Hello friends today we are discuss this question, the question is -“Forgive us, Ivan Vassilevitch, we were all a little heated…” – Who is the speaker? Who are referred to by ‘us’? Why were the persons referred to ‘a little heated’ ? Why does the speaker ask for forgiveness?
The speaker is Natalya Stepanovna. Natalya has referred herself and her father, Chubukov as ‘us’.
The disagreement between Natalya and Lomov regarding the ownership of Oxen Meadows escalated when Chubukov joined the argument. It turned into a heated altercation and they started abusing each other’s family members. Lomov lost his calm and left Chubukov’s house. For this reason, the persons referred to in the above line were ‘a little heated”. Natalya asks for forgiveness because she cannot miss this golden opportunity to accept Lomov as her husband. Marriage is the only way through which she can portray herself as a respectable woman in a conservative society. Therefore, she is ready to forgive Lomov and also asks for forgiveness for the mistakes on her part.