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1.0 Introduction
"The Proposal" is a one-act farce about a nervous bachelor named Ivan Vasilyevich Lomov
who wants to ask Natalya Stepanovna, the daughter of his next-door neighbor, to marry him.
Chekhov takes a simple storyline and turns it into a lively and funny comment on Russian
gentry, marriage rules, and the human condition.Chekhov's satire and strange situations show
how small-minded, self-centered, and obsessed with property and rank Russian society is. By
looking at these parts of "The Proposal," this study tries to figure out what makes the humor
work and how Chekhov used it to show how society works.

This research will use textual analysis, historical contexts, and sociocultural settings to
shed light on Chekhov's motivations, influences, and the social implications of his comedic
plays. We want to show that Chekhov's "The Proposal" is more than just funny on the surface.
We will do this by breaking down the humor and character interactions.

2.1 Plot

Anton Chekhov's "The Proposal" features Ivan Vassilievich Lomov proposing to Natalya. "The
Proposal" follows adolescent Ivan Vassilievich Lomov. Chubukov and hypochondriac
bachelor Lomov fight over property in their first meeting. Lomov wonders. Lomov told Natalya
he wanted to marry her despite their argument. Chubukov's nervousness makes the proposition
funnier and more complicated. Lomov tries to express himself while Natalya joins the
conversation. However, miscommunications lead to pointless arguments over minor issues.
Hunting dog lineage is disputed. Chekhov uses absurd arguments to criticize his characters'
shallow concerns and personalities. Lomov collapses. Natalya falls in love with him and
marries him because she thinks he's dying. Chubukov eagerly starts wedding preparations after
the engagement. A resurrected Lomov fights Natalya over a cattle pasture. Their reunion
disintegrates quickly, proving their engagement was pointless and casting doubt on their
marriage. "The Proposal" mocks cultural pride and foolishness. Chekhov exposes upper class
hypocrisy with wit and irony. He emphasizes the superficiality of human relationships and the
trivial concerns that often hide genuine bonds. The comedy-critique explores romance, society,
and relationships.
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2.1.1 Exposition

Lomov, a wealthy but socially awkward man, visits Chubukov, his neighbor. He is greeted and
led inside, though with some surprise, as Chubukov did not anticipate his late arrival. Lomov
is anxious and has come to Natalya to propose marriage. However, he begins his conversation
with Chubukov by discussing the qualities of his land and his possessions, as he is too nervous
to get to the point immediately.

However, before Lomov can propose, he and Natalya argue over trivial matters such as
land ownership and the superiority of their respective hunting dogs. With Lomov's nervousness
and the situation's rapid deterioration into chaos and bickering, the play's comedic nature is
established immediately.

2.1.2 Raising action

Lomov proposes to Natalia at Chubukov's. He is fearful and uncertain. Lomov ultimately

proposes to Natalia, but they dispute. They quarrel over trivial matters such as who possesses
a hunting dog, whose property is more attractive, and where their land ends. Lomov and
Natalia become more angry. They dispute due to misunderstanding each other's intentions.

Stress reveals Lomov's hypochondria. He manipulates the situation by feigning illness

and imploring for compassion Lomov falls to the ground, believing he is having a heart attack
because he is unhappy about the conflict and his illness. This stuns the other characters and
halts the action temporarily. The tension in "The Proposal" increases as Lomov and Natalia's
dispute escalates, they are unable to communicate, and Lomov breaks down. These elements
contribute to the play's uproarious conclusion and enable it to address miscommunication,
fragile relationships, and trivial squabbles.
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2.1.3 Climax
In "The Proposal" by Anton Chekhov, the hypochondriac Lomov collapses during an
argument. Play's climax. In the drama, Lomov and Natalia argue over a dog and land
boundaries. Due to miscommunication, they dispute more. During the argument, Lomov
collapses due to hypochondria. Natalia, her father Stepan, and the other characters are all
surprised by the catastrophe. They hurry to assist Lomov.

The conclusion concludes the conflict and reveals the characters' misguided priorities.
Lomov's dramatic collapse turns humorous. Others choose Lomov's health over his property.
Despite Lomov's condition, they argue heatedly over the property's boundaries and worth. This
moment illustrates the fundamental themes of the play: human interactions are absurd, trivial
disputes are pointless, and people cannot connect. Chekhov attacks societal standards and
egotistical characters with humor and satire. In "The Proposal," the climax exposes the absurd
priorities of the protagonists.

