Experiencing something new is almost always a refreshing experience. Whether it's something along the lines of learning to ride a bike, discovering a hidden talent, or, in my case, reading something that isn't a heavy and sometimes depressing work of literature. Since we are exposed to humor almost every day, it was a pleasant experience to encounter a story that concerns this component of daily life. Anton Chekhov's proposal is a comic work that stands out from others, given the circumstances, the way the author wrote his work and the way the reader can interpret what he is trying to convey. Chekhov's play takes place in a room in a man's farmhouse, and that is all the author provides for the reader to interpret the setting. This is why I enjoy reading plays more than standard fiction and poetry. Reading a poem or short story usually paints a vivid picture in the reader's mind and often explains exactly what one of the characters is thinking if it is written from the first-person point of view. While these paintings and explanations are nice to read about, they can be a pain for slow readers. Almost like a handicap, they can suppress people's reading progression. Instead, while reading or watching a play, you can follow the words as they simultaneously create an image in your mind. Seeing that this play takes place in farmland, I can't help but imagine that there are rays of sunshine beaming into the room, and in the distance there are rolling hills and grassy meadows. I imagine birds singing as they soar in the gentle breeze of the wind, and I can hear a steady stream of water flowing through a river in the background. However, the cha... middle of paper... balances the economic needs of marriage with what the characters themselves actually want, and shows Natasha's desperation for marriage as comical. At the time this story was written, marriage was known to many people as a symbol of economic stability. As a result, most of the Russian population married to acquire wealth or simply to integrate with the rest of society. This play is portrayed correctly because it successfully highlights the couple's disputes over the smallest and most senseless things. Works Cited Bradford, Wade. "The marriage proposal." About.com Games / Drama. NRelate and Web. 06 April 2014. .Madden, Frank. "The proposal." Exploring literature: writing and discussing fiction, poetry, drama and essays. Fifth ed. Boston: Pearson, 2012. 759-69. Press.