Gujarat Board GSEB Class 10 English Textbook Solutions First Flight Chapter 11 The Proposal Textbook Exercise Important Questions and Answers, Notes Pdf.
Gujarat Board Textbook Solutions Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 11 The Proposal
GSEB Class 10 English The Proposal Text Book Questions and Answers
Thinking about the Play
Question 1.
What does Chubukov at first suspect that Lomov has come for? Is he sincere when he later says “And I’ve always loved you, my angel, as if you were my own son” ? Find reasons for your answer from the play.
Answer:
At first, Chubukov suspected that Lomov had come to borrow money. He was not sincere when he told Lomov that he had always loved him and that he was like his own son. He had decided that he would not give Lomov any money if he tried borrowing from him. If he truly meant what he had said, then he would not have thought of not giving him money He said so only because Lomov had come with the proposal to marry his daughter.
Question 2.
Chubukov says of Natalya:”… as if she won’t consent! She’s in love; egad, she’s’ like a lovesick cat…” Would you agree ? Find reasons for your answer.
Answer:
Chubukov thought that Lomov was a good marriage prospect for his daughter. He had been waiting for this proposal. When Lomov expressed his doubt regarding Natalya’s consent to the proposal, Chubukov immediately told him that she was in love with him. However, this was not true. Natalya did not seem to be in love with Lomov at any point in the play. It seemed like she was more attached to her land, meadows and dogs than to Lomov. In fact, the way they kept getting into arguments about trivial matters suggests that neither Lomov nor Natalya? was in love with each other.
Question 3.
(i) Find all the words and expressions in the play that the characters use to speak about each other, and the accusations and insults they hurl at each other. (For example, Lomov in the end. calls Chubukov an intriguer; but earlier, Chubukov has himself called Lomov a “malicious, double faced intriguer.” Again, Lomov begins by describing Nayalya as “an excellent housekeeper, not bad-looking, well-educated.”)
Answer:
Several words and expressions have been used by the characters to describe each other. Some of them are as follows:
Chubukov: grabber; intriguer; .old rat; Jesuit
Natalya: a lovesick cat; an excellent housekeeper; not bad-looking, well-educated
Lomov: a good neighbour; a friend; impudent; pettifogger; a malicious, double-faced intriguer; rascal; blind hen; turnip-ghost; a villain; a scarecrow; monster; the stuffed sausage; the wizen-faced frump; boy; pup; milksop; fool
(ii) Then think of five adjectives or adjectival expressions of your own to describe each character in the play
(iii) Can you now imagine what these characters will quarrel about next ?
[Note : Students will attempt answers to these two questions themselves.]
Thinking about Language
1.
Question 1.
This play has been translated into English from the Russian original. Are there any expressions or ways of speaking that strike you as more Russian than English? For example, would an adult man be addressed by an older man as my darling or my treasure in an English play ?
Read through the play carefully, and find expressions that you think are not used in contemporary English, and contrast these with idiomatic modern English expressions that also occur in the play.
Answer:
| Expressions not used in contemporary English | Modern English expressions: |
| (1) “my darling”, “my beauty”, “my precious”, “my angel”, “my beloved” (here, an older man is addressing an adult man) | (1) “Madam”, “my heart”, “honoured Natalya Stepanovna” (used by Lomov for Natalya) |
| (2) “………..and so on…………” (here, it is used after a sentence in order to complete it) | (2) “Honoured Stepan Stepanovitch” (used by Lomov for Chubukov) |
| (3) “…………… and all that sort of thing.” (not explaining what it is, just leaving it as it is) | (3) “I beg your pardon ……………” |
| (4)“………… and all that.” (again leaving the sentence as it is) | (4) “My dear fellow” (Chubukov addressing Lomov) |
| (5)“the scarecrow”, “the stuffed sausage”, “the wizen-faced frump” (In this way, they hurled . insults at each other) | (5) “malicious, double-faced intriguer”, “fool” (Chubukov insulting Lomov) |
| (6) “And how may you be getting on ?” (Here, Lomov is asking Chubukov about his well-being) | (6) “Hi ! How are the things with you these days?” |
Question 2.
Look up the following words in a dictionary and And out how to pronounce them. Pay attention to how many syllables there are in each word, and find out which syllable is stressed, or said more forcefully.
