Chapter 4.2 – The Luncheon
The author had only 80 Francs, to last him the rest of the month, so he was not interested in dining at Foyot’s, but the lady friend reassured him saying ‘I never eat anything for luncheon’. She ordered several things, but each one individually – like salmon, caviar, champagne, giant asparagus, a peach from Italy and coffee and ice-cream. At the same time, she scolded Maugham for eating red-meat, as he had ordered mutton.
When the bill for ‘light lunch’ came, Maugham had only three Francs left to leave a meager trip for the false faced waiter. Now Maugham had the rest of the office month ahead of him and he was penniless. The supporter offered him nothing, instead she jumped into a cab and called out happily to him, saying goodbye. in the end the author explains that he is not a vindictive man, but “when the immortal gods take a hand in the matters, it is pardonable to observe the result with complacency”. He remarks that this woman, who only eats light lunches and only one thing at a time, “weights twenty one stone” (nearly 295 pounds or 134 Kilos)
far beyond one’s means : not affordable
imposing : grand or impressive
caviar : an expensive dish made of eggs of a fish, sturgeon
mortifying : feeling ashamed and embarrassed
inadequate : not sufficient
retorted : replied quickly with anger
vindictive : revengeful
stone : a unit of weight equal to 14 pounds.
Warming up!
1. Talk with your partner and discuss the following questions :
(a) Have you ever been invited to lunch, at any hotel, by your friend?
Ans: Yes
(b) What was the occasion?
Ans: A birthday party, a religious function.
(c) Did you enjoy the lunch? Why ?
Ans: Yes, I enjoyed the lunch, because the food was delicious, the ambience of the hotel was warm and pleasant and all the friends had a good time.
2. Discuss in pairs :
People with foibles are often not conscious of them. Do you agree or disagree? Why?
Ans: Yes, I agree with the fact that people with foibles are not conscious of them. The reason being that they are ignorant or unaware of it, and they continue with their eccentricity, blissfully, ignorant of them.
3. As you know, every country has its own currency. Find out the currency of at least 6 countries along with their current exchange rate in India, with the help of the internet. One is done for you.
For example, Switzerland: franc; 1 franc = 66.73 INR
Ans:
In Between The LESSON
Q1. What is the profession of the narrator?
Ans: The author is a writer.
Q2. When was the lady free ?
Ans: The lady was free only on Thursday.
Q3. Where and when did they decide to have luncheon?
Ans: The lady wanted to have a luncheon at Foyot’s on Thursday. It was an expensive restaurant which the narrator could not afford, but the writer still agreed.
Q4. What do you think the woman reassured the narrator about?
Ans: The woman realized that the narrator was startled when he saw the prices on the menu. So she indirectly reassured him that he would not have to spend much, for she never ate anything for luncheon.
Q5. ‘I never eat anything for luncheon’. Explain the irony in this line.
Ans: The narrator’s friend says that she never eats anything at luncheon before going to the expensive restaurant, Foyot’s. But after getting there, she proceeds to order salmon, caviar, asparagus, ice-cream, coffee and a peach. This is ironic as she eats twice as much food as a normal person would.
Q6. What does the use of the word ‘sank’ suggest about the narrator’s feelings?
Ans: The use of word sank suggests that the narrator was disappointed.
Q7. ‘I was past caring now.’ In your view, explain why the narrator feels this way.
Ans: After making the narrator believe that she wasn’t going to eat anything, his lady friend ordered all the most expensive dishes available on the menu. She even advised him not to have a heavy meal, when she had eaten enough for two people herself. At this point, the narrator had given up hope to have any money left at the end of the meal, so he ordered coffee for himself too. He says I was past caring now to show this new careless attitude he had about money.
Q8. ‘Then a terrible thing happened.’ Describe the narrator’s emotion at this point in the story. Why does he express this emotion?
Ans: The narrator was in a confused state of mind. He had somewhat made a mental calculation of the amount he would need to pay, which was in any case, way over his budget and then the waiter came with a basket of huge peaches. His friend took one and started eating it. He, thus, came to know how expensive they were, when the bill arrived. There was also ‘panic’, since he was trying to frame out if he had enough money to pay the bill.
Q8. How many things did the guest eat in all?
Ans: The guest ate a salmon dish, caviar and some asparagus, along with champagne and a peach and coffee with ice-cream as dessert.