2.1.4 Falling action

After the end of "The Proposal," the plot is wrapped up by the falling action. The falling scene
in "The Proposal": The other characters are worried when Lomov passes out. Natalia, Stepan,
and the workers talk about how to treat Lomov's illness. They go back to the fight over the
land. Land conflicts help Lomov get better. Even though he is weak, he joins the conversation.
Lomov wakes up to an even bigger fight over land. Natalia and Stepan don't care about Lomov
when they fight. The opinions of the characters make the talk more strange and funny.
Characters think about how to end a land conflict. They offer a solution and a marriage
settlement. As they try to fix the problem, they argue more and make more mistakes.

"The Proposal" ends with the characters unable to talk to each other and work out their
problems. Once the fight is over, the tense relationship between the characters is disturbing.
The falling action in "The Proposal" shows how the characters are stuck in the land struggle
and don't have any human connections. It shows how they can't deal with problems,
miscommunication, and strange encounters. In falling action, conflicts and arguments between
characters bring the play to a close. It makes the drama funnier and more satirical, and it makes
people think about how dialogue might be limited and how some arguments might be pointless.
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2.1.5 Resolution

Anton Chekhov's "The Proposal" follows Ivan Vassiliyevich Lomov as he proposes to Natalya to
his neighbor Stepan Stepanovich Chubukov. The protagonist of "The Proposal" is the adolescent
Ivan Vassilievich Lomov. On their first encounter, Chubukov and the hypochondriac widower
Lomov argue over property. Lomov is stunned. Lomov stated that he planned to wed Natalya
despite their dispute. The anxiousness of Chubukov complicates and amuses the concept. Lomov
conveys his emotions to Natalya. However, miscommunications result in needless conflicts over
trivial matters. Different hunting dog varieties and ancestries exist. Chekhov uses absurd arguments
to critique the petty concerns and egos of his characters. The anxious Lomov collapses. Natalya
falls in love with him and marries him out of fear that he will not survive long enough to accept
another proposal. After the engagement, Chubukov enthusiastically plans the nuptials. The
resurrected Lomov and Natalya battle over an ox pasture. Their brief reunion disproves their
engagement and casts doubt on their future marriage. The drama "The Proposal" makes fun of
arrogance and cultural pride. Chekhov satirizes hypocrisy among the upper class. In addition, he
emphasizes the superficial nature of human relationships and the trivial issues that obscure genuine
connections. This satirical comedy examines romance, society, and relationships.

2.2 Setting

Anton Chekhov's "The Proposal" is set in late 19th-century Russia. Stepan Stepanovich
Chubukov, Ivan Vassiliyevich Lomov's neighbor, hosts the performance. The drama doesn't
identify where it's situated, but it depicts rural Russian social norms and customs. The play's
satire and comedy come from Chekhov's country setting. It allows the reader to see how
characters interact with and deal with society. The setting contrasts country living with the
protagonists' foolish anxieties and disputes. The drama takes place largely in Chubukov's
house. This modest environment enhances the comedy and highlights the characters'
foolishness. Chekhov uses "The Proposal's" rural setting to examine human nature, social
ideals, and upper class defects. It highlights the play's satire.
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2.3 Theme

2.3.1 How People Act

Chekhov makes fun of how people act, especially when they are dating or getting married. The
characters fight about silly things, which shows how stupid they are. This theme shows how
strange communication and ties between people are.

2.3.2 Pride and Ego

The play shows how pride and ego destroy each other. Lomov and Chubukov disagree about
how important they are. Their pride makes it hard for them to connect and find common ground,
which leads to mistakes and fights. Chekhov says that pride gets in the way of having good
partnerships.

2.3.3 The play is about irony and not getting the message across.

The characters often misunderstand each other, which can be funny or cause trouble. Chekhov
uses comedy to show how characters' words and actions don't always match up. This shows
how hard it is for people to communicate.

2.4 Tone

"The Proposal" by Anton Chekhov is sarcastic and ironic. Chekhov uses humor and wit to show
the absurdity of human interactions, especially in romance and social customs. The lively,
comic tone underlines the characters' mistakes. Chekhov makes fun of society's expectations,
pride, and shallowness in the play. Small fights and mistakes show how silly and ironic the
characters are. The comedy is made funnier by how quickly and cleverly the characters talk.
The play is often funny because people don't talk to each other or pay attention to small things.
The fact that it is absurd adds to the comedy. Even though the play is funny, the characters'
intense disagreements cause tension and anger.
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Diagram 1.0

2.5 Characters

2.5.1 Lomov

Lomov is a nervous and easily agitated person because based on this line "Oh, oh, oh... I’ve
come... Oh, oh... About the meadows... I mean about the dog..." shows that Lomov frequently
stutters, stumbles over his words, and exhibits signs of nervousness throughout the play.He
also is a hypochondriac who desires marriage for appearances' sake because Although he does
not appear to love Natalya, he decides to marry her because she is the best available woman.