1. palpitations
2. pedigree
3. malicious
4. accustomed
5. interfere
6. principIe
7. embezzlement
8. temporary
9. implore
10. evidence
11. architect
12. behaviour
13. thoroughbred
14. misfortune
15. neighbours
16. documents
Answer:
The syllables in each of these words are made distinct with hyphens (-) (small dash) (Numbers in brackets indicate number of syllables.)
1. pal-pi-ta-tions (4)
2. ped-i-gree (3)
3. ma-li-cious (3)
4. ac-cus-tomed (3)
5. in-ter-fere (3)
6. prin-ci-ple (3)
7. em-bez-zle-ment (4)
8. tem-po-rary (3)
9. im-plore (2)
10. ev-i-dence (3)
11. ar-chi-tect (3)
12. be-hav-iour (3)
13. thor-ough-bred (3)
14. mis-for-tune (3)
15. neigh-bours (2)
16. doc-u-ments (3)
Question 3.
Look up the following phrases in a dictionary to find out their meaning, and then uie each in a sentence of your own:
(i) You may take it that
(ii)He seems to be coming round
(iii) My foot’s gone to sleep
Answer:
(i) You may take it that I am lying, but in fact it will help you in the long run.
(ii) He seems to be coming round after the trauma of his father’s death.
(iii) After the three hour long yoga session, my foot’s gone to sleep.
2.
Reported Speech
You must have noticed that when we report someone’s exact words, we have to make some changes in the sentence structure. In the following sentences fill in the blanks to list the changes that have occurred in the above pairs of sentences. One has been done for you.
(1) To report a question, we use the reporting verb asked (as in Sentence Set 1).
(2) To report a declaration, we use the reporting verb …………. .
(3) The adverb of place here changes to ………………
(4) When the verb in direct speech is in the present tense, the verb in reported speech is in the ……………. tense (as in Sentence Set 3).
(5) If the verb in direct speech is in the present continuous tense, the verb in reported speech changes to …………….. tense. For example …………… changes to was getting.
(6) When the sentence in direct speech . contains a word denoting respect, we add the adverb ……………. in the reporting clause (as in Sentence Set 1).
( 7 ) The pronouns I, me, our and mine, which are used in the first person in direct speech, change to third person pronouns such as, ……………., ……………., ……………., or ……………. in reported speech.
Answer:
(1) To report a question, we use the reporting verb asked.
(2) To report a declaration, we use the reporting verb declared.
(3) The adverb of place here changes to there.
(4) When the verb in direct speech is in the present tense, the verb in reported speech is in the past tense.
(5) If the verb in direct speech is in the present continuous tense, the verb in reported speech changes to past continuous tense. For example, am getting changes to was getting.
(6) When the sentence in direct speech contains a word denoting respect, we add the adverb respectfully in the reporting clause.
(7) The pronouns I, me, our and mine, which cure used in the first person in direct speech, change to third person pronouns such as he / she, him / her, their or his/hers in reported speech.
Question 5.
Here is an excerpt from an article from the Times of India dated 27 August, 2006. Rewrite it, changing the sentences in direct speech into reported speech. Leave the other sentences unchanged.
“Why do you want to know my age ? If people knowJ am so old, I won’t get work!” laughs 90-year-old A. K. Hangal, one of Hindi cinema’s most famous character actors. For his age, he is rather energetic. “What’s the secret?” we ask. “My intake of everything is in small quantities.
And I walk a lot,” he replies. “I joined the industry when people retire. I was in my 40s. So I don’t miss being called a star. I am still respected and given work, when actors of my age are living in poverty and without work. I don’t have any complaints,” he says, adding, “but yes, I have always been underpaid.” Recipient of the Padma Bhushan, Hangal never hankered after money or materialistic gains. “No doubt I am content today, but money is important. I was a fool not to understand the value of money earlier,” he regrets.
Answer:
90-year-old A. K. Hangal, one of Hindi cinema’s most famous character actors, laughingly asked why we wanted to know his age. If people knew he was that old, he would not get work. For his age, he is rather energetic. We asked him what the secret was. He replied that his intake of everything was in small quantities and he walked a lot. He said that he had joined the industry when people retired. He had been in his 40s.
