The Proposal Summary: West Bengal Board Class 12 English
The proposal
Anton Chekhov
| Author name:- | Anton Pavlovich Chekhov |
| Born:- | 1860 |
| Death:- | 1904 |
About author:-
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov was a famous playwright and short story writer from Russia. He is Often considers as a pioneer of modernism in theatre. He was also one of the architects of modern short story.
His famous works include Uncle Vanya, three Sister. The Cherry Orchard.
Summary
In the play, the author draws a thumbnail sketch of his contemporary society, through the contract of marriage as it is proposed from one landed-farmer to another, Chekov exposes the non-romantic nature of marriage as it occurs as a social practice. The point Chekov is trying to make, is that marriage is more of a convenient business deal subscribed to by society, rather than a romantic union between two people, Chekov resorts to satire in order to bring out the hollowness of marriage of marriage as a social institution. Chekhov underscores no bitterness with his audience, Instead through the mounting absurdity is all the more striking in its reception by the audience, because of the comic wrapping in which the play’s central theme is presented.
The three characters in the play register volatile emotions –
(i) Lomov is obsessed with concerns for his aliments and principles of ownership.
(ii) Chubukov is an astute businessman who keeped at heart the interest of his property and his daughter.
(iii) Natalya reveals a kindred obsession about property ownership.
The characters represent class attitudes rather than full-grown personalities. The characters share a common platform of acquisitive greed. Marriage is reduced is reduced to a mere social mechanism for farther accumulation of wealth. Chekov indicates that marriage is more union of necessity than choice. This poignantly expressed in Lomov’s declaration , “if I give myself get married. “When Chubukov says, “ I ought to be hanged”, His regret is more about a social security broken off than the romantic well-being og his daughter. When Natalya exclaims, “Worse! Worse ! Worse! “She shows greater propensity for argument than for acceptance of the merit a romantic proposal.
With the tight structure of the play, Chekhov puts the focus on marriage as convenience and treats his theme at a level of farce. The play lands a carefully contrived plot and attempts to provide no solution to the dramatic crisis, but merely holds up the mirror to the artificial resolution of conflict through a perfunctory proposal of marriage.