"A MARRIAGE PROPOSAL."   Term Paper ID:30478 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Analysis of Anton Chekhov's play.... More...

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Paper Abstract: Analysis of Anton Chechov's play. Plot of courtship of Lomov and neighbor's daughter Natalya. Importance of land and money to the characters. Reasons for their constant fighting. Depiction of the rual social system and its relationship to the characters. The play as a metaphor for marriage as a continuing battle ground. Paper Introduction: In the short play "A Marriage Proposal," Anton Chekhov describes the odd courtship of Lomov, who seeks a marriage with his neighbor's daughter. Lomov and the woman he wants to marry fight before he can make his proposal, fight while he proposes, and fight after she agrees to marry him. They tend to fight every time they speak to one another, and while this alarms her father at first, he decides that the two just like to fight with each other. In the end, the father calls this last fight the "beginning of family happiness," though it is doubtful that a couple can fight all the time and achieve anything like bliss. The meeting between Lomov and Tchubukov suggests one sort of neighborhood arrangement, for Tchubukov could not be friendlier and more delighted to see Lomov, happier being asked about the marriage, and more positive about Lomov's prospects. Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. . I can't believe my ears . The father himself is a man who is willing to argue when the occasionarises, but overall he seems to be a man who would like to get along witheveryone and who is outwardly happy and friendly. Any appeal will be because of his land,much as Natalya's appeal is her ability as a manager. In the rural socialsetting, men and women are more equal because they share the work in a waythat men and women in urban regions do not. The long-standing argument over the meadow may be a source oftension, but it could be resolved with a marriage. The father always sides with thedaughter, but he embraces Lomov even as he mocks him. This is so important that all three get or feign illnesswhen challenged, as their frustrations affect them physically. Both sides state thatthey would rather give the land away than have someone take it from them,and marriage would solve the issue. It is strife that is the basis of their relationship,and it seems unlikely that strife can bind the two together for life as thefather implies. He is even effusive ashe greets Lomov and expresses love and admiration for him again and again.He also seems quite pleased to have him as a son-in-law, and the onlyglitch is the argument over the meadow. The daughter seems perfectly prepared for this match. Land is indeed the underlying subject much of the time, landtranslating as wealth and giving both families a stake in the region and away of identifying themselves. Later, he first says, "Kiss each otherand . . In the short play "A Marriage Proposal," Anton Chekhov describes theodd courtship of Lomov, who seeks a marriage with his neighbor's daughter.Lomov and the woman he wants to marry fight before he can make hisproposal, fight while he proposes, and fight after she agrees to marry him. . The fight that first erupts between Lomovand Natalya is over land (over a section called the Volovyi meadows whicheach claims to own). She herselfdescribes her activities of the day in terms of the managerial duties shehas undertaken - having the meadow mown, worrying about whether the cropwill rot, shelling peas, and so on. be damned to you" (119). Natalya sees Lomov and isdisappointed, stating, "Papa said a purchaser had come for the goods!"(1 9). Indeed, land and money seem to be the primary assets held by bothLomov and Natalya and her family. He, too, wants always tobetter Lomov, to have more, to have better, and to have his superiorityacknowledged. When theargument erupts, she throws Lomov out, but as soon as her father tells herLomov was going to propose, she demands that her father get him to comeback. It might seem to have aspects of the marriage arrangedbetween families to settle a dispute, but in some odd way, these two areattracted to one another because of their disputes. The father seems to be of two minds on the subject. In the end, the father calls this last fight the "beginning offamily happiness," though it is doubtful that a couple can fight all thetime and achieve anything like bliss. The whole affair has theaura of a business deal for both sides. Thewhole play creates a metaphor of marriage as an ongoing battle, which itcertainly will be for these two people. At the same time, there is a slightundercurrent as Tchubukov, first believing that Lomov wants to borrowmoney, states as an aside, "I am not going to give it to him" (1 7). New York: Washington Square Press, 1969. I havebeen hoping for it for ages" (1 8). Lomov, for his part, has selectedNatalya because she "is an excellent manager, not bad looking, educated"(1 8)--in other words, someone to take some of the burden of landmanagement from his shoulders. Tchubukov keeps calling Lomov "beauty"and implies that his beauty will certainly attract Natalya, but it is clearfrom Lomov's own description of himself that he is no beauty and that hishealth is not all it should be. This is especially true here.Natalya works with the peasants and oversees her father's property.Chekhov makes the couple equal even more because they seem to be male andfemale sides of the same aggressive and argumentative personality. They tend to fight every time they speak to one another, and while thisalarms her father at first, he decides that the two just like to fight witheach other. The argument over Backer and Tracker includes this element, andTchubukov enters and gets into the fight as well. Moneyremains an undercurrent throughout. Firs, when Lomovtells him he has come to ask for the hand of his daughter, Tchubukov seemsdelighted: "You precious darling . Yet, in spite of her apparent desirefor the proposal, Natalya never stops fighting with Lomov. Land, and the money landrepresents, may be important in making a marriage, but Lomov and Natalyafight over anything that would allow one to claim superiority over theother. Every setback for Lomov leads to "palpitations," which Natalya mockseven as she accepts Lomov for a husband. . . Then he seems excited about the matchand sees it as the beginning of bliss, though perhaps he is being ironicwhen he says this. . Of course, she is the goods her father is talking about, and thepurchaser would be whoever asks to marry her. Lomov and Natalya are depicted as equals, both socially and in termsof how men and woman are viewed in this society. Even if they settlethe meadow dispute, they find something else to argue a moment later. Marriage between these two families means a meldingof estates so that the land held is greater than before, and the meadowswill become joint property at some time in the future, even if thisargument never resolves the issue. The meeting between Lomov and Tchubukov suggests one sort ofneighborhood arrangement, for Tchubukov could not be friendlier and moredelighted to see Lomov, happier being asked about the marriage, and morepositive about Lomov's prospects. Family prideand pride in the land continue to be the prime motivating force for her,and her father watches this fight as if it were a love-match of epicproportions. Work CitedChekhov, Anton. This marriage is nota simple matter. The argument over Volovyi meadows suggests a certain competitivespirit between these two families, and this will be heightened during theargument over whose tracking dog is better. "The Proposal." In 15 International One-Act Plays. Lomov and Natalya not only fight about their hunting dogs--they fight like dogs over a series of bones. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.