ENGLISH WORKSHOP
1. Choose the correct option from the bracket and fill in the blanks given below.
(addressed, luncheon, generously, unwise, insist)
(a) The chief guest _____ the students.
Ans: The chief guest addressed the students.
(b) The crow was _____ to sing.
Ans: The crow was unwise to sing.
(c) I invited my relatives to _____
Ans: I invited my relatives to luncheon.
(d) Parents always _____ on children to be allrounders.
Ans: Parents always insist on children to be allrounders.
(e) The king decided to donate his wealth among his subjects _____.
Ans: The king decided to donate his wealth among his subjects generously.
2. Go through the story again and find out various instances which create humour in ‘The Luncheon’. Complete the table by picking up various humorous instances and the particular line from the story. One is done for you.
Ans:
3. Who said these words/sentences? Under what circumstances?
Ans:
4. Answer in your own words.
(a) Although the author was not a vindictive man, he was very happy to see her weigh twenty one stone and had finally had his revenge. What makes him say this? Explain.
Ans: Although the author was not a vindictive man, he was at the same time annoyed with the fact that his lady friend had ordered so many items for lunch and he had to pay such a huge bill. So to pacify himself, he says that he has had his revenge, because she must have put on more weight, due to the food she ate in the restaurant.
(b) 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.
Ans: The reason for feeling panic or his heart sank was he had limited money with him. The friend had taken him to a famous expensive restaurant and he was wondering what he would do if the bill exceeded the amount of money he had with him at that time.
(c) What are the instances which create humour in “The Luncheon”?
Ans: The instances which create humour in the luncheon are as follows:
(i) I never eat anything for luncheon
(ii) A little fish perhaps I wonder if they have any Salmon.
(iii) Unless you had a little caviar. I never mind caviar.
(iv) I think you are unwise to eat meat. I don’t believe in overloading my stomach.
(v) Why don’t you follow my example and eat just one thing?
(vi) I should be sorry to leave Paris without having some of them. (giant asparagus)
(vii) No, I never eat asparagus.
(viii) Yes, just an ice-cream and coffee.
(ix) One should always get up from a meal feeling one could eat a little more.
(x) Oh no. I’m not hungry. You see, I don’t eat luncheon. I have a cup of coffee in the morning and then dinner, but I never eat more than one thing for luncheon. I was speaking for you.
(xi) You see, you’ve filled your stomach with a lot of meat. But I’ve just had a snack and I shall enjoy a peach.
(xii) Follow my example and never eat more than one thing for luncheon.
(d) Describe the use of irony and humour in “The Luncheon”.
Ans: Part of the irony of derives from the fact that the has never dared to go to foyots by himself, because he is living on a very small income and further, he has to watch his voracious guest devouring gourmet comestible while he has to pretend, he only wants a mutton shop and a glass of water. He must have realized after the fact that he had been ‘taken’ by this greedy woman, who completely understood his financial circumstances. He concludes by saying that he has had his revenge at last!
5. Pick out the words and phrases in the story that indicate that the author was not financially well off. One is done for you.
Ans:
6. After reading the story, put the following events into correct order :
(a) She gave me her last kind advice how to improve my eating habits.
(b) I met her in the theatre after many years and I could hardly recognize her.
(c) Twenty years ago, I lived in Paris and earned just enough money to get by.
(d) I was really scared what could happen when I would pay the bill.
(e) “I never eat anything for luncheon.”
(f) I ordered a mutton chop for myself.
(g) She had read a book of mine.
(h) She ordered asparagus.
(i) She suggested him to invite her to a famous and expensive restaurant.
(j) I didn’t have dinner for the rest of the month.
Ans:
(b) I met her in the theatre after many years and I could hardly recognize her.
(c) Twenty years ago I lived in Paris and earned just enough money to get by.
(g) She had read a book of mine.
(i) She suggested him to invite her to a famous and expensive restaurant.
(e) “I never eat anything for luncheon”.
(f) I ordered a mutton shop for myself.
(h) She ordered asparagus.
(d) I was really scared what could happen when I would pay the bill.
(a) She gave me her last kind advice how to improve my eating habits.
(j) I didn’t have dinner for the rest of the month.
7. Irony is the expression of meaning through the use of language signifying the opposite. Describe the use of irony in ‘The Luncheon’. Pick the sentences from the story that are examples of irony. Fill in table ‘A’ the general direct meaning while in table ‘B’ its hidden meaning or the opposite meaning intended by the speaker. One is done for you.
