they argue over the ownership of Oxen Meadows and later over the superiority of their respective house-dogs. As a result, the characters expose themselves in such a manner to the audience who cannot but laugh heartily. It is only the altercations that delay the marriage proposal. Hence, the altercations add to the beauty of the farce.
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21. Do you find the play funny? Support your answer with illustrations from the text. (তুমি কি নাটকটিকে মজার বলে মনে করো? পাঠ্যাংশ থেকে উদাহরন সহযগে তোমার উত্তর দাও।)
Ans. Chekhov is an expert in creating a humorous situation in his plays. ‘The proposal’ is no exception. Jaw-breaking laughter is his special gift to the audience. At the very beginning Chubukov welcomes Lomov in such a humorous way that the audience cannot but laugh. Then, Lomov and Natalya take the job of continuing the atmosphere. To the great surprise of the audience, they start fighting instead of making romance. Even Chubukov who gladly accepted Lomov as his would be son-in-law forgets all about the proposal. He also joins the arguments and driving Lomov out of his house. Marriage proposal lags well-behind the arguments due to their ego. Even when the marriage proposal is settled, both Lomov and Natalya do not show any sign of stopping to argue-and create fun.
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