Class-VIII

Chapter-6 Luncheon

            by Somerset Maugham

Q1. How did the woman know the narrator? Why did she want to meet him?

Ans. When the narrator was a struggling writer, the woman had read his book and had written to him about it. As she was passing through Paris, she expressed her desire to have a chat with him and asked him if he would give her a little luncheon at Foyot’s.

Q2. What impression did the narrator gather of the woman when he met her?

Ans. The woman was not so young as expected by the narrator. In her appearance, she was imposing rather than attractive. She was infact, a woman of forty. She was talkative, but since she seemed to talk about him, he was prepared to be an attentive listener.

Q3. Why was the narrator panic-stricken while they were waiting for the asparagus to be cooked?

Ans. The asparagus was very expensive. The narrator was panic-stricken while they were waiting for them to be cooked as it was not a question now how much money he should have left over for the rest of the month, but whether he had enough money to pay the bill. It would be humiliating for him to find himself short of money and borrowing it from the guest.

Q4. Why did the narrator order coffee for himself also?

Ans. The woman had ordered many expensive dishes and the narrator knew that he would be in a trouble as the bill would be heavy. Either he would have no money left for the rest of the month or he would have to face a humiliating situation. Watching his guest eating the expensive and delicious asparagus made him throw all caution. He was past care now and ordered coffee for himself.

Q5. What is the waiter’s contribution in allowing the woman to have a gorgeous meal?

Ans. The waiter kept returning to their table and tempted the woman by asking her if she would like to order something more. Even though salmon and asparagus were not in the list of the menu, he told her they were available. He also brought a basket full of huge peaches which were not in season and were very expensive, though the order of the peaches was not placed.

HOTS

A.   The narrator’ meeting with the woman begins with his being flattered and hospitable and ends with being mortified and disgusted. Discuss his different states of mind.

B.   The woman calls the narrator ‘a humorist’. Who do you think actually contributes to the humour in the story? How?

Ans .We think that the lady contributes to the humour in the story by saying that she never eats more than one thing for luncheon.But all the expensive dishes ordered by the narrator were eaten up by the lady.

Life Skills

If you come across such a guest at home, how will you behave?

Values

A.   Observe the following remarks made by the woman during the luncheon.

‘I never eat anything for luncheon’.

‘I never drink anything for luncheon.’

‘I never eat more than anything for luncheon.’

Discuss these statements in the light of the behavior during the luncheon.

The lady does not seem to be true to her words.She kept saying that she would eat only one thing but she kept on ordering one item after the other. Also, each item she ordered was among the most expensive items on the menu. This shows that she did not practice what she preached and that she was insincere.

B.   Was the woman considerate or self-centred?

A.  We can conclude that the lady was self centred because before commencing the luncheon the lady said that she had only ‘one thing for lunch’. However, as the lunch progressed, she ordered the most expensive items on the menu– all the while saying that she had only one thing for lunch. She did not offer the author any of the dishes that she ordered for herself.  This shows that she did not practice what she preached  and  that she was selfish. The way she spoke rudely about the author’s choice to eat mutton chop proves that she was self-centred.

Writing Skills

Imagine that you are the narrator.

a.    Write a diary entry expressing your plans on how you hope to manage the budget of the entire month.

Ans. Dear Diary

I am in trouble. I don’t know how will I manage the budget of the entire month. I earn barely enough to keep my body and soul together. The lunch with the lady has made a hole in my pocket. I have no source of extra income to manage my living for the rest of the month. I am wondering what I should do. I am planning to borrow money from my friend. I also think to take advance from my publisher. I may have to take up a part time job to make up the loss given to me by that lady. I know I may have to go hungry sometimes. I pray to God to give me strength in this difficult time.

Narrator

b.    Write a diary entry expressing your satisfaction on observing the woman put on a lot of weight in the second meeting.

Ans. Dear Diary

Today I am feeling happy and satisfied on observing the woman who had caused me a lot of trouble 20 years back. She has become extremely fat and weighs 21 stones. In those days when I was a struggling writer, she had written to me and asked me to give her a lunch at an expensive French restaurant Foyot’s. I was flattered and agreed for the lunch even though I could not afford it. She was imposing and talkative. She said that she ate only one thing for lunch but her behavior and actions were contrary. She ordered very expensive dishes, some of them were not even listed in the menu. I was worried how I would pay the bill. After pay the bill and the insufficient tip to the waiter, I had nothing left for the rest of the month. I was saved from the embarrassing situation but had to live in a miserable condition. Looking at the woman today, I am glad that I got my revenge.

Narrator

1.B.a) The narrator was still a struggling writer.

Ans. The author shows that that he was still a struggling writer by saying that the lived in the Latin Quarters that overlooked the cemetery. He also says that the earned barely enough to keep body and soul together. Further, he says that he had only eighty francs to last him for the whole of the month.

b) He promptly said ‘yes’ to the woman’s proposal for lunch at the Foyot’s.

The author was flattered and he said ‘yes’ to the woman because he was too young to have learnt to say no to a woman .

c) The woman did not approve of the narrator’s choice of eating meat.

The  lady  said  that the author was unwise to eat meat. She said that one cannot do any work after eating heavy things  like  mutton chop.

d. The narrator planned to face a bill beyond his means.

Ans. He planned that if he fell short of money he would put his hands in his pocket and with a dramatic cry say that his pockets had been picked and borrow money from his guest. However, if his guest too did not have enough money he planned to leave his watch and come back later to pay the amount due.

e. The asparagus were tempting and difficult to resist.

Ans. The author indicated that the asparagus were very appetizing by describing the asparagus  as  enormous , succulent and appetizing. He said the smell of melted butter tickled his nostrils.

f. The narrator was shocked to see the head  waiter carry a basketful of peaches.

The head waiter came with a large basket of huge peaches. The lady took one peach from the basket. Peaches were very expensive and this added to the authors misery.