A DETAILED SYNOPSIS

OF
THE PROPOSAL

The action takes place in the drawing room in the house of the landowner,
Stepan Stepanovitch Chubukov. He lives with his daughter, Natalya
Stepanovna Natasha, who is now about 25 years of age but too old to live
single in 19th century Russia. Ivan Vassilevitch Lomov, who is a well-
grown healthy young man, is another landowner in the neighbourhood.
According to the original Russian version of the play, he is eternally
"querulous about his health", but it is not mentioned in the English
translation. He enters to visit Chubukov, wearing an evening dress and
white gloves. Their long acquaintance is clear in the way they greet each
other, shaking hands. The frequent use of salutations such as "My dearest
boy", "dear old boy", "my cherub" and "old fellow" in the language of
Chubukov implies that he is shrewd enough to manipulate the other
through his friendly-sounding clichés rather than there is a certain
amount of mutual friendship between the two landowners. However,
Chubukov is surprised by the formal dress worn by Lomov. Having
greeted him, Chubukov focuses attention on his dress. Asked whether he
is on the way to visit someone else, Lomov says that he came to visit only
Chubukov.
When he learns that Lomov came to ask for some favour, Chubukov
resolves not to help him if he is asking for any financial assistance. Lomov
still continues to excite Chubukov by praising him and by showing how
grateful he would be if he could receive the relevant help. When
Chubukov warns him not to spin it out, he reveals that he came to ask for
the hand of Natalya Stepanovna. Chubukov is rejoiced to hear it and
gratefully embraces and kisses Lomov and even cries. In a tone that
perfectly covers his hypocrisy, he expresses his eager anticipation of such
a glorious development between the two families, thanks him for the
honour of marrying his daughter, requests heaven to bless him, and offers
to call in Natasha.
Lomov is still doubtful whether Natasha would consent to his proposal
and Chubukov tries to convince him that she is already in love with him.
When Chubukov leaves to call in Natasha, Lomov remains in a struggle
to adjust himself to the oncoming romantic encounter. He is getting
chilled by the challenges that this situation would create for him. He
calculates the good qualities that Natasha has and tries to make up his
mind that he is heading for something positive. Yet, he suddenly loses his

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confidence just because he feels he is too old to get married. He starts
distrusting his physical constitution as well. He recalls the trembling, the
twitching, and the stabbing sensations that he feels in various parts of his
body in the night. While he is pondering on all types of discomforts that
he has been feeling in his body, Natasha comes in.
Without knowing the metaphorical meaning of Chubukov's cliché
"there's a merchant come for his goods" that describes Lomov as suitor for
her love, Natasha bluntly uses those words to express her surprise at
seeing him. When they greet each other, Natasha apologises for not being
properly dressed, and explains that she came from work. They sit down
and start talking. Having spoken about the weather, Natasha straight
away gets to the subject of farm work. While it is common for women in
this society to apologise for poor dressing, both weather and farm work
are stereotyped topics for this class of people to discuss.
She suddenly asks Lomov about wearing tails. Excited by her question,
he cannot come to the real topic and struggles to find a proper way in. He
makes a long drive around the subject instead of going straight into it.
First he talks about the long acquaintance between the two families; then
he mentions the location of the lands belonging to the two families; and
suddenly he annoys Natasha by talking about his "Oxen meadows" lying
alongside her "birchwoods".
This leads to the opening of a Pandora's box, because once the Oxen
meadows caused a great dispute between the two families and the mere
mention of them reopens the old wounds created by it. The dispute
between the two families over the real ownership of the Oxen meadows,
which was renewed in this way, creates a conflict between Natasha and
Lomov. They argue with each other like two price-fighters. Lomov
unnecessarily loses his breath by relating the whole history of the Oxen
meadows. Natasha also does not give in. She points out the limits of the
lands that belonged to her grandfather and her great-grandfather and
tries to prove her family's ownership of the land for some three hundred
years. From her talk it is clear that her family has a lot more land than the
particular meadows under dispute, but she still continues to claim that
they belong to her family.
Lomov repeats the historical background of the land, according to which
there have been some connections between the two families. The subject
of marriage becomes submerged by the claims that either one is making
for the Oxen meadows. Natasha is totally under the impression that
Lomov has come in a tail coat just to talk about the meadows. Lomov
himself does not have much value for the meadows. He offers to present
them to Natasha and it leads to further problems. Natasha comments on

