Summary
"The Luncheon" by Somerset Maugham is a short story about a man who is approached by a woman he once knew, who asks him to take her out for lunch. The woman, who had once impoverished the man, promised to only have a modest meal, but ended up ordering several expensive dishes. Despite the man's concerns about being able to pay the bill, he took her to the expensive restaurant and treated her to lunch. Years later, the man runs into the woman again and sees that she has become extremely overweight, weighing 21 stone. The man, who is not a vengeful person, finds satisfaction in the contrast of their current circumstances, feeling that he has finally had his revenge. The story is characterized by its use of irony, as the actions of the characters often contradict their words and expectations.
UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT
Question 1. Although the author was not a vindictive man he was very happy to see the twenty one stone lady who had impoverished him twenty years ago, and says he had finally had his revenge. What makes him says this?
Answer:
Twenty years prior, the author struggled to make ends meet financially. The lady asked him to take her to Foyot's, a pricey restaurant, for lunch. The author believed he could only afford to treat her to a modest meal. The lady assured him that she never ate much for lunch, but ended up ordering several expensive dishes. Despite this, she persisted in claiming she only had one small dish and scolded the author for eating too much meat (a single small mutton chop). This left the author penniless for a whole month. The memory of this incident stayed with him, and when he met the lady again twenty years later, she had become extremely overweight, weighing 21 stone. Despite not being a vengeful person, the author felt that he had finally gotten his revenge.
Question 2. There are quite a few places where the author uses the expressions ‘My heart sank, panic seized’ etc. What was the reason for this? Explain.
Answer:
The author was residing in a small flat in Paris and struggled to make ends meet. The lady requested he take her to Foyot's, a lavish restaurant, for lunch. During the meal, she ordered a number of pricey dishes. This caused the writer to become anxious about paying the bill, leading to expressions such as "my heart sank" and "panic seized me".
Question 3. Locate instances of irony in the story.
Answer:
In "The Luncheon" by Somerset Maugham, there are several instances of irony:
The lady promised not to eat much for lunch, but ended up ordering several expensive dishes, which was the opposite of what she promised.
Despite being unable to afford the bill, the author treated the lady to lunch at an expensive restaurant.
The lady scolded the author for eating too much meat (a single small mutton chop) even though she had ordered several dishes.
The author had been impoverished by the lady twenty years prior, but when they met again, he was content with his life while she had become overweight.
The lady advised the author not to eat too much, but she herself had ordered several dishes and become overweight.
These instances of irony highlight the contrast between the lady's actions and words, as well as the unexpected outcomes of certain events.
Question 4. What are the instances which create humour in “The Luncheon”?
Answer:
"The Luncheon" by Somerset Maugham has several instances that create humour:
The lady's promise to only have a modest meal, but her subsequent ordering of several expensive dishes, is a source of humor due to the contrast between her words and actions.
The lady scolding the author for eating too much meat (a single small mutton chop), even though she herself had ordered several dishes, is a humorous situation that highlights the irony and contrast between the characters' actions.
The contrast between the author's worry about paying the bill and the lady's insistent ordering of expensive dishes is also a source of humor.
The description of the lady's weight gain and the author's satisfaction with their changed circumstances, despite his not being a vindictive person, adds to the humor of the story.
Overall, the humor in the story arises from the contrast between the characters' words and actions, as well as the unexpected outcomes of certain events.
TALKING ABOUT THE TEXT
Question 1. People with foibles are often not conscious of them. Discuss in the light of the story.
In "The Luncheon," the lady is a character with a foible and is not conscious of it. Her foible is her tendency to over-indulge in food, as evidenced by her insistent ordering of several expensive dishes despite promising to only have a modest meal. This behavior is not something she is aware of or conscious of, as she scolds the author for eating too much meat (a single small mutton chop) even though she herself had ordered several dishes.
This is a common phenomenon, where people with foibles are often not conscious of them. People's habits and behaviors can be shaped by their experiences, personality, and environment, and they may not realize the impact they have on others or themselves. In this case, the lady's habit of over-indulging in food is not something she is aware of, and she is not consciously trying to be difficult or troublesome.
