“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.

Chubukov said this about his daughter, Natalya Stepanovna.

In the drama, ‘The Proposal’, Chubukov is portrayed as a wealthy landowner. He was troubled with the responsibility of finding a suitable husband for his daughter Natalya Stepanovna. At that time it was necessary for a girl in her twenties to get married as early as possible and Natalya was already twenty-five. Therefore she was a burden to Chubukov. Though Chubukov disliked Lomov, he readily accepted Lomov’s proposal to marry Natalya and encouraged him to talk to her. Natalya did not love Lomov, yet Chubukov expressed her as ‘a love-sick cat’ so that Lomov could assume that she too liked Lomov. Like an opportunist, he grabbed the chance and tried to convince Lomov about Natalya’s feelings in every possible way. Though Lomov did not get the opportunity to propose her, they finally got engaged only because of Chubukov.

“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?

Lomov thinks so.

After hearing Lomov’s real intention of coming to Chubukov’s house, Chubukov hurriedly goes inside to call Natalya. At this moment, in his soliloquy, Lomov thinks this about himself and expresses his nervousness.

The speaker, Lomov, is a man of thirty-five and according to him, it is a critical age. Therefore he needs to get married to lead a regular life. He also suffers from palpitations, he is always excitable and gets awfully upset. When he becomes nervous, his lips tremble and his right eyebrow twitches. Therefore, he thinks that he needs to marry someone who will take care of him and according to him Natalya will be a perfect wife for him. For this reason, he does not want to waste time in thinking and finding true love.


“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?


“… and not one has ever been tried for embezzlement, like your grandfather!”-Who said this and about whom? Analyse the character of the speaker under the light of the above statement.

“Oh, unhappy man that I am! I’ll shoot myself! I’ll hang myself!”—Who is unhappy? Why does the speaker wish to die?


“Bring him back! Back! Ah! Bring him here.”-Who says this to whom? When is it said? Why is the speaker so excited? What light does the line throw on the character of the speaker?

“What have they done to me! Fetch him back!”-Who is the speaker? Who is ‘him’? What ironic about the speaker’s request to bring ‘him’ back?


“Forgive us, Ivan Vassilevitch, we were all a little heated.” – Who is the speaker? Who is referred to by ‘us’? Why were the persons referred to ‘a little heated’? Why does the speaker ask for forgiveness?

“Oh, what a burden …. to be the father of a grown-up daughter!”—Who is the ‘father’? Who is the ‘daughter’? Why is the daughter a burden to the father?