What is Farce? Discuss “The Proposal” as a Farce. - The Proposal by Anton Chekhov

What is Farce? Discuss “The Proposal” as a Farce.

What is Farce?

           

         Farce is a comedy which entertains audience by situations which are highly exaggerated, extravagant, and thus improbable (doubtful). Farce is also characterized by physical humor with highly stylish clothes or disguise and physical performances. Farce contains witty and comical language. Farce has been written for the stage and film. The dictionary meaning is,

“A light, humorous play in which the plot depends upon a skillfully exploited situation rather than upon the development of character.”

The Proposal as a Farce:

       

          In Chekhov’s Russia, marriage was a mean of economic stability for most people. They married to gain wealth and possessions or to satisfy social pressure. The satire is conveyed successfully by emphasizing the couple’s foolish arguments over small things. The main arguments in the play revolve around “The Oxen Meadows” and “The two dogs” called “Guess and Squeezer”.

           As we read the play we can get the elements of Farce. Lomov’s dress and his behavior both are comic. We can observe his situation when Chubukov and Natalya fight with him. At the same point, Natalya can be considered as the quarrel loving and dominating girl. Chubukov is a mature man but when he sees Natalya and Lomov’s fight he also joins it and takes his daughter’s side. There are many situations which are farcical. As per the definition of Farce, it only contains development of plot rather than character and it skillfully creates humorous situations rather than any change in character’s behavior. All the characters are true to life and sometimes exaggerated in their emotions. 

Here are some farcical situations from the play:

1. Lomov’s dress:

       Lomov has come to Chubukov’s house in evening dress. He is very formal in his dress and that is why Natalya and Chubukov both ask him about his dress in a mocking way. His dress represents his wealth and also his desperateness for marriage. Chubukov says in a funny way,

“CHUBUKOV: Then why are you in evening dress, my boy? It’s as if you’re celebrating New Year's Eve!”

Natalya also has made fun of Lomov’s dress,

“But look at you! Why, you're in evening dress! Well you do look nice! Are you going to a party or something? Tell me!”

2. Lomov’s physical illness:

         Lomov is the hero of the play but though he lacks heroic quality and his physical weakness creates humor for the audience. He is not able to fight with anybody but though he tries and in that try he feels numbness, palpitation and aching in heart. He clutches his heart time and again during fight which creates humor.

         Lomov is physically weak but he doesn’t want to show his weakness to Natalya and Chubukov. His continuously tries to hide his fear from Natalya and Chubukov and that makes him a funny character. His age and his desire don’t match. He is only thirty-five but his symptoms of physical weakness prove his nervousness and inability to handle the situation. He fights with clutching his heart.

“LOMOV: And your mother was a hunchback! (Clutches at his heart) Oh my God Something’s pulling in my side.... my head is pounding…..  I need water!”

Natalya and Chubukov make fun of his physical weakness. Natalya says,

“NATALYA STEPANOVNA: (Teasing) My heart.... What sort of a hunter are you? You’d be better off lying down in a darkened room than chasing after foxes! (Mocking him) Oh My heart!”

In the end, Lomov marries Natalya in the condition of half-consciousness.

3. Fight on minor issues:

      

       The very first fight was about ownership of meadows. They both have accepted that the cost of those meadows does not matter for them, but though they have fought on that matter and abused each other and also their family member.

      

       The second fight was about superiority of their dog. This was the most trivial issue to fight. Though they have fought very badly and that has created a good humor in the play. Even after marriage also they have fought about the superiority of their dogs and it continued.

      

       This both fight has created a good amount of humor and excitement. It has created a farcical element in the play. Farce is not a cheap comedy with silly incidents but it involves good amount of humor with wit.

Conclusion:

         Thus, the play, “The Proposal” can be considered as the farcical play which criticizes human nature with funny or one can say realistic conditions. The play reflects human weaknesses with comical elements, and when a reader reads the play, s/he laughs but intellectually they laugh on their own weaknesses and nature.

Questions:

1. What is the meaning of Farce?
2. Explain the use of Farce in the play.
3. Which scene is most comic for you?
4. If you were the director, which characters would you like to choose for this play's film version?

Why do we study literature?

Why do we study literature?

