The Proposal - By Anton Chekhov

The Proposal

                    -  By Anton Chekhov

         I have studies this play in my graduation and now sharing a brief overview of the play.

       Anton Chekhov was a Russian playwright and short story writer, he has chosen his career to be a doctor and practice medicine but his interest in literature made him writer. He has contributed well in the world of literature, he is known as a great short story writer. His plays were become very famous and favourite among Russia as well as other countries.

       He has written dramas on such issues with funny and witty way. Anton Chekhov has used underline satire with humorous language which makes reading even more interesting on the part of readers. Anton is a writer who has a strong belief that people should accept people with their all negative and positive aspects. He has said,

“Medicine is my lawful wife and literature is my mistress”

The Proposal

   

        “The Proposal” is one act farcical comedy with satire on vanity of human. Natalia Stepanovitch and Ivan Vassiliyitch Lomov both are neighbours and wants to marry each other but the problem between them is their ego, both wants to show their self superior than the other one.

        Stepan Stepanovitch Chekhov has very interestingly shown human nature, Lomov is the protagonist who has come at the house of his neighbour Chubukov, with the marriage proposal for his daughter Natalia. Lomov and Chubukov have cold war between them because of an ownership of meadows.  Lomov is very wealthy so Chubukov is very happy for his daughter, here dramatist has keep his eyes on human feelings that how Chubukov has forgotten the problem because of marriage proposal.  Natalia is not aware with this fact of proposal; she talked with Lomov as he has come to get ownership of meadows. Natalia and Lomov both shows greed when they quarrel about an ownership of land and superiority of their dogs, thus the talk of proposal turns into the quarrel. Chekhov has shown here that how silly things can create a big problem in life. The proposal has remained on side and they have started fighting.

        The protagonist, the hero of play is Lomov, a thirty five year man who is a common but rich man of society and lacks heroic qualities like strength, power and self confidence. Natalia is a heroin who is ten years younger than Lomov. She is aware of fact that Lomov is physically weak and she takes advantage of this to satisfy her ego as she verbally attacked on Lomov that he is good for nothing and he only fit for kitchen work only. By this comment of Natalia expresses that in early nineteenth century, still women have been considered as weak because they were fit for house hold works, and Lomov felt insulted because Natalia has attacked on his masculinity by comparing him with women.

        Natalia was abusing and making fun of Lomov without knowing that he has came with a marriage proposal for her, when she came to know this, she suddenly forget all issues between them and accepts the proposal. The only reason behind this is Wealth, Lomov is very rich and this is enough for Natalia.

        The humorous presentation of situations forces us to think twice about the facts which has described in play. Lomov is only thirty five year old and though he has heart problem, loose tongue and he is unable to handle any situation properly.  Chubukov is another character who represents a typical nature of father. He hates Lomov but when he come to know he wants to marry Natalia he kisses him and accepted the proposal but when he saw that Lomov and Natalia is fighting, he also started fighting with Lomov.  Natalia insulted Lomov very badly and she also abuses Lomov’s ancestors and Chubukov told him to get out of his house, but when Natalia came to know about proposal she calls him back and accepted the proposal and after accepting the proposal  they started fighting on superiority of their dogs, and while fighting Lomov has fainted and after few minutes he regains consciousness and Natalia’s father forced them to accept proposal with kissing each other, but even after kissing they have started fighting.

         Thus the play has facts with humour. Chekhov has presented realism and expressionism in his witty style. He has presented his hero and heroine with different than archetypal hero-heroine, they are pure and real human beings with faults. Greed and ego is a feeling which all have in their nature, characters are changing their perspective because of their advantage is also an important fact.