2.5.2 Natalya

Natalya is a woman that is Assertive and strong-willed because based on the line "My dog a
mongrel? How dare you say such a thing!" shows that she is confidently expresses her opinions
and engages in debates with Lomov in act 1.she is also a woman of firm will because based on
this line "What are you saying? A thoroughbred! I won’t hear of it" in act 1,shows that she will
readily enters into debates with Lomov as she challenges Lomov's beliefs about the breed of
her dog
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2.5.3 Chubukov

Chubukov is a pragmatic and practical person because based on the line"You ought to marry,
and your land and my daughter's estate will be merged" shows that Chubukov prioritizes
financial considerations over personal matters which is practical compared to following his
needs and wants.He is also a person who is concerned about status and possessions because
based on the line "You will live like a king! All my neighbors will be green with envy and say,
'Look, there's Chubukov's son-in-law riding by...'" which shows that he views marriage as a
business transaction, comparing Lomov's proposal to a merchant purchasing products. The
marriage is advantageous for him because it is a solid business arrangement for both families.

Diagram 1.1
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2.6 Point Of View

There are also times when the narrator tells us more about the people or the setting, giving us
a bigger picture of what's going on. But the story stays close to Ivan and Natalya, so the reader
can get a sense of how they are feeling and see things from their points of view.

Overall, the limited third-person point of view in "The Proposal" "The Proposal," a
short story by Anton Chekhov, is told from the limited third-person point of view. The
storyteller tells the story from the point of view of an outsider, but the reader only gets to know
what one character is thinking and feeling at a time. The main players, Ivan Lomov, Natalya
Stepanovna, and Stepan Stepanovich, take turns telling the story from their own points of view.

The story is mostly about Ivan Lomov, a farmer who is nervous and can't make up his
mind. He goes to Natalya Stepanovna's house to ask her to marry him. The reader knows what
Ivan is thinking and how hard he is trying to get up the guts to propose. The way he tells the
story shows that he is worried, doubts himself, and thinks too much all the time.

At times, the story is told from Natalya Stepanovna's point of view, which shows us
more about who she is, what she wants, and how her father and society want her to get married.
Through this change, the reader gets a sense of what she is thinking and why as she talks to
Ivan and interacts with him. He gives the reader a deep understanding of how the main
characters think and feel, which makes it easier to explore their inner struggles and the funny
parts of the story.
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3.0 Reasons to Why the Drama is Still Relevant in the Current Time

Anton Chekhov's drama is still relevant to this day because it shows how society works and
portrays how the current time still has many problems regarding human psychology. Hence,
even though it is still an old drama, it is still relevant to this day because of how relatable it is
to the current time.

Many of Chekhov's plays and short stories explored the complicated human situation,
social problems, and the characters' inner lives. People liked how he focused on reality,
nuanced portrayals, and the complexities of everyday life.

Many of Chekhov's views about people are still true today. Readers and theatergoers
are still fascinated by his insights into human nature, moral dilemmas, and the fleeting nature
of life. Chekhov's writings have a lot of interesting things to say about the complexity of human
behavior and how feelings affect each other. These ideas can be used in different places and
times.

In conclusion, Anton Chekhov's body of work and the way he looked at universal
human issues are still important today. His works are still studied, performed, and admired,
even though some of the ideas he had may change.

Diagram 1.2
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4.0 Conclusion

In conclusion, based on the analysis of the drama, "The Proposal" ends by showing how silly
and small-minded the characters are, underscoring their incapacity to talk openly and bond on
a more profound level.One interpretation of "The Proposal" is that it is a critique of the strict
social norms of Chekhov's period. It demonstrates how pointless it is to adapt to the norms of
society and how essential open communication and mutual comprehension are to healthy
relationships. In addition, the play makes use of humor and comedy to illustrate how
individuals have a tendency to create issues where there are none, as well as how sensitive
social interactions may be. This leaves the viewers or readers with a deep and meaningful
contemplation on how human relationships can often be trivial and unimportant