Ans:
8. Fill in the blank a word or a phrase given in the brackets in their appropriate forms.
(startle, catch sight of, overload, water, pass)
1. “I never _____ my stomach”, she said.
Ans: “I never overload my stomach”, she said.
2. I was _____ when the menu was brought.
Ans: I was startled when the menu was brought.
3. The author _____ the guest at the play.
Ans: The author caught sight of the guest at the play.
4. I had seen asparagus in the shops, my mouth often _____ at the sight of them.
Ans: I had seen asparagus in the shops, my mouth often watered at the sight of them.
5. The author’s guest was _____ through Paris.
Ans: The author’s guest was passing through Paris.
9. Use appropriate articles.
1. I have just had _____ snack.
Ans: I have just had a snack.
2. I have _____ cup of coffee in the morning.
Ans: I have a cup of coffee in the morning.
3. I want just _____ ice cream and coffee.
Ans: I want just an ice cream and coffee.
4. Author and his guest gave _____ order and then waited for _____ asparagus to be cooked.
Ans: Author and his guest gave an order and then waited for the asparagus to be cooked.
10. Classify the following words in the given table appropriately.
(modest, luncheon, generously, rank, restaurant, appearance, large, expensive, watch, coffee, brought, afford, practical, apartment, moment, brightly, started, thoroughly)
Ans:
11. Study the different uses of ‘could’. Identify what it indicates.
(a) Lack of rain could cause drought. (possibility / condition)
Ans: possibility
(b) Abhi could perform well in his school days. (suggestion / past ability)
Ans: past ability
(c) Instead of playing computer games you could play real games with friends. (past ability / suggestion)
Ans: suggestion
(d) Could I use your computer for surfing net? (possibility / request)
Ans: request
(e) We could go on an excursion, if we didn’t have exam. (suggestion / condition)
Ans: condition
12. Fill in the gaps with appropriate Prepositions to make the passage meaningful.
I waited ……………. the airport ……………. Atlanta. My old school-mate was going to arrive ……………. New Airlines ……………. Mumbai, ……………. 21st ……………. March–the year 2018. We had not met ……………. 40 years ……………. 1978. She was going to stay ……………. a week ……………. me ……………. Atlanta ok ……………. 21st ……………. 27th ……………. March, 2018.
My joy knew no bounds, when I saw her ……………. 40 years. ……………. home, I introduced her ……………. my family. Then I took her ……………. a big mall ……………. shopping. It was just ……………. my house. We went ……………. the street and climbed ……………. using the elevator – the staircase.
Ans: I waited at the airport at Atlanta. My old schoolmate was going to arrive by New Airlines to Mumbai; on 21st of March the year 2018. We had not met for 40 years since 1978. She was going to stay for a week with me at Atlanta from 21st to 27th of March 2018.
My joy knew no bounds; when I saw her after 40 years. At home; I introduced her to my family. Then I took her to a big mall for shopping. It was just near my house. We went across the street and climbed by using the elevator – the staircase.
13. On the occasion of Diwali, write a letter to your friend to invite him/her to celebrate the festival in an innovative way. Use the following hints.
time and place
other friends are also invited
special dish is prepared
post lunch fun programmes, innovative activity
Ans:
48, Hema Apartment,
C.V. Road,
Kurla,
Mumbai 400070.
20th January 2023.
Dear Edna,
Hello, how are you? Hope everything is well at home. It’s been a long time since we have met; so I thought, why not get together at my home for Diwali. I would like you to come over to my place to celebrate this auspicious and joyous occasion.
We will have a great time as all my other friends will also be coming. We have planned games and snacks for everyone. There will be events like musical chairs, a treasure hunt and lighting the diyas. There will also be music and dancing and other fun activities.
My mother has made delicious sweets and snacks like karanji, mathri, ladoos, coconut barfi and sweet biscuits. Everything else will be freshly cooked at home. I invite you and your entire family to come and join in to celebrate this Diwali together with all family and friends.
Hope to see all of you soon.
Give my regards to everyone at home.
Your loving friend,
X.Y.Z.
14. Further reading :
(a) “The Phantom Luncheon” by Saki.
Ans: Students should do this on their own.
(b) “The Ant and the Grasshopper” by William Somerset Maugham.
Form 4 groups of the class. Every group will visit the school’s library or use the internet to read both the creations of Saki and W. S. Maugham. After reading them, every group will summarise both the creations and later read out in the class.
Ans: Students should do this on their own.