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LOMOV: But you can see from the documents, honoured Natalya Stepanovna. Oxen Meadows, it’s true, were once the subject of dispute, but now everybody knows that they are mine. There’s nothing to argue about. You see my aunt’s grandmother gave the free use of these Meadows in perpetuity to the peasants of your father’s grandfather, in return for which they were to make bricks for her. The peasants belonging to your father’s grandfather had the free use of the Meadows for forty years, and had got into the habit of regarding them as their own, when it happened that...
NATALYA: No, it isn’t at all like that! Both grandfather and greatgrandfather reckoned that their land extended to Burnt Marsh — which means that Oxen Meadows were ours. I don’t see what there is to argue about. It’s simply silly!
Explanation:
Lomov mentioned having documentation proving his ownership of the Oxen Meadows property to Natalya. He even mentioned that Oxen Meadows were previously a disputed piece of land but that the disagreement had been settled, and they were now his.
Lomov says that going back in time, his aunt's grandmother had given the peasants of Natalya's father's family permission to use Oxen Meadows in exchange for making bricks for his aunt's grandmother. The peasants were given it for forty years, during which time they allegedly formed the habit of considering it to be their own.
According to Lomov, the peasants who belonged to Natalya's grandfather gradually began to conceive of themselves as holders of the land that Lomov's aunt's grandmother had once given them free access to. Therefore, according to Lomov, Oxen Meadows belonged to his aunt, and just because Natalya's family workers were utilising it did not make it their property.
Natalya disagreed with Lomov's argument as she heard her grandfather and great-grandfather telling her that their property extended to Burnt Marsh since she was a young child. She believed in them and didn't see the purpose in disputing who owned them.
Meaning of difficult words:
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S.No
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Words
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Meaning
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1.
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Dispute | Refers to a disagreement or an argument |
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2.
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Perpetuity | A bond with no maturity date |
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3.
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Peasants | Refer to poor farm labourers |
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4.
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Reckon | To believe that something is true or possible |
Reference:
National Council of Educational Research and Training (2007). The Proposal - Anton Chekov (pp. 142-161). Published at the Publication Division by the Secretary, National Council of Educational Research and Training, Sri Aurobindo Marg, New Delhi.
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