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it as a breach of trust. The friendship between the two families is getting
shattered explodingly. They even start threatening each other. When
Natasha mentions about her peasants working over there, Lomov
threatens her to kick them out. Natasha retaliates with more power. In the
course of arguing with Natasha, Lomov develops his usual physical
ailments but still continues to make his point that the Oxen meadows are
his.
In the mean time, surprised and confused, Chubukov enters the scene and
Natasha wants him to support her in establishing that the meadows
belong to her family. Chubukov forgets the benefit of Lomov who has
selected to be his son-in-law and joins forces with Natasha in arguing
against him. Lomov offers to prove that they are his with documentary
evidence. Chubukov threatens Lomov that he will give the lands to the
peasants if he shouts. When Lomov asks about Chubukov's right to give
his property to someone else, the latter warns him not to talk in such a
harsh tone to an elderly person like him. Lomov calls Chubukov a
usurper, denying that he is a fool. The father and the daughter both shout
at him for that abuse, and threaten to send the workers to mow the
meadows. Lomov threatens to file a case against them in court. Chubukov
points out that litigation is a family tradition of the Lomovs'. The mention
of the family of the Lomovs opens a passage for all scandalous stories of
the two rival families to come in. Lomov develops his ailments but still
continues to insult the Chubukovs. Finally, he walks staggeringly out of
the door. Still the Chubukovs keep on abusing Lomov and his family.
When Natasha and Chubukov are alone, they talk about Lomov's
dishonesty in harsh, despicable language. At last Chubukov tells her
about the proposal that he made. Natasha cannot believe her ears.
Chubukov convinces her that he came in tails just to propose marriage to
her. Natasha forgets about her anger and at once presses her father to
bring him back. She shrieks hysterically, cries sadly, and pleads with her
father to bring back Lomov. Chubukov clutches at his head and asks again
and again how he could do that. He does not want to surrender himself
to Lomov once he has chased him out. Again Natasha impatiently cries
for Lomov, and Chubukov offers to bring him back. Natasha regrets that
it was her mistake.
Having seen Lomov returning, Chubukov comes back and advises
Natasha to talk to him by herself. In the meantime he talks about his
frustration caused by the burden of having a grown-up daughter. Finally,
he regrets abusing, insulting, and kicking out Lomov and accuses
Natasha of initiating all those arguments. Natasha does not think about
where she is at fault but blames her father. Once Lomov enters, Chubukov

