“Now, you know, you shouldn’t forget all about your neighbours, my darling.”— Who said this and to whom? Why was the speaker surprised? Comment on the approach of the speaker.

Chubukov said this to Lomov.

The speaker, Chubukov, was surprised to see Lomov because Lomov had come in formal attire. Lomov was wearing the evening dress and gloves when he arrived at Chubukov’s place.

Stepan Stepanovitch Chubukov, a wealthy landowner in Anton Chekhov’s play The Proposal’, gave an exceptionally warm welcome to Ivan Vassilevitch Lomov, who was his neighbour. As soon as Lomov entered, Chubukov rose up and expressed intense surprise and pleasure on meeting him as if he was a long lost friend. He showered a bounty of affection on him with endearing words like “my dear fellow”, “my darling”, “my angel”, “my precious”, etc till We were led to believe that Chubukov had an extreme Fondness for Lomov. However, the irony became apparent when Chubukov spoke aside and said that he would not lend money if Lomov asked for it.


“Then why are you in evening dress, my precious ?”-Who said this? Why was the person spoken to, in his evening dress? What did the speaker assume about the person?

Chubukov said this to Lomov. Lomov came there to propose marriage to Chubukov daughter so he wore the evening dress in order to impress Natalya.

Chubukov, seeing Lomov acting so formally and politely, assumed that he had come to borrow money from him and told the readers that he intended not to give him a rouble. But when he heard that Lomov wanted to propose to Natalya he became overwhelmed and immediately showered his blessings on Lomov.


“He’s come to borrow money! Shan’t give him any…”-Who is the speaker? What makes him say this? What features of this character are revealed here?

“Oh, don’t go round and round it, darling! – Who is addressed as ‘darling’? What is it? Who is the speaker? Why does he make this comment?


“I’ve come to ask the hand of your daughter, Natalya Stepanovna, in marriage.”-Who is the speaker? To whom does the speaker say this? What was the reaction of the person spoken to?

“…do you think I may count on her consent ?”-Why is the speaker so uncertain? How does the speaker ultimately get consent?


“She’s like a love-sick cat,”-Who said this and about whom? Analyse the character of the person, referred to here, under the light of the comment above.

“If I give myself time to think, to hesitate, to talk a lot for an ideal, or for real love, then I’ll never get married.”-Who thinks so? When does he think so? Why does the speaker think about it?


“Go; there’s a merchant come for his goods.”—Who said this and to whom? Who is the merchant’? What is referred to as ‘goods’? In what way does it bring out the attitude of the person and the society at that time?

“I’m trembling all over,’ -Who is ‘I’ here? How does the speaker express his nervousness?


“You must excuse my apron and négligé…”. – above mentioned line has been extracted. Who is the speaker of the quoted line? What is négligee? What was the speaker engaged in before arrival? What did the speaker offer the person addressed as you?

“We’ve had the land for nearly three hundred years…”—Who is the speaker? Who is spoken to? What is referred to as ‘the land’? What do you know of the land from their conversation?


“If you like, i’ll make you a present of them.”-Who is the speaker? Who is the person spoken to? What would the speaker make a present of? Why did the speaker say so?

“How have you the right to give away somebody else’s property?” – Who is the speaker? What property is referred to here? Why does the speaker ask this question?


“Darling, the Meadows are ours!”- Who said this and to whom? Whom did the meadows belong to? Why was there an argument over them?

“You’re not a neighbour, you’re a grabber!”-Who said this and to whom? Why is this said?


“I don’t want anything of yours and I don’t want to give up anything of mine.”-Who says this? To whom does the speaker say this? When does the speaker say this? Bring out the irony latent in it.

“l’ll have the matter taken to court, and then l’ll show you!”-Who is the speaker? Why does the speaker say this? What is the reaction of the person spoken to?