So he did not miss being called a star. He was still respected and given work, when actors of his age were living in poverty and without work. He said he did not . have any complaints, adding that he had . always been underpaid. Recipient of the Padma Bhushan, Hangal never hankered after money or materialistic gains. He said that no doubt he was content at present, but money was important. He said regretfully that he was a fool not to understand the value of money before.
GSEB Class 10 English The Proposal Additional Important Questions and Answers
Read the following passages and select the most appropriate answers for the questions given below them:
Question 1.
LOMOV. It’s cold …………. I’m trembling all over…………… I must resolve myself. I need steely determination. If I hesitate, I’m finished. If I take time to look for an ideal, or for real love, then I’ll never get married ………….. (Shivers)………….. It’s so cold ! Natalya Stepanovna is an excellent housekeeper, not bad-looking… well-educated ………….. What more do I want ? Oh I’m getting that ringing in my ears again!. (Drinks) In any event, I need to marry. It’s a simple as that. I’m already 35 -1 ought to lead a quiet and regular life with no upsets.
I’m suffering from palpitations, I’m far too excitable. At this very moment my lips are trembling, and I’m getting that twitch in my right eyebrow ….again! But the worst thing of all is………. sleep ………… or the lack of it! As soon as my head hits the pillow, something in my left side-gives a pull, (makes a stretching sound) and I can feel it in my shoulder and head ……………. I jump up like a lunatic, walk about a bit, and lie down again, but as soon as I begin to get off to sleep, it happens again (stretching sound) there’s another pull! And this may happen s twenty times ……………….
1. Which sentence / s show that Lomov is not confident ?
A. I’m trembling all over.
B. I must resolve myself.
C. I hesitate, I’m finished.
D. All these three.
Answer:
D. All these three.
2. Lomov has no great expectations from Stepanovna as a wife. Which of the following sentences shows this?
A. I need steely determination.
B. What more do I want?
C. In any event, I need to marry.
D. Natalya Stepanovna is an excellent house-keeper.
Answer:
B. What more do I want?
3. Lomov does not want to ………………….
A. accept the proposal.
B. come out of his excitement.
C. sleep.
D. walk about a bit.
Answer:
C. sleep.
4. Lomov is quite resolute about getting married because ………………
A. he is getting overage for marriage.
B. he needs to lead a quiet and regular life.
C. he wants to get the property of Natalya.
D. Both ‘A’ and ‘B’.
Answer:
D. Both ‘A’ and ‘B’.
Question 2.
LOMOV: But, Stepan Stepanitch, how can they be yours ? Please be reasonable man! My aunt’s grandmother gave the Meadows for the temporary and free use of your grandfather’s peasants. The peasants used the land for forty years and got as accustomed to it as if it was their own, but what happened was ……………… .
CHUBUKOV: Excuse me ………….. . You have forgotten that the peasants didn’t pay your grandmother and all that, , because the Meadows were in dispute, and so on. And now every dog in the village knows that they’re ours. It means that you haven’t seen the survey plans.
LOMOV: I’ll prove to you that they’re mine !
CHUBUKOV: You won’t prove it.
LOMOV: I shall!
CHUBUKOV:Why yell like that? You won’t prove anything by yelling. I don’t want anything of yours, and don’t intend to give up anything of mine. Why should I ? And furthermore if you intend to go on arguing about it, I’d just as soon give the meadows over to the peasants than let you have them. So there!
1. Lomov argues about the ownership of the meadows that the meadows actually belonged to ……………..
A. his aunt.
B. his aunt’s grandmother.
C. Chubukov’s grandfather.
D. Lomov’s peasants.
Answer:
B. his aunt’s grandmother.
2. Because the meadows being in dispute, ………………
A. Lomov could not claim the meadows to be his.
B. Chubukov could not claim the meadows to be his.
C. the peasants didn’t pay Lomov’s grandmother.
D. Lomov’s aunt could not claim the meadows to be hers.
Answer:
C. the peasants didn’t pay Lomov’s grandmother.
3. ‘And now every dog in the village knows that they’re ours’. This sentence means …………………
A. ‘It is widely known that the meadows belonged to Chubukov and his forefathers’.
B. ‘Nobody can deny that the meadows belonged to Chubukov and his forefathers’.
C. ‘Every dog in the village has visited those meadows.’
D. ‘Very few persons in the village know that the meadows belonged to Chubukov and his forefathers’.
Answer:
A. ‘It is widely known that the meadows belonged to Chubukov and his forefathers’.
4. Chubukov will finally …………………
A. go to the court to have his claim over the meadows realized.
B. will not allow his daughter to marry Lomov.
C. will give away the meadows to the peasants.
D. All of these three
Answer:
C. will give away the meadows to the peasants.
Question 3.