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exits. Lomov comes in, complaining about his palpitations, numbness and
shooting pain. Natasha begs his forgiveness and apologetically confirms
that the Oxen meadows are his. He is still having body pains, but, instead
of keeping quiet, continues to establish his integrity as a principled
gentleman, and repeats the history of the meadows by referring to the
great aunts and the great grandfathers in his clan. Finally, Natasha finds
a way out from this situation.
Unfortunately, she brings in a controversial subject to change the
atmosphere. This time the topic of their conversation is hunting and
hounds. Lomov tells about his plan to go blackcock hunting and his dog,
Guess, which has gone lame. He is very sad about the dog. More than the
faith that the dog has shown him, he talks about the money he paid for it.
When Natalya says that the price of the dog was too high, he disagrees
with her, telling that his Guess is "a marvellous dog". Natasha makes a
big mistake by comparing it to her dog and by claiming that Squeezer is
better than Guess.
Again their conversation turns into a heated argument. Lomov laughs at
Natasha trying to compare her Squeezer to his Guess. Natasha describes
the potential qualities of her Squeezer such as youth, size, and cleverness.
Lomov refutes her argument by telling that Squeezer can run fast but has
a pug-jaw and therefore can never grip properly. Natasha tells him about
the pedigree of Squeezer and describes Guess as old and ugly as an old
hack. Lomov says that Guess is a rare type of animal and Squeezer is
ordinary. Natasha sums up the day's arguments and says that Lomov first
tried to pretend that the Oxen meadows are his, and is now trying to
establish that his Guess is better than her Squeezer. She considers him
untruthful. The virtues and defects of the two dogs become the fuel for
another long-winded argument. Lomov finds an excuse in his physical
ailments. He complains about different complications in his body and in
the mean time despises the poor Squeezer and praises his Guess. Natasha
continues to talk like a machine and objects to Lomov's warning to be
quiet. The situation changes from bad to worse when Chubukov comes
in.
Once again Chubukov inquires about what is going on. Natasha appeals
for her father's judgement about Squeezer and Guess. Lomov asks him
whether Squeezer has a pug-jaw or not. Their inquiries make Chubukov
join in the dog dispute as an ardent supporter of his daughter. He explains
all the good points and the bad points of Lomov's Guess, and condemns
it as a useless old dog.
Once again Lomov develops his palpitations, but he brings in historical
facts about the two dogs in question. He relates how Squeezer was half a

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mile behind when Guess kept up with the Count's spotter while they were
hunting in the Maruskin field. This infuriates Chubukov who still
remembers the Count's huntsman's bad treatment of his Squeezer, and
his anger and impatience increase when Lomov tries to justify it by
talking about Squeezer's undisciplined behaviour. In reaction to Lomov's
attitude to his dog, Chubukov points out that those hunters including
Lomov were all jealous of the other people's dogs. Once again Lomov
complains about his physical ailments.
The topic about the dogs leads to an exchange of insults between each
other. Natasha and Chubukov together become too powerful for Lomov
to handle. Natasha mocks at Lomov, commenting on his palpitations and
suggests to him, "You ought to go and lie on the kitchen oven and catch
black beetles, not go after foxes!" Chubukov recalls all that he felt about
Lomov while on hunting expeditions and tries to prove that he is not a
sportsman. Lomov, in spite of his numerous physical complications does
not give up but stresses that Chubukov goes out hunting in order to keep
company with the Count and to intrigue against other people. Angry
Chubukov threatens Lomov that he would shoot the latter "like a
partridge". They even comment on the way the women in their domestic
situations treat them. When Lomov tells about Chubukov's wife beating
him, Chubukov tells about Lomov's housekeeper controlling him.
Suddenly, Lomov ends up in a coma. He is lying in his chair. First the
father and the daughter both laugh at him. But, suddenly, Natasha
realises that she is going to lose him. She suspects he is dead, and presses
her father to call in a doctor. She keeps on sobbing and laughing
hysterically. Chubukov, surprised and afraid, checks whether Lomov is
truly dead. He expresses his regret about his own life. He even suggests
that he should have put an end to his life.
To both of their satisfaction Lomov makes a slight movement. Chubukov
notices him recovering, offers him a drink of water and takes heed to
marry the two willing people and to finish his responsibility of caring for
his daughter. He tells Lomov about the actual situation of his proposal.
Lomov is surprised to hear that Natasha is willing to marry him.
Chubukov's attitude to their marriage is somewhat negative but opport-
unist. Natasha realises Lomov's recovery and expresses again her consent
to marry him. Chubukov forces them to kiss each other as a symbolic
gesture of marriage. Both of them pleasantly kiss each other and express
their happiness. Chubukov feels relieved after getting released from the
burden of looking after his daughter. The vindictive nature of both these
young people arises instead of their happiness that is confirmed by a
token of love and a gesture of marriage. Before the situation has worsened

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