4.2 The Luncheon - Class 10 - Kumarbharati

Author: W. Somerset Maugham

Genre: Humorous Slice-of-Life Short Story

Textbook: English Kumarbharati – Std X

Board: Maharashtra State Board

Summary

The narrator recalls a lunch date with a woman who had admired his work and written to him. Living in Paris with limited income, he was surprised when she suggested meeting at Foyot’s, an expensive restaurant. She assured him she never ate more than one thing for luncheon, but proceeded to order costly dishes like salmon, caviar, asparagus, ice cream, and a peach, while the narrator could afford only a modest mutton chop.

As the meal progressed, the narrator worried about the bill, which drained his entire month’s budget. Years later, he met the same woman at a theatre and saw that she had become very overweight. Though he wasn’t a vindictive man, he considered this as poetic justice for the financial strain she caused him that day.

Theme / Central Idea

The story humorously explores human hypocrisy, social pretence, and the subtle ways in which people exploit others’ generosity. It also highlights the irony of self-proclaimed restraint and the long-lasting memory of perceived injustice.

Character Sketches

Narrator

• Young writer living in Paris with a limited income

• Polite, accommodating, and somewhat gullible

• Humorous and observant

• Financially strained but unwilling to appear ungenerous

• Finds satisfaction in poetic justice years later

The Woman

• Self-proclaimed moderate eater but orders expensive, multiple courses

• Hypocritical in words versus actions

• Overconfident, chatty, and self-centred

• Unaware or indifferent to the narrator’s financial discomfort

Word Meanings

 Grammar Questions

Q1. Identify the infinitive:

I was glad to meet her after many years.

→ Infinitive: to meet – shows the purpose of being glad.

Q2. Change to indirect speech:

She said, “I never eat more than one thing for luncheon.”

→ She said that she never ate more than one thing for luncheon.

Q3. Identify the modal:

You should follow my example.

→ Modal: should – expresses advice.

Q4. Rewrite in past perfect tense:

I ordered a mutton chop for myself.

→ I had ordered a mutton chop for myself.

Q5. Frame a Wh-question:

The narrator met her at the play.

→ Where did the narrator meet her?

Personal Response Questions

Q1. How does the story use humour to convey its message?

→ The story uses humour through the contrast between the woman’s claims and her actions, the narrator’s internal panic, and the exaggerated politeness in an awkward situation. This light-hearted approach makes the critique of hypocrisy more memorable.

Q2. What lesson does the narrator learn from this experience?

→ The narrator learns that politeness and generosity should be balanced with self-respect and caution. He realises that some people may take advantage of others’ good nature under the guise of refinement.

Q3. How does the ending of the story add to its humour?

→ The ending adds humour through poetic justice, as the once-imposing woman is now extremely overweight, contradicting her claims of eating lightly. This gives the narrator a harmless sense of revenge.

True or False

1. The narrator had invited the woman to an expensive restaurant. → False

2. The woman ordered caviar, salmon, asparagus, and peach. → True

3. The narrator had plenty of money left after the luncheon. → False

Probable Board Questions

Q1. Why was the narrator worried during the luncheon?

→ The narrator was worried because the woman kept ordering expensive items while claiming to eat lightly. He feared that his limited funds would not be enough to pay the bill.

Q2. How does the woman contradict her claim of eating lightly?

→ The woman contradicts her claim by ordering multiple rich dishes, including caviar, salmon, asparagus, ice cream, and peach, while criticising the narrator for eating a single mutton chop.

Q3. What is ironic about the narrator’s ‘revenge’?

→ The narrator’s ‘revenge’ lies in the irony that the woman, who once lectured him about moderation, is now twenty-one stone in weight, making her past statements laughable.

Q4. How does Maugham create humour in the story?

→ Maugham creates humour through irony, exaggeration, and the narrator’s dry observations. The tension between the narrator’s internal thoughts and outward politeness adds to the comic effect.

Reflection Paragraph

The Luncheon is a witty tale that captures the social awkwardness of hospitality strained by financial limits. Through sharp irony and vivid characterisation, Maugham shows how appearances can be deceptive. The narrator’s dry humour and the twist ending make the story entertaining while subtly pointing out the importance of being mindful in social dealings.

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