How would you best describe the personalities of each of the characters in the play?

The characters in Anton Chekhov’s play The Proposal’ are stock characters, they do not express themselves properly till the very end. Stepan Stepanovitch Chubukov, Ivan Vassilevitch Lomov and Natalya Stepanovna all represent the aristocratic society. Lomov, a nervous hypochondriac, decides to marry Natalya for his own benefit. Natalya, a spirited young woman is desperate to get married in order to achieve social and economic security. However, both of them appear to be very headstrong and argues continually over silly issues. Chubukov also participates in this fight. Chubukov is a deceitful and shrewd intriguer who manages to execute the engagement of his daughter with Lomov for socio-economic gain in spite of disliking Lomov and his family. They never stop insulting each other, but marriage is the only condition that keeps them together. The way in which they get married is absurd and it adds to the ridicule of the play evoking fun and laughter.

What is Anton Chekhov trying to say about the manner in which neighbours interact/ behave? Support your answer with evidence from the play.

Anton Chekhov in his play The Proposal”, satirises upper-class Russian society of 19th century. Chekhov points out that there is a lack of fellow feeling among the neighbours. Jealousy and animosity are the feelings that they harbour for each other. Yet they strangely blame each other for not being good neighbours. Natalya criticizes Lomov’s conduct saying “it is not at all neighbourly”. In the course of their argument, Lomov accuses Chubukov, “… good neighbours don’t behave like that”. Natalya remarks—”What trust can one have in neighbours after that!” All these reveal their true self and Chekhov becomes successful in showcasing the original scenario of the Russian society.


How does Chekhov alternate the actual proposal and the arguments? Explain your answer.

What are the effect of this alternating the proposal and the arguments? Explain your answer.


Comment on the setting of the play with reference to costume, customs and mannerism. Does it relate to the socio-economic background of that period?

Discuss the reasons why the marriage proposal is important to all the characters.


Discuss the significance of the title ‘The Eyes Have It’.

Establish ‘The Eyes Have It’ as a good short story.


What instructions were given to the girl by her parents before she started her journey? Do you think the narrator started to like the girl from the very beginning? Support your answer with reference to the text.

….my voice startled her.”- Who is the speaker here? Who is mentioned as “her”? Why was she “startled” by the voice of the speaker? What did she do afterwards?


“I didn’t see you either”, I said. “But I heard you come in.’ Was it not a hint for the girl to understand that the narrator was blind? What did the narrator think before stating this?

What was the destination of the narrator in the story The Eyes Have It’? What description of his destination did he give? How could he give such a description in spite of being blind?


“Oh, how lucky you are.” -Who is the speaker here? Who is “you” referred to? Why is the person spoken to being called “lucky”?

“Yes, October is the best time”- Who is the speaker? On what occasion is the remark made and to whom? Why is October the best time?


“…she thought me a romantic fool”- Who might be thought a romantic fool? When and … why did the speaker doubt so?

“Then I made a mistake”-What ‘mistake’ did the speaker make? Why was it a ‘mistake’? What removed the speaker’s doubts? What did the speaker do then?


“Why don’t you look out of the window?”- Who said these words to whom? Why? Describe the action of the listener.

“Do you see any animals?” -Who asked this and to whom? What was the reply? How could the person give the answer?

“You have an interesting face”- Who said this? To whom was it spoken? When did the speaker make this remark? What was the reaction of the person spoken to?

“Few girls can resist flattery”- How did the narrator try to flatter the girl?