Introduction:

     

        All contains various answers of this question. People have their own benefits and reasons to study literature, because all do not have the same definition of literature. Even the great authors have their own way of thinking and defining the literature. For example, as per Stevenson literature is,

“The difficulty of literature is not to write, but to write what you mean." 

On the other hand Ezra Pound defines literature as,

“Great literature is simply language charged with meaning to the utmost possible degree.”

Simply literature means,

“Anything that is written: timetable, catalogue, text books, travel brochures and so on...”

         

          It is the definition of literature in broader sense but all contains their personal perception and views about literature.

Literature helps us in four ways,

1) It saves your time

2) It is a cure for loneliness

3) It tells history

4) It prepares you for failure

      If we generalize, we can say that we study literature to,

1) To pass examination:

        This can be the most basic reason to study literature. Most of students only study for passing the examination and getting the particular degree rather than getting good knowledge. Literature provides good amount of language and especially the language which is prosperous with words and emotions. It is good for students to study literature with concentration and interest. English literature is not only exam oriented subject but it requires student’s focus and interest to understand the literature.

2) To enjoy ourselves:

    

       Literature gives aesthetic pleasure and entertainment. When we read any novel or drama, it takes us into another world, though it is not reality, we can get enjoyment of traveling into the world of writer’s imagination. Literature presents new ideas and thoughts which provides new way to readers. One can enjoy literature through reading it, it affects in both ways, and it wounds us and also heals us. We also get enjoyment through the happiness and sadness of characters. When we read or watch the play, we can get the catharsis through various literature which give us enjoyment and pleasure.

3) To appeared culture:

       

       Only well educated people are able to read literature. When they read it, they get knowledge about their culture. It is noticed that educated people has the civilization and they behave and believe in mannerism. People who do not have education and ability to read literature are different in nature. They have their own kind of civilization and they are unaware of the basics of their culture. These people follow educated people and try to get the knowledge about proper behaviorism and mannerism. In the Victorian Age, there was a trend of reading novel. By the characters and their behavior in the novel people used to follow the culture. In the same age there was a trend of keeping books and that was considered as the most cultured act in the society.

      Literature provides information about history and civilization.  When we read it, as a reader we observe the behavior of characters. We try to get their good habits in our life. Still reading the novels is in the trend.

4) To make ourselves better people:

     Literature gives us the knowledge about good and evil. In the society good and evil both exists together. Literature contains the ‘poetic justice’ in which, at the end evil gets punishment. We can make ourselves better by reading good characters and their humbleness. Books of literature are full of kind, humble, noble and good people which inspires the readers. By these characteristics we can say that literature makes ourselves better. 

5) To pass time:

      Literature is a best activity by which we can pass our time. In our leisure time, the best activity we can do is reading books, magazines, short stories or novel. 

6) To improve language:

     Literature contains rich and pure form of language. Literature is written by scholars and thinkers. They have the knowledge of language and they very well know the use and structure of language. Every writer has his/her own style, for example Virginia Woolf used to write in the stream of conscious which contains flow of language and long sentences, Samuel Becket in his play ‘Waiting for Godot’ used very short dialogues with limited words and Hemingway has always used short sentences with deep meaning. It also contains forms like poetry and narrative poetry which gives the knowledge about using language differently. When we read these books and observe the language we come to know about various writing styles. Literature can be used as the best tool of learning and teaching language. In most of ELT (English Language Teaching) tasks literature is used as the tool for various language practices. Students can learn language more effectively from stories and poems rather than grammar structures. It also helps students of science and other languages to learn English language properly with fun. 

7) To get job:

      Literature also contains variety of fields to explore as the career option. It gives us wide field of study and research. By studying literature one can get knowledge and on the basis of that knowledge the job opportunities are also there. Literature makes us better in behavior, language, knowledge, and it also gives us maturity. These all things help us in getting a good job. By studying literature deeply we can get good job at international level. 

Conclusion:

       Literature provides us good life style with enough understanding. We should study literature to keep our self alive in this world of machine and technology. Literature provides mental peace with good earning. It is helpful in all the ways of living life and that is why we should study literature.

