Chapter 9 The Proposal Class 10 English

Question 1

What does Chubukov at first suspect that Lomov has come for? Is he sincere when he later says, “And I’ve always loved you, my angel”?

At first, Chubukov suspects that Lomov has come to borrow money. He even thinks to himself, “I shan’t give him any.”

No, he is not entirely sincere when he says he loves Lomov. He is a hypocrite who changes his tone according to the situation. He speaks sweetly only because he finds out Lomov has come to propose to his daughter, Natalya, which is a profitable match for him.

Question 2

Chubukov says of Natalya: “She’s like a love-sick cat.” Would you agree? Find reasons.

Yes, the statement is quite relevant. Natalya is 25 years old and unmarried, which makes her desperate for a husband.

When she learns Lomov came to propose (after fighting with him), she starts weeping and asks her father to bring him back immediately.
She even forgets the argument over the meadows to secure the proposal, acting desperate like a “love-sick cat.”

Question 3

Find all the words and expressions in the play that the characters use to speak about each other, and the accusations and insults they hurl at each other.

The characters use several insults during their arguments:

Character	Insults Used
Lomov (by Chubukov/Natalya)	Intriguer, Grabber, Old rat, Jesuit, Malicious, Double-faced intriguer, Rascal, Pettifogger, Scarecrow, Stuffed sausage, Turnip-ghost.
Chubukov (by Lomov)	Old rat, Jesuit, Intriguer.
Ancestors	Drunkard (Lomov’s grandfather), Hump-backed (Lomov’s father), Guzzling gambler (Lomov’s aunt).

Question 4

Describe the first quarrel between Lomov and Natalya.

The first quarrel was about the ownership of the Oxen Meadows.

Lomov casually mentioned “My Oxen Meadows” while talking to Natalya.
Natalya immediately objected, claiming they belonged to the Chubukovs.
Lomov tried to prove ownership by mentioning his aunt’s grandmother gave them to her father’s grandfather’s peasants.
The argument escalated, with both insulting each other’s families, completely forgetting the purpose of the visit (the proposal).

Question 5

What was the cause of the second quarrel?

The second quarrel was over their hunting dogs, Guess (Lomov’s dog) and Squeezer (Natalya’s dog).

Lomov praised his dog Guess, despite him being lame.
Natalya claimed her dog Squeezer was far superior and that Guess was “old and worn out.”
They argued about the price, the breed, and the physical defects of the dogs (overshot jaw vs. lame).

Question 6

Sketch the character of Lomov.

Ivan Vassilevitch Lomov is a middle-aged bachelor of 35.

Anxious: He suffers from palpitations and gets easily excited or upset. He is a hypochondriac (always worried about health).
Desperate: He wants to marry not for love, but for a quiet and regular life.
Argumentative: Despite coming to propose, he cannot stop himself from arguing over petty things like land and dogs.
Funny: His physical ailments (twitching, jumping in sleep) make him a comic character.

Question 7

Sketch the character of Natalya.

Natalya Stepanovna is 25 years old and still unmarried.

Good Housekeeper: She is described as an excellent housekeeper and not bad-looking.
Quarrelsome: She is very short-tempered and cannot stand being contradicted. She fights fiercely over the meadows and the dogs.
Desperate: When she realizes she lost a suitor, she becomes hysterical, showing her desperation to get married.