CBSE Class 10 English The Proposal Important Questions Set 06

Answer: (a) Ivan Vassilevitch Lomov.
(b) He is nervous about proposing to Natalya, like a student before an examination.
(c) He is anxious and hurried, and wants to settle the matter quickly.
(d) He fears that waiting and searching for an ideal will mean he never marries.

Teacher's Note:
1. The extract reveals that Lomov wants marriage as a practical step, not for love.
2. His nervousness also prepares us for his repeated attacks of palpitation.

Answer: (a) Natalya Stepanovna.
(b) Natalya has accused him of being a land grabber.
(c) He is angry and insulted.
(d) He will not allow anyone to accuse him of grabbing someone else’s land.

Teacher's Note:
1. Lomov defends his claim over the meadows even though he came to propose.
2. He repeats her charge only to reject it.

Answer: (a) Natalya, speaking to Lomov.
(b) For nearly three hundred years.
(c) About 300 roubles, and they are only five dessiatins.
(d) Unfairness.

Teacher's Note:
1. Natalya says the land is not valuable, yet she will not give it up.
2. Her words show that the quarrel is about pride, not money.

Answer: Lomov is thirty-five and thinks he must not delay any longer. He believes Natalya is a good housekeeper, educated and not bad to look at, and he suffers from palpitations and insomnia, which he thinks marriage will cure.

Teacher's Note:
1. Give two reasons: age and her qualities.
2. Health is another reason.

Answer: Chubukov greets Lomov warmly, calling him ‘my angel’ and ‘my treasure’. His attitude changes when he thinks Lomov is asking for a loan and, later, when Lomov claims the Oxen Meadows and he sides angrily with his daughter. He becomes friendly again when he learns of the proposal.

Teacher's Note:
1. Show the changes with an example.
2. Note that his behaviour follows his interest.

Answer: While trying to propose, Lomov mentions that his Oxen Meadows touch her birch wood. Natalya replies that the meadows are hers, and each side claims ownership. They argue loudly and forget the proposal.

Teacher's Note:
1. The quarrel is about the Oxen Meadows.
2. Mention how it started.

Answer: When Chubukov tells her, she is shocked and almost faints. She weeps and begs her father to bring Lomov back at once, because she is afraid of losing her chance to be married.

Teacher's Note:
1. Her reaction shows how eager she is to marry.
2. Mention that she asks for Lomov to be brought back.

Answer: Lomov and Natalya argue over whose dog is better. Lomov praises his dog Guess, bought for 125 roubles, and Natalya says her Squeezer, bought for 85 roubles, is far better. Chubukov joins in and Lomov collapses in the chair.

Teacher's Note:
1. The dogs are named in the play.
2. Mention both the prices and Chubukov’s part.

Answer: When Lomov faints, Natalya and Chubukov think he is dead, but he soon recovers. Chubukov at once joins their hands, blesses them and asks them to kiss. Almost immediately, they begin to quarrel again about the dogs, showing that old habits do not change.

Teacher's Note:
1. The end is comic.
2. Say that the quarrel returns.

Answer: The play centres on Lomov’s marriage proposal to Natalya. However, the proposal is delayed again and again by quarrels over petty matters, and it is accepted only at the end. The title therefore points to the main purpose that gets lost in the argument.

Teacher's Note:
1. Give the central point of the title with a hint of irony.
2. Keep to two or three lines.

Answer: The play is a farce. Lomov arrives in formal dress with a serious purpose but cannot say it. Chubukov calls him ‘my angel’ and later abuses him. A marriage proposal turns into a quarrel about meadows and dogs. The insults, such as ‘turnip ghost’ and ‘blind hen’, and Lomov’s palpitations and fainting add comedy. Natalya and her father think he is dead and lament, and then at the end the newly engaged couple start quarrelling again.

Teacher's Note:
1. Include at least four incidents.
2. Use a few of the insults for flavour.

Answer: Stepan Chubukov is a rich landowner who is practical, shrewd and quarrelsome. He greets Lomov with exaggerated sweetness, and the moment he hears of the proposal he is delighted, since he wants his daughter married. But he joins the quarrel over the Oxen Meadows and insults Lomov’s family. He worries about Natalya’s marriage, and when Lomov recovers he quickly joins their hands. He is loyal to his daughter and is quick to see his advantage.

Teacher's Note:
1. Mention his greed for land, love for his daughter and quick change of mood.
2. Support with incidents.

Answer: Lomov and Natalya could have avoided the quarrel by staying calm and keeping to the purpose of the visit. The ownership of the meadows could have been checked through documents or discussed after the proposal. Chubukov, as the elder, should have tried to cool both of them rather than take sides. Instead of insulting each other’s dogs, they could have praised the good points of both. Good neighbours listen, respect each other and do not let small matters spoil important ones.

Teacher's Note:
1. Offer practical steps.
2. Mention the role of the elder.

Answer: Yes. Lomov goes to propose but argues about meadows and dogs, and the real purpose is forgotten. In real life too, we often waste time on small arguments and ignore the main issue. We can avoid this by deciding our priorities, keeping calm, listening to the other side and letting go of ego. If a matter will not matter in a year, it is not worth a quarrel.

Teacher's Note:
1. Agree and give the example from the play.
2. Suggest two remedies.

Answer: Both are proud and quick to quarrel. Lomov is nervous, hypochondriac and shy about proposing, but he becomes aggressive when his claim is challenged. Natalya is talkative, practical and short-tempered, and she is as eager to marry as Lomov. Both are possessive about land and dogs. Their differences are small, and their likeness is shown in the fights they begin, which suggests they are well suited to each other.

Teacher's Note:
1. Present points of similarity and difference.
2. Keep to the text.