Critically appreciate the play - The Proposal by Anton Chekhov

Critically appreciate the play

        

    

        One act play “The Proposal” is like a short story. This play is a farcical comedy in satirist style. The main concentrate of the play is “how human vanity destroys human relationship” In this play the main characters Lomov and Natalya both wants to marry each other but there was a problem of ego. They both want to look superior to each other.

          

       When the play starts we can observe the artificiality of human nature. When Chubukov talks with Lomov he uses very cheesy words and time and again tries to impress him. Lomov is also well dressed and looking handsome as he came with an intention to marry Natalya, after knowing this fact Chubukov became happier. At this point of the play, dramatist presents the greedy and selfish nature of humankind. People hate each other till they do not have any kind of need of them. Chubukov and Natalya both are interested in the wealth of Lomov and that is why they have accepted him as their family member. On the other hand Lomov is impressed by Natalya’s beauty and an ability to do household work. He emerges as the innocent character at this part. Chubukov and Natalya have greedy and possessive nature, these both control human minds. Dramatist has presented this with humour and satire.

         Chekhov has very well presented the human nature by depicting protagonists as ordinary human beings. Human beings have their weaknesses and Natalya and Lomov also have this kind of weakness. Both fight with each other and at the same time they also try to talk with each other in good way.  Dramatist also presented that how humans create issues in small matters like Natalya and Lomov have started fighting on their meadows and dogs. We can say that,

“A good start can’t start without disasters”

         

           There are lots of arguments and dispute in the play. Proposal turns into quarrel and both the quarrel contain harsh arguments and insults of their family members. They continuously attack each other with abusing words about their family members.

           There are lots of verbal attacks by Natalya in the play. Natalya abuses Lomov by saying that he can be only fit in the kitchen works and all household works.

“Natalya: (teasing) My heart.... what sort of a hunter are you? You ought to go and lie on kitchen oven and catch black beetles, not go after foxes! My heart!”

 She also abused his family members,

“Natalya: and there haven’t been many back-biters to equal your aunt.”

        Chekhov has woven plot with humorous presentation and gentle satire. He has presented human feelings with funny description. The way Lomov and Natalya fight, it is very serious for them but it seems very funny on the part of audience. It is more common and like a day to day life situations. The play has a farcical presentation of human feelings and emotions especially possessiveness, greed, short temper nature and bad behaviour with other people. All humans have these qualities and readers can feel that they are reading the real story.

 

Critically appreciate the play

• ·       Introduction of the play
• ·       Characters – humans with weaknesses
• ·       Human nature
• ·       Argument and disputes
• ·       Verbal attacks
• ·       Power of greed and possession
• ·       Humorous presentation with satire
• ·       Hero-heroine – presentation of common people

Introduction and Background of the play

Character of Lomov

Character of Natalya 

Character of Chubukov

 Questions:

1. Explain at least two points from the play. (Human nature, Argument and disputes,Verbal attacks, Power of greed and possession, Humorous presentation with satire)

Character of Chubukov - The Proposal by Anton Chekhov

Character of Chubukov:

            

    

        Chubukov is a neighbour of Lomov. He is living with his twenty-five years old unmarried daughter Natalya. Chubukov and Lomov both have similarities in their nature because both have possession in their nature. Chubukov should behave with maturity as he is the only elder man in both the houses, but he is quite immature and always supports Natalya in the quarrel. He also starts abusing his future son-in-law. Chubukov can be the reason of Natalya’s bad behaviour and arrogance because he has pampered her a lot and he always supports her in quarrelling with Lomov. At the end of the play he has became the man who helped both Lomov and Natalya to get married.

            

        Chubukov has a good control over his speech when he talks with Lomov. He time and again shows artificial love towards Lomov by saying,

“My precious...

My beauty...

Darling...”

But when he started abusing Lomov he said,

“Your father was a drunkard, and your younger aunt, Nastasya Mihailovna, ran away with an architect, and soon....”

At the end when Natalya and Lomov got married, he said in a very typical way that,

“What a weight off my shoulders ..... ouf!” 

Questions:

1. Judge the character of Chubukov - is he mature enough according to his age or not? Why?
2. Which faults you can find in the character of Chubukov? are there any faults? is he the perfect father ?

Introduction and Background of the play

Character of Lomov

Character of Natalya

Critical views