In conclusion, the story highlights the idea that people with foibles are often not conscious of them and that this can lead to unexpected and humorous situations.
Question 2. Discuss the author’s attempts at keeping up his pretence of friendliness while he was mentally preoccupied with the expense of the luncheon.
Answer:
In "The Luncheon," the author is trying to maintain a pretence of friendliness while he is mentally preoccupied with the expense of the lunch. He is worried about the cost of the meal and is concerned that he will not have enough money to pay the bill. Despite this, he tries to appear friendly and cordial to the lady, who is the one who asked him to take her to lunch.
The author uses expressions such as "my heart sank" and "panic seized me" to show his internal struggle and the tension he feels about the cost of the meal. However, he tries to keep up the pretence of friendliness by making small talk with the lady and acting as if everything is normal. He does this to avoid offending her or making her feel uncomfortable, even though he is worried about the cost of the meal.
In conclusion, the author's attempts at maintaining a pretence of friendliness while being mentally preoccupied with the expense of the lunch highlight the tension between the characters and the internal struggle of the author. Despite his worries, he tries to present himself as friendly and cordial, showing the contrast between his internal thoughts and external demeanor.
APPRECIATION
Question 1. The author is a humorist
a. How does the story reflect his sense of humour?
b. What makes his lady friend remark—‘you are quite a humorist’?
c. Give instances of the author’s ability to laugh at himself.
Answer:
"The Luncheon" by Somerset Maugham reflects the author's sense of humor through its use of irony, contrast, and humorous situations. The story is written in a lighthearted and witty tone, which highlights the author's ability to find humor in everyday situations and to present it in an entertaining manner.
The author creates humor in the story by contrasting the words and actions of the characters. For example, the lady promises to only have a modest meal but ends up ordering several expensive dishes, which is a source of humor due to the contrast between her words and actions. The author also uses humor to highlight the ironies of the situation, such as the lady scolding the author for eating too much meat (a single small mutton chop), even though she herself had ordered several dishes.
In addition, the author uses humor to present the tension between the characters and the internal struggle of the author. The contrast between the author's worry about paying the bill and the lady's insistent ordering of expensive dishes is also a source of humor. The description of the lady's weight gain and the author's satisfaction with their changed circumstances, despite his not being a vindictive person, adds to the humor of the story.
Overall, the story reflects the author's sense of humor through its use of irony, contrast, and humorous situations. The author's ability to find humor in everyday situations and present it in an entertaining manner is what makes the story a humorous and enjoyable read.
The story revolves around the author's lady friend inviting him to have lunch at the expensive restaurant Foyot. Despite financial limitations, the author agrees to go to the restaurant that is frequently visited by senators. He formulates a plan to order only a few items so that he doesn't overspend for the month. However, the irony arises when the lady friend starts placing one order after another, completely unaware of the author's budget constraints. Eventually, she suggests having a small lunch, to which the author jokingly replies that he would rather skip dinner that night. This humor earns the author a compliment from his lady friend, who remarks, "you are quite a humorist."
The story showcases the author's sense of humor and his ability to laugh at himself. The author recounts the lady's invitation to a pricey restaurant like Foyot, and how he was unable to decline because of his youth. As the lady begins ordering expensive dishes, the author recognizes the irony and laughs at himself for agreeing to the luncheon at Foyot. Throughout the story, the author displays his capacity for self-deprecating humor.
Question 2. How does the first person narrative help in heightening the literary effects of the story?
Answer:
This story is composed in a first person narrative which makes the readers familiar with the mindset of the narrator and his evident anticipation, apprehension and embarrassment of visiting the costly restaurant Foyot at the suggestion of his lady friend. It allows us to go deeper into the confusion and the fear developed by the narrator inside himself. The polite and soft gesture exhibited by the narrator in front of his lady friend explains the sheer embarrassment and monetary dilemma which he was experiencing. It allows the reader to visualise his mind about the anger and sarcasm which he possessed against his lady friend. The variations in the external gentility and inner mental stress helps us to understand his plight which gives rise to irony.
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