CHUBUKOV: Don’t excite yourself, dear , boy ……………. Allow me …………… Your Guesser certainly has his good points ………………. He’s purebred, firm on his feet, has well-sprung ribs, and all that and so on. But, if you want to know the truth, that dog has two defects: he’s old and he’s short in the muzzle.
LOMOV: You’ll have to excuse me but I’m having severe heart murmurs …………… Let’s face the facts ………….. shall we? You will remember that oh the Marusinsky hunt my Guesser ran neck-and-neck with the Count’s dog, Fresher while your Messer was chasing up the rear.
CHUBUKOV: He got left behind because the Count hit him with his whip.
LOMOV: He had good reason. The dogs are supposed to rim after a fox, but Messer went and started chasing a sheep!
CHUBUKOV: It’s not true! ……………. Now, I’m very liable to lose my temper, and so, let’s stop arguing. You started because everybody is always jealous of everybody else’s dogs. Yes, we’re all like that! You no sooner notice that some dog is better than your Guesser than you begin with this, that ……………. and so on ……………… and all that …………….. I remember everything!
1. For which part of the dog’s body is the word ‘muzzle’ used?
A. Posterior part
B. Projecting mouth and nose of dog
C. Belly part
D. Neck part
Answer:
B. Projecting mouth and nose of dog
2. The meaning of the phrase ‘ran neck-and- neck’ means ……………….
A. ‘with the same pace’.
B. ‘keeping others behind’.
C. Tagging behind’.
D. ‘in cutthroat competition’.
Answer:
A. ‘with the same pace’.
3. Messer is ………………
A. the Count.
B. Lomov’s dog.
C. Chubukov’s dog.
D. a sheep.
Answer:
C. Chubukov’s dog.
4. What is Lomov suffering from?
A. severe cold.
B. heart problem.
C. severe headache.
D. sleeplessness.
Answer:
B. heart problem.
Answer the following questions in three to four sentences each:
Question 1.
Which qualities are common in all three characters of the play ‘The Proposal’?
Answer:
All the characters in the play are argumentative, full of pride and possessiveness. They are always ready to argue for petty things.
Question 2.
How does Lomov come to Chubukov’s house ? What for does he come ? How is he received ?
Answer:
Lomov came to Chubukov’s house in the evening dress with gloves on. He comes to propose to his daughter Natalya. He is received with all the respect by Chubukov.
Question 3.
How does Chubukov react when Lomov says that he has come to ask for the hand of his daughter ?
Answer:
When Lomov says that he has come to ask for the hand of his daughter, Chubukov gets off balanced with joy. He embraces and kisses Lomov, sheds a tear of joy and calls for God’s blessing for Lomov and Natalya.
Question 4.
Why did Lomov want to get married ?
Answer:
Lomov wanted to get married as he was already 35 years old. Moreover, he was suffering due to a weak heart and sleep-sickness and wanted company of someone to look after him.
Question 5.
What happens to Lomov when he is in an excited state ?
Answer:
When Lomov is in an excited state his heartbeat increases, lips tremble and there is a twitch in his right eyebrow. When he goes to sleep in such a ‘state something pulls him from his left side and he jumps like a lunatic.
Question 6.
How does Natalya excite Lomov to the point of verbal fighting ?
Answer:
Natalya repeatedly insisted that Oxen Meadows are theirs and told Lomov that up to now she considered Lomov as a good neighbour and friend. This excited Lomov to the point of verbal fighting.
Question 7.
Lomov’s reaction when Chubukov says that he is not used to misbehaviour by a young man like Lomov?
Answer:
Lomov reacts by saying that Chubukov thinks that he is a fool. He says that he cannot talk to him calmly and How does politely as he is making a false claim to his property. He further accuses Chubukov of being a grabber.
Question 8.
Why does Natalya ask her father Chubukov to fetch Lomov in at once ? Why does she accuse her father ?
Answer:
Natalya asked her father to fetch Lomov at once as she had come to know that Lomov had come to propose her. She accused Chubukov of driving Lomov out of their home.
Question 9.
How does Natalya react when she comes to know that Lomov had come to propose ?
Answer:
When Natalya cames to know that Lomov had come there to propose her, she was shocked. She wails, changes her stance and asks her father to fetch Lomov.
Answer the following questions in five to six sentences each:
Question 1.
Neighbours must have a cordial relationship which Lomov and Natalya do not have. Describe the first fight between them.
Answer:
Lomov and Natalya meet and .rather than proposing her he gets off the point. He tells her how he inherited his land and how he respects her father. He also tells Natalya that his Oxen meadows touch Natalya’s Birchwood. On hearing this, Natalya says that Oxen Meadows are theirs. They start arguing about it. Lomov clarifies that he is talking about the Oxen Meadows that are between her Birchwoods and Burnt marsh. Natalya again insists that they are theirs.
Lomov refuses it. He tells her that his aunt’s grandmother gave those meadows to her father’s grand father. The peasants used the land for forty years and started regarding it as their own. Natalya’s father comes and also starts quarreling with Lomov. They get into a heated argument and resort to name-calling. After some time, Lomov leaves their house.
Question 2.
Justify the title of the play ‘The Proposal’.
Answer:
The title of the play is ‘The proposal’ and it is a very apt one because the whole play is about Lomov proposing Natalya. Right from the beginning to the end of the play, the story revolves round a marriage proposal. Lomov comes to Natalya’s house to propose to her but even before he does it, they both start fighting. As a result, Lomov becomes sick and leaves. Natalya’s father informs her about the intention of Lomov and she starts lamenting over the loss. Lomov is called back and once again an argument ensues before proposing. Hence, we can say that the title is perfect for the play.
Question 3.
Sketch the character of Stephen. Chubukov.
Answer:
In the play The Proposal Anton Chechov has presented three characters. Stephen Chubukov is one of them. He was a land owner who had a daughter named Natalya. He was a very quarrelsome man but had a habit of speaking politely to everyone initially. He welcomes Lomov in a polite manner and is happy when he says he has come to propose to his daughter. Chubukov was a man to be carried away easily and so when Natalya and Lomov had an argument he too joined in and insulted Lomov. Chubukov is projected as a loving father but a greedy man who is looking for a good match for his daughter.
Question 4.
Briefly describe the character of Lomov.
Answer:
Lomov was a thirty five-year-old unmarried man. He anxiously waited to get married because he had reached a critical age. He proposed a girl named Natalya in his neighbourhood. Lomov was a strange man. He went to propose Natalya but quarrelled over petty issues like the Oxen Meadows and pet dogs. He also abused Natalya and her father.
Question 5.
Describe the character of Natalya in few sentences.
Answer:
Natalya was a young girl of twenty-five. She lived in the neighbourhood of Lomov and could do all the household work. She yearned for love and was quarrelsome by nature. She too quarrelled with Lomov over meadows and their pet dogs as to which one was a better breed.
Grammar
Rectify the errors in each of the following lines as shown in the example:
(1)
Answer:
CHUBUKOV. To court ? You go ahead, can bring it to court, and all that. By all mines do! I know you. You’re just looking after a chance to go to court and so on. All your people was like that!
Your family is famous for suing somebody and everybody.
Example:
| Error | Correction |
| bring | take |
| mines | means |
| after | for |
| was | were |
| somebody | anybody |
(2)
Lomov: Here me out, I implore you ! The peasants of your father’s grandfather, as I have already have the honour of explanation to you, used to bake bricks for my aunt’s grandmother. Then my aunt’s grandmother, wished to make them a pleasant ………………
Example:
| Error | Correction |
| Here | Hear |
| have | had |
| explanation | explaining |
| Then | Now |
| wished | wishing |
Turn the following dialogue into Indirect Speech:
Question 1.
Natalya: It’s not true ! I’ll prove it! I’ll send my mowers out to the Meadows this very day!
Lomov:What ?
Natalya: My powers will be there this very day!
Lomov: I’ll give it to them in the neck! Natalya :You dare!
Answer:
Natalya told Lomov firmly that it was not true and added that she would prove it. Then she told assertively that she would send her mowers out to the Meadows that very day. Lomov asked her with surprise what she was telling. Natalya repeated forcefully that her mowers would be there that very day. Lomov said threateningly that he would give it to them in the neck. Natalya challenged him to dare it.
Question 2.
Chubukov:Why are you so formal? What’s the occasion ? Why the evening dress, gloves, and so
on and all that. Are you going somewhere ?
Lomov: No, I’ve come only to see you, honoured Stepan Stepanovitch.
Answer:
Chubukov asked Lomov with a little surprise why he had been so formal. He wanted to know if it was some occasion that he had put on the evening dress, gloves, and so on. Then he asked further if he was going somewhere. Lomov declined that it was nothing like that. He made the point clear respectfully to Stepan Stepanovitch that he had gone there only to see him.
Rewrite as directed:
(1) Why are you so formal in your get up ? (Turn into Assertive.)
(2) I’ve come to ask the hand of your daughter. (Use ‘so that’.)
(3) If I give myself time to think, I’ll never get married. (Use ‘unless’.)
(4) The weather is splendid. (Turn into Exclamatory.)
(5) Yesterday the weather was so wet that • the workmen didn’t do anything all day. (Use ‘since’.)
(6 ) There is nothing to argue about. (Turn into Affirmative.)
(7) You don’t prove anything just by yelling. (Turn into Complex.)
Answer:
(1) You should not be so formal in your get up,
(2) I’ve come so that I can ask the hand of your daughter.
(3) Unless I give myself time to think, I’ll get married.
(4) How splendid the weather is!
(5) Since the weather was very wet, the workmen didn’t do anything all day.
(6) Arguing ends here.
(7) You don’t prove anything if you keep on yelling.
The Proposal Summary in English
The Proposal Introduction:
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (29 January, 1860- 15 July, 1904) was a Russian playwright and short story writer, who is considered to be among the greatest writers of short fiction in history. His career as a playwright produced four classics, and his best short stories are held in high esteem by writers and critics.
Along with Henrik Ibsen and August Strindberg, Chekhov is often referred to as one of the three seminal figures in the birth of early modernism in the theatre. Chekljov practised as a medical doctor throughout most of his literary career: “Medicine is my lawful wife”, he once said, “and literature is my mistress.” He is recognized as a master of the modern short story and a leading playwright of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The Proposal Summary:
In the short play “The Proposal”, Anton Chekhov describes the odd courtship of Lomov, who seeks a marriage with his neighbour’s daughter. Lomov, aged 35, is a long time neighbour of Chubukov. He is a landowner who has inherited property from his aunt. Though he is well fed and healthy, he is hypochondriac. He suffers from palpitations and sleeplessness due to his nervousness. He has passed a critical stage of marriage.
He now knows that if he will search for an ideal woman or true love, he will never marry. So he is now desperate to marry Natalya. He thinks that she is not bad-looking and has some education. He wants to lead a, steady and regular life. So, he visits the house of his neighbour Chubukov early morning dressed in formal suit. Chubukov is surprised at the unexpected arrival of Lomov in his formal dress. Lomov asks him Natalya’s hand in marriage. Chubukov is also desperately looking for a suitable man for his 25-year-old daughter, Natalya.
As a father of a grown-up daughter, he immediately gives joyful permission to marry Natalya. She is invited into the room. Lomov becomes nervous and instead of putting his proposal, he begins to beat about the bush. When he says that his Ox Meadows touch her birch woods, she begins to argue with him about the ownership of that piece of land. After her father notices they are arguing, he joins in, and then, sends Lomov- out of the house. Chubukov then tells his daughter that Lomov was there to propose her. Natalya repents and asks her father to call him back. Lomov comes and she asks him about his hunting program.
He says that he will start hunting after harvest because his best dog has gone lame. At this point, Natalya contradicts him again and claims that her dog Leap is better than his dog Guess. Thus the quarrel begins again till over-excitement makes Ldmov faint in a chair. Seeing him quiet and unmoving, Natalya thinks that he is dead and becomes hysterical. At last Lomov comes into senses and Chubukov forces them to kiss each other and accept the marriage proposal. Immediately following the kiss, Natalya and Lomov start quarrelling. Chubukov shouts for Champagne because he wants to celebrate their marriage and at the same time he feels free by the burden of his grown-up daughter.