In the beginning of Chekhov’s play the main character Yvonne displays severe anxiety leading up to asking Natasha’s father for his blessing on proposing to Natasha. He begins to question his motive for proposing to Natasha. He states, “You just keep thinking about it and you argue back and forth and talk a lot and wait for the ideal woman to offer true love and you’ll never get married, awfully cold in here.” This shows that Yvonne is not sure if he really wants to propose to her, and also that he is only proposing because he feels he has no other option. As the movie went on, the couple discovered they had many differences, however because they both had the desire to be married, they both agreed to marry each other.

            I believe the marriage proposal is a mixture of outdated commentary but also still used today. Many couples want an extravagant marriage proposal or are desperate to get married because that is what is expected of them, while others are comfortable with just living with their partner and continuing to be together without getting married. It is not a requirement to have a large engagement, there have been many proposals that are just the couple. Some engagements are just immediate family members. Today’s society prioritizes their social media appearance; however many also prioritize their privacy and intimate moments. For example, Ariana Grande got married in the comfort of her own home, however no one knew until she displayed it on social media. Society has become more accepting of being with your partner for long periods of time, as well as being an unmarried adult